Stingy defense helps Moapa Valley win eighth straight

Moapa Valley showed how defense and clock management can win football games in its 14-0 victory over Clark on Friday.

The Pirates posted a modest 205 yards of total offense, but a stingy defense secured an eighth consecutive victory.

The defense got two turnovers, four sacks and allowed only 183 yards of offense from Clark. Meanwhile, the offense won the time of possession battle and effectively milked the clock.

Moapa Valley’s first touchdown came two minutes into the second quarter following an 11-play, 63-yard drive. The drive included three fourth-down conversions, including one that resulted in a 30-yard touchdown run from quarterback Luke Bennett.

Clark (0-7) was within reach of its first victory until late in the fourth quarter. With his team’s running game virtually nonexistent, Chargers quarterback My’Quel Johnson completed 17 of 26 passes for 169 passing yards. However, the Pirates nixed the Chargers’ one trip to the red zone with an interception in the end zone.

Moapa Valley (8-1) secured the win with its second touchdown, which came on a 13-yard run from Jessup Lake with 4:05 remaining in the game.