Prep football playoffs: Breaking down 3A, 2A, 1A state title games
No football coach wants his team to start a season with three losses, but Moapa Valley’s Brent Lewis has been around long enough to know that adversity can be a good thing.
The Pirates (9-4) face Churchill County (11-1) for the Class 3A state title at 10 a.m. Saturday at Reno’s Mackay Stadium, and the 24th-year coach feels his team is capable of overcoming one more obstacle.
Though Moapa’s coaching staff doesn’t know much about the Greenwave, Lewis knows they’re good. But he also knows his team’s nonleague losses to a trio of teams from Utah prepared his players for the moment.
“They’re solid up and down the lineup,” Lewis said of Churchill County. “They’re big, tall and lanky, and we’ll definitely have our hands full. But they’ve got to be just as worried about us as we are of them.”
Both squads enter as their regions’ No. 2 seeds and have overpowering offenses. Churchill County, which beat Virgin Valley 31-19 in the semifinals last week, is led by running back Carson Melendy. He averages 100 rushing yards per game and had 179 yards and two touchdowns in the semifinal.
“We’ve got to stop him,” said Lewis, whose opponent averages 42 points per game. “And they run a complex (run-pass option) system that will keep us on our toes. We’ve just got to win the turnover battle, and our offense needs to do a good job of keeping the ball to keep them off the field.”
The Pirates, who average 36 points per game, have two offensive standouts in quarterback Kamden Drosos (17 touchdown passes) and running back Briggs Hickman, who averages 103 yards per game. Both were instrumental in Moapa Valley’s 43-27 semifinal win over Elko last week.
The Greenwave, whose only loss was a 31-28 setback to Elko on Oct. 17, will be playing closer to home, but Lewis is undeterred.
“We made the trip up there last week,” said Lewis, who last led his program to a state title in 2021. “The kids are focused and they know you can’t let travel or weather be an excuse.”
Class 2A state championship
at Allegiant Stadium
No. 1N Pershing County at No. 1S Needles, 9 a.m. Tuesday
Expect a high-scoring affair. Pershing County (11-1) averages 43 points per game, while Needles (9-2) averages 39.
Both squads rely on their running games. Pershing County tends to finish strong, which could be an advantage if this game goes down to the wire.
Class 1A state championship
at Bishop Gorman
No. 2S Pahranagat Valley at No. 1S Tonopah, 2 p.m. Saturday
Tonopah (12-0) has scored 149 points in its two postseason games while Pahranagat Valley (11-1) has allowed just six. The winner of that battle will likely claim the title.
Tonopah defeated Pahranagat Valley 26-16 in the regular season on Sept. 26.
Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.
