SMALL SCHOOLS: Ramirez’s TD leads Knights by Wolverines
Round Mountain’s Joaquin Ramirez made sure the young Wolverines will have to wait until next year.
The senior running back scored on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal with 1:54 remaining to give the Knights a 28-22 road win Thursday and clinch the fourth and final berth in the Class 1A Southern League playoffs.
Ramirez carried 42 times for 295 yards and three touchdowns, scoring on runs of 1, 2 and 8 yards.
“It was either the last (game) or we go on to the playoffs,” Ramirez said. “When you’re a senior, you don’t want it to be your last game. I’m just glad we came back, we fought, and it’s good to get the victory.”
Ramirez accounted for all but seven of 334 yards of offense for Round Mountain (3-6, 3-3).
The Wolverines (3-6, 2-4) drove to Round Mountain’s 10-yard line with 2.1 seconds left, but their final pass attempt fell incomplete.
Henderson International entered the game with seven of its 21 players injured, and leading rusher Jay Sutorius left the game with an injury in the second half, coach Brett Price said.
“I was real proud of the kids,” said Price, whose team has no seniors. “We had to kind of band-aid things together, and I can’t ask for anything more than the kids gave at the end there.”
The Wolverines rushed for 308 yards, led by Chris Laliberte (121 yards, one TD), Keenan Gladd-Brown (97 yards) and Sutorius (96 yards, one TD).
Chris Miele’s 10-yard scoring strike to Michael Sutorius over the middle gave Henderson International a 22-16 lead with 10:52 left, but Round Mountain answered with two TDs in the final eight minutes.
“There’s no quit in this team,” Knights coach Jim Swigart said. “When you’ve got a running back like Joaquin Ramirez, you hand him the ball and you let him take the game.”
Round Mountain will open the postseason at defending 1A state champion Pahranagat Valley (7-0, 5-0), which hasn’t lost a game since 2007, on Nov. 7.
Calvary Chapel 20, Lincoln County 19 — At Mountain View, Justin Cox scored three touchdowns, including the game-clinching score with seven minutes left, as the Lions shocked the Lynx.
Cox caught a pair of touchdown passes, highlighted by taking a hook-and-lateral toss 66 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put Calvary Chapel up 20-11.
Cox rushed for another touchdown and gained 154 total yards (90 receiving, 64 rushing).
Following the hook-and-lateral, the Lynx answered as quarterback Eric Rippetoe found Travis Sonnenberg on a 19-yard pass play, cutting the lead to one with 2:43 remaining.
However, a pair of big runs by Cox enabled the Lions to run out the clock.
Calvary Chapel (3-5, 3-4 2A Southern) got on the board first, going 72 yards in eight plays with Hunter Rodriguez finding Cox for a 24-yard score. The Lynx answered with an eight-play, 59-yard drive capped by a 3-yard run from Tyler Center, trimming the lead to 8-6.
The Lynx (5-4, 4-3) grabbed their first lead late in the opening quarter on a 31-yard field goal by Artie Grygierczyk. Lincoln County was awarded a safety when Cox was tackled in the end zone late in the first half and the Lynx had an 11-8 lead.
Cox scored on a 10-yard run on Calvary Chapel’s first possession of the third quarter, and the Lions regained the lead at 14-11.
Sonnenberg led Lincoln County with 89 yards on 10 carries. The Lynx outgained the Lions, 242-209, but were stopped three times deep in Calvary Chapel territory, including once inside the 1.
Moapa Valley quarterback Kelan Weiss threw all five of his TD passes in the first half. He finished 9-for-10 for 320 yards.
Matt Newton caught six passes for 265 yards, including TD receptions of 51, 60, 62 and 38 yards.
Weiss added a 28-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
Richard Vidal rushed for 53 yards to lead Virgin Valley.
Spring Mountain 42, Laughlin 38 — At Spring Mountain, James Maestas’ 57-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 43 seconds left in the game lifted the Eagles (7-3) past Laughlin (7-2).
Laughlin scored to take a 38-34 lead in the final minute, but Maestas’ third touchdown of the game put the Eagles back on top.
Maestas also rushed 16 times for 152 yards and a touchdown, and caught two passes for 47 yards and a score.
Spring Mountain quarterback Robby Lindbloom was 7-for-10 passing for 96 yards and three TDs. Marquise Lewis hauled in two scoring strikes.
Boulder City 55, Sunrise Mountain 0 — At Sunrise Mountain, Devin Combs scored three first-quarter touchdowns, and Matt Combs added a pair of third-quarter scores as the visiting Eagles (6-4) roughed up the Miners (1-8).
Devin Combs carried 13 times for 100 yards and had touchdown runs of 7, 1 and 2 yards in the opening quarter. Matt Combs, who scored on runs of 2 and 20 yards, had 10 carries for 95 yards as the Eagles used 12 different rushers to combine for 264 yards on the ground.
Kyle Dimpel returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and caught a 38-yard scoring pass from Ryan Washburn in the second.
Colton Schulz added a 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to close the scoring.
Sunrise Mountain managed just 39 total yards.
Mountain View 46, White Pine 0 — At Ely, Cortland LeBoeuf rushed for 117 yards and two TDs on only nine attempts as the Saints (8-2, 6-1 2A Southern) blasted the Bobcats (2-7, 2-5).
LeBoeuf scored on first-half runs of 5 and 55 yards. He also returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a score.
Mountain View’s T.J. Engel passed for 146 yards and one score. Mark Allen caught two passes for 94 yards.
Karl Benjamin had 16 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery to lead Mountain View’s defense.
The Meadows 42, West Wendover 6 — At The Meadows, the Mustangs (8-1, 7-0 2A Southern) wrapped up an outright league title after building a 42-0 halftime lead.
The Meadows quarterback Garrett Gosse threw all four of his touchdown passes in the first quarter and finished 8-for-11 for 183 yards.
The Meadows’ Dylan Lee caught four passes for 92 yards, including TDs of 30 and 36 yards. Mike Kenny carried six times for 69 yards and one TD.
Richard Lee had two of The Meadows’ four interceptions on defense.
Tonopah 55, Indian Springs 20 — At Indian Springs, Denver Otteson rushed for 249 yards and three TDs on 16 carries to lead the Muckers (5-4, 5-1 1A Southern) past the Thunderbirds (2-6, 1-5).
Otteson also passed for 51 yards and two scores.
Tonopah’s Cody Serfoss carried five times for 40 yards and one TD, caught four passes for 40 yards and two TDs and scored on a 35-yard fumble return.
Indian Springs quarterback Adam Reinke passed for 255 yards and two TDs, and rushed for 79 yards and another score.
