Hubert, Pirates complete undefeated regular season

Though his team led by 13 at halftime, Moapa Valley junior defensive back R.J. Hubert said the undefeated Pirates felt like they still had work to do Friday against host Chaparral.

“We went into the locker room, and everyone was saying the game is not over, we need to finish this,” Hubert said. “So my mentality was, I had to do something for my team to help them out.”

Hubert didn’t waste any time taking action, as he grabbed the second-half kickoff and zipped 78 yards to the end zone to push the lead to 27-6.

That return – along with Hubert’s three interceptions – helped Moapa Valley close out a 40-12 victory over the Cowboys to finish an undefeated regular season and clinch the Division I-A Sunrise League championship.

The Pirates (9-0, 6-0 league), who have now won seven straight league titles, will host Spring Valley to open the playoffs on Thursday. Chaparral (5-4, 4-2) finished as the No. 3 seed from the Sunrise and will open the playoffs at Sierra Vista.

“It was awesome to get home-field advantage in the playoffs all the way through,” Hubert said. “We are really looking forward to it.”

Hubert’s play in the secondary was a key for the Pirates in keeping the Cowboys at bay, as he faced off against Chaparral’s 6-foot-6-inch receiver Maharie Trotter. The result was a three interceptions. Trotter had one catch for 13 yards

“They lined me up against him and thought I could do the job, and I got the job done, luckily,” Hubert said.

Hubert’s biggest interception helped Moapa Valley dodge a bullet just before halftime.

After the Pirates took a 20-6 lead on Kaleb Bodily’s 2-yard TD run with just more than a minute left in the second quarter, Chaparral’s Richard Nelson had a 59-yard kickoff return to the Moapa Valley 30.

Chaparral drove to the 9-yard line, but Hubert’s interception in the end zone with three seconds left in the half turned away the threat and preserved the Pirates’ two-score lead.

“Really I just knew my team was counting on me,” Hubert said. “I knew the play was coming. They had me on that big receiver, and that’s what we were keying in on in practice this week. On that play I was just keying in on my assignment.”

While Hubert and the defense roped the Cowboys offense, the Moapa Valley offense spent the game pounding away on Chaparral via the running game.

Bodily rushed for 151 yards on 21 carries to power the Pirates. He accounted for all three of his team’s touchdowns in the first half, all on 2-yard runs.

“We definitely came in with the mentality to win,” Bodily said. “We knew to do that, we had to run the ball. And our line was dominating up front so we were able to.

“Guys like (offensive linemen) Tanner James and Spencer Baker, they are the ones that made everything happen.”

While Moapa Valley was successful in winning another league title by pounding Chaparral into submission, the players said clinching home field to have the road through the Division IA playoffs go through their home field was the bigger prize.

“This group of kids has never once lost at home, so it’s a big deal for us. It gives us a lot of confidence,” Bodily said. “A lot is the mentality we have. Where we live, we just expect to do well. Our coaches and our team are just able to make it happen.”