Balanced rushing attack helps Mojave claim showdown with Sierra Vista

By Tristan Aird

Friday, Sept. 19, 2014 | 11:22 p.m.

Mojave High senior Ty Flanagan has left no doubt about his stature as one of the state’s best running backs.

The Rattlers showed tonight they’re not a one-player rushing attack.

Senior quarterback Zack Arave ran for 177 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, senior slot receiver Davion Fletcher rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns on only four attempts, and Flanagan added 70 yards and a TD on eight carries.

It all added up to a 28-7 Mojave win over Sierra Vista in a Division I-A Sunset showdown.

“I knew they would key on Flanagan so we spread it around,” Mojave coach Joe Delgado said. “Everyone pitched in; they all stepped up like everyone should.”

Defensively, Mojave (4-0) flexed its muscles as well, as Delgado said the Rattlers recorded five sacks and didn’t allow a pass completion by Sierra Vista (3-1). Flanagan, a recruiting target for San Diego State and a Sun Preseason All-City honoree, forced and recovered a fumble.

“We missed a couple key blocks here and there, caused some of our own problems,” Delgado said. “Other than that, for the most part we did well.”

Linebacker Kaleb Friedman had 10 tackles and cornerback Kylan Green made seven tackles for the Rattlers.

Sierra Vista scored on a short touchdown run.

“We’re almost 100 percent healthy, which is good,” Delgado said. “Spreading the ball around a lot on offense, we’ll take into next week, make it hard for opponents to key in.”

Tristan Aird can be reached at 702-259-8829 or [email protected]. Follow Tristan on Twitter at twitter.com/tristanaird.