By Steve Swanson
CoachesAid.com Nevada Correspondent
Track season can't come fast enough for Valley's Garic Wharton.
Accustomed to running by people on the curve and looking back over his shoulder on the straight, the brilliant sprinter, turned emergency quarterback, spent the evening being run down at the sideline and looking frantically for a non-existent defensive opening.
Desert Pines seemed happy enough with the fall sport. Dalton Leilua threw for three touchdowns and the tailback tandem of Chancellor Davis and Leon Hayes combined for nearly 200 yards to lead the Jaguars to a 27-8 win over out-manned Valley Thursday Night at Desert Pines.
After a first quarter battle of punts, Desert Pines got their ground game going in the second. From their own 40, Hayes swept right for 18 yards and Davis went left for another 17. The Jaguars had found something with the motion toss sweep and it clicked again with Hayes rambling for another 13 yards to the seven. Three plays later, Hayes swept in from a yard out to put Desert Pines in front 6-0.
When not being assisted by voluminous Desert Pines offside penalties, the Valley offense was showing precious few signs of life. Wharton prodded and probed, sprinted and swerved, but never found an open lane to show off his 10.3 hundred meter speed, rushing 22 times for a paltry 31 yards. The passing game also had an unfortunate track motif, as most of Wharton's efforts sailed like a soft discus toss in a vicious crosswind.
Paul Bennett hauls in this 30 yard pass from Dalton Leilua and heads for the end zone.
An Eric Tuiloma interception and return put Desert Pines back in business near mid-field. Tuiloma then ran a textbook hook and go, leaving the defender spinning in his wake, and a rolling Leilua lobbed the ball in easily for a 46-yard touchdown. Leilua hit Paul Bennett in the flat for the two-point conversion, extending the lead to 14-0.
A Desert Pines mistake briefly revived the Vikings just before half. A risky hook and ladder from deep in their own end blew up in the Jaguar's face as Davis fumbled and Valley recovered at the twenty-four. With time running out, Valley put together their best "drive" of the half, with Wharton hitting Mitchell Deas on a curl at the ten and sprinting left to the one. Unfortunately, a Wharton sneak was stymied, a motion penalty pushed the Vikings back, and a Wharton sweep right was plowed under by a host of Jaguars as time expired.
Desert Pines quickly pulled away in the second half. With Valley crowding the line of scrimmage, Leilua began using play action to great effect. Leilua hit a wide open Noel Darden on a deep in for 21 yards and two plays later a play fake completely froze the Valley secondary, Paul Bennett easily sprinting clear and gathering in a 30 yard touchdown.
With only 23 players in uniform and their offense unable to sustain any sort of drive, Valley quickly wilted. Desert Pines began leaning more and more on their ground game, with Davis ripping off huge chunks of yardage and Hayes delivering stiff arms more suited for MMA than Thursday Night Lights. Fullback Richard Green got into the action as well, tearing off 43 quick yards on three punishing carries.
Valley's Garic Wharton found little room to run during the Vikings 27-8 loss to Desert Pines.
A 13-yard Leilua fade to a leaping Noel Darden put any remaining doubts to rest at 27-0.
To their credit, Valley fought to the end. They held off a last Jaguar drive and then summoned up their last reserves of energy and character for a final drive of their own. Riding the determined running of Roland Hodge, the Vikings drove the ball resolutely down the field. With time running out, Wharton lofted another shot put down the right side, where Deas out fought a defender for the ball and twisted his way down to the one. Wharton snuck in from there, closing out the scoring and achieving a measure of redemption for Valley.
Valley 0 0 0 8 8
Desert Pines 0 14 13 0 27
Second Quarter
DP Hayes 1 run (kick failed).
DP Tuiloma 46 pass from Leilua (Bennett pass from Leilua).
Third Quarter
DP Bennett 30 pass from Leilua (Garcia kick).
DP Darden 12 pass from Leilua (kick failed).
Fourth Quarter
Val Wharton 1 run (Dean run).
Individual Statistics
RUSHING Valley, Hodge 11-65, Wharton 22-31, Dean 2-6, Heath 2-(minus 2). Desert Pines, Hayes 13-103, Davis 16-90, Green 3-43, Tuiloma 2-18, T. Smith 3-6, Leilua 2-3
PASSING Valley, Wharton 7-20-1 63. Desert Pines, Leilua 9-11-0 131, Robello 2-3-0 4.
RECEIVING Valley, Finley 4-13, Deas 2-44, Dean 1-6. Desert Pines, Tuiloma 4-60, Darden 4-39, Bennett 2-31, Tran 1-5
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