CAPTION:
Hunter Hollingshead outruns a Spring Mountain defender for a 62-yard gain in Pahranagat?s 74-26 win over the Eagles. The win puts the Panthers into first place in the 1A Southern Division. Hollingshead scored three rushing touchdowns on long runs, plus caught a touchdown pass.
A 30-point explosion in the third quarter and a withering offensive attack sparked Pahranagat Valley to a 74-26 win over Spring Mountain Friday night.
??The first half was a back-and-forth affair with the Panthers holding a 36-26 advantage. But after halftime, PVHS upped the tempo of their offensive plays, running one roughly every 20 seconds, stayed mostly on the ground, and scored four times in the third period causing Spring Mountain coach Aaron Masden to say later, ?They just wore us out, we ran out of steam. We?ve got to work harder to get in better condition, and we have to do a better job of stopping the run.?
Brodey Maxwell and Hunter Hollingshead each had three rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown. Hollingshead led Pahranagat Valley (7-0, 4-0 Class 1A Southern League) in rushing with 201 rushing yards on 12 carries, and Maxwell had 158 rushing yards on 18 carries. The Panthers racked up 555 total yards.
PVHS coach Brett Hansen said, ?We just challenged our players in the halftime locker room to be more physical, challenged our line to maintain blocks, and we knew the 10-15 yards we were getting in the first half could then become 20-30 yards and touchdowns. And they answered the bell for sure.?
?He added that he did not anticipate the Panthers up-tempo offense would have the effect on the Eagles that it did, ?because usually in 8-man ball everyone plays both sides of the ball anyways. But it was a definite plus for us.?
Pahranagat?s Preston Higbee finished 6-for-11 passing for 176 yards, three touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and one interception. The young sophomore is second in a number of touchdowns passes in Southern Nevada with 25 (Dillan Otteson of Tonopah has 29). Higbee now has 1,019 passing yards for the season, 51-for-74, 69%.
Richard Lewis had a 61-yard touchdown reception for the Panthers, Stockton Maxwell had six tackles and two interceptions, Chris Thornton led the team with eight tackles, and Reece Thornton had six tackles and an interception.
Jeremiah Jimenez had a 67-yard kickoff return in the first quarter for a touchdown for Spring Mountain (4-2, 3-1).
?The Eagles relied heavily on the pass, although stats were not available, and Masden said, ?We like our passing game, especially with what Pahranagat Valley does defensively we like to see if we can pass the ball.?
??Quarterback Shawn Shumpert and backup Treyvon Wesley did pretty well, finding Damayne Royal numerous times in the middle of the field.
??Shumpert threw two touchdown passes, but only short yardage. He had to leave the game early in the third quarter with leg cramps and did not return.
In the meantime, the Panther pass defense was limiting the Eagles success on the long pass attempts. ?
?Pahranagat scored two quick touchdowns the first quarter, the 61-yarder to ?Lewis and two-and-a-half minutes later a 38-yard pass to Maxwell.
Hollingshead broke three long scoring runs in the third quarter outburst for 47, 30, and 37 yards.
?The win gives the Panthers first place in the league and if all remains the same, will allow them to host a first round and semi-final game in the playoffs, whereas the Eagles, as the No.2 seed, would have to travel to the northern opponent in the semi-finals.
?This week, Pahranagat will be at home again on Friday hosting Beaver Dam (1-4, 1-3). They conclude the regular season Oct. 26 at Beatty. The unbeaten Hornets (5-0, 4-0) have to play at Spring Mountain this week.