3A STATE: Truckee stymies Pirates to claim third straight championship

FERNLEY — Moapa Valley was backed up on its own side of the field so often during Saturday’s Class 3A state title game that Pirates coach Brent Lewis probably will be seeing goal posts when he closes his eyes the next few nights.

“I’ll be having nightmares about it,” Lewis said.

Fueled by a blocked punt return for a touchdown, an interception deep in Moapa Valley territory and a defense that consistently left the Pirates with poor field position, Truckee won its third consecutive 3A Nevada state title, all against the Pirates, 21-6.

“It seems like the story of our life against Truckee was our inability to capitalize on their mistakes and obviously their ability to capitalize on ours,” Lewis said. “I thought we were pretty evenly matched, but we just gave them too many gifts on our own side of the field.”

Aside from a fumble recovery and a partially blocked punt in the first half, the Pirates never crossed midfield on their own until the fifth play of the fourth quarter.

Moapa Valley hadn’t gained 100 yards of total offense until a 52-yard pass from Josh Repp to Brandon Johnson set up the Pirates’ lone score — a Conner Mortensen 1-yard run with 1:48 left in the game.

“I can’t fault my kids’ effort,” Lewis said. “They prepared well, and the credit goes to Truckee.”

Moapa Valley’s frustration began on the game’s opening drive after the Pirates recovered a fumble at the Truckee 30-yard line on the opening kickoff.

The Pirates were unable to convert on a fourth-and-6 play at the Truckee 15.

“We kept them out of the end zone, and I think that changed the way they approached the game, the fact that they didn’t score,” Truckee coach Bob Shaffer said.

Moapa Valley reached the Truckee 29 on its second drive, but a 9-yard loss on a fumbled pitch ended that threat.

The Pirates’ best starting field position the rest of the half was their own 30.

Truckee missed a 30-yard field goal attempt and came up short on fourth down at the Moapa Valley 13.

Justin Carter blocked a Moapa Valley punt, and Zak Pettit returned it 3 yards for a touchdown to put Truckee ahead 7-0 with 2:38 left in the second quarter.

“That was key to give Truckee momentum,” Lewis said. “I thought we’d go even into the half, and I liked our chances.”

Tyler Curtis scored on a 24-yard run with 3:55 left in the third quarter, then an interception gave Truckee the ball at the Moapa Valley 18, setting up Patrick Shaffer’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Erik Holmer.

“Our offense put our defense in tough spots, and our special teams let us down a little bit,” Lewis said. “I think it just came down to the gifts we gave them and they capitalized.”

The state championship was Truckee’s third consecutive, and the win was its 36th consecutive since a loss in the 2008 title game to Moapa Valley.

The teams have met in the state championship game four consecutive years.

“Going into the future, who knows what this four-game series is going to mean,” Lewis said. “They’ve got the banners, and we don’t. That’s basically what it means.”