Moapa Valley, Virgin Valley to face off in Hammer Game

In galore ways, Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley are reflector images of each other.

Both are schools from agrarian communities little than 30 miles apart. The shot teams are steeped successful contented and person combined to triumph 27 authorities championships. Moapa Valley is tied for 4th successful the state’s past with 16 championships. Virgin Valley is tied for eighth with 11 titles.

When they meet, the crippled is usually won successful the trenches. Both teams bring a hard-nosed benignant of play. So it makes consciousness that the rivals play successful the Hammer Game.

This year’s renewal of the rivalry kicks disconnected astatine 7 p.m. Friday astatine Moapa Valley.

Rivalry games are important to some sides erstwhile thing is connected the line. What sets this 1 isolated are the stakes beyond the hammer.

League championships are often decided successful this game. That is the lawsuit this year, with the victor claiming the Class 3A Mountain League title. Virgin Valley bushed Moapa Valley successful 2006 for the authorities title earlier Moapa Valley returned the favour against Virgin Valley for the authorities rubric the adjacent season.

“For me, this crippled is astir tradition,” said Moapa Valley manager Brent Lewis, a 1986 Moapa Valley graduate. “My dada graduated from Moapa Valley. All my brothers, myself, astir of the kids’ dads that I manager close present graduated from Moapa Valley. This crippled is profoundly rooted successful our system.”

Virgin Valley manager Matt Woods besides grew up knowing the rivalry’s importance. Woods, a 1992 Virgin Valley graduate, said the crippled is each helium hears astir successful the offseason.

Once the play begins, not overmuch changes. Both communities support an oculus connected the other, knowing they’ll yet transverse paths.

“I’ve experienced it my full life,” Woods said. “We’ve played truthful galore times, and it’s truthful close. It’s 2 agrarian communities that some emotion football, and some valleys person fielded precise bully shot teams, truthful that makes it special.”

The hammer has gone backmost and distant successful caller years. It presently resides astatine Moapa Valley, courtesy of the Pirates’ 18-14 triumph during the shortened outpouring play successful a crippled played astatine a parkland successful Mesquite.

The Bulldogs bushed Moapa Valley doubly successful 3 weeks successful 2019, successful the regular-season finale and a second-round playoff game. Moapa Valley took the hammer successful 2018, with Virgin Valley claiming it successful 2016 and keeping it successful 2017.

Moapa Valley has been the ascendant Southern Nevada 3A squad this autumn and enters the crippled with a cleanable 8-0 mark. Virgin Valley had a hiccup against SLAM Nevada successful precocious September, losing 21-14, but comes successful with a 7-1 mark.

Lewis and Woods some complimented the different teams’ athletes and said limiting the large play volition beryllium a cardinal to winning Friday.

“Both communities person planned our seasons astir winning the league title successful this game,” Lewis said. “We person an tremendous magnitude of respect for their coaching staff. Their kids are a batch similar our kids. They’re precise well-coached, and they play their guts retired conscionable similar we do.”

Contact Jason Orts astatine jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts connected Twitter.