DIVISION I-A HONORS: Lewis carries load as senior

It’s not often that a school has a player as dominant as Myloe Lewis.

Cheyenne hitched itself to its senior star this fall, and the Desert Shields chugged all the way to the Division I-A state football semifinals.

For his efforts, Lewis was named the Division I-A Southern Region Most Valuable Player by the coaches.

“We called him the train,” Cheyenne coach David Cochran said. “And we just wanted to ride that train as far as he could take us.”

Lewis rushed for 2,435 yards and 39 touchdowns in leading Cheyenne to a 9-3 record and the Sunset League title.

“We knew he’d be our horse this year, so we wanted to most definitely center our whole running game around him and our blocking scheme,” Cochran said. “That was our intention, to make him our centerpiece.”

The plan worked. Lewis scored 41 total touchdowns and had at least two TDs in all but one game. His 68-yard game against Canyon Springs was the only time all season he failed to reach the end zone or top 100 yards.

As a junior, Lewis had 103 carries for 978 yards and 12 TDs, and Cochran said his star worked hard in the offseason to increase those numbers. The coach pointed out that the senior played in every game this season. Lewis finished with 262 carries, second to Silverado’s Alex Cater (398 rushes) among area players.

“His durability (improved) most of all,” Cochran said. “And that came from hitting that weight room hard all spring and summer.”

Moapa Valley swept the rest of the top Southern Region awards. Conner Mortensen, who has rushed for 1,755 yards and 32 TDs, was named Offensive Player of the Year. Kasen Hughes, who leads the Pirates with 120 tackles, was Defensive Player of the Year. And Cody Tolbert, who has 10½ sacks, was Lineman of the Year.

Mortensen was the Sunrise League MVP, with Hughes picking up the Sunrise Defensive Player of the Year award, and Tolbert getting the Lineman of the Year. Boulder City’s D.J. Koopman, who ran for 1,260 yards and nine TDs, was Offensive Player of the Year.

Lewis also was named the Sunset League’s MVP. Faith Lutheran’s Anthony Pryatel-Farmer, who had 70 catches for 1,039 yards and 10 TDs, was Offensive Player of the Year in the Sunset. Cheyenne’s Dylan Power was Sunset Defensive Player of the Year, and teammate Terrance Neuhauser was Lineman of the Year.