The Battle Mountain football team ended its regular season play on a high, so to speak, routing the Incline Highlanders 54-14. Most of the second half was played with a running clock.
The Longhorns asserted defensive dominance from the start, holding the home team to three downs on their first possession. Not to be outdone, the offense drove 70 yards, capping a successful touchdown bid with a 27-yard run by Kort Beaver. Arturo Serrano converted for a 7-0 Longhorn lead.
Special teams let one through, though, as Incline ran back to tie at 7-7.
Unfazed, the Longhorns continued to grind out the yards, capping a 65-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown throw from quarterback Bryan Chavira to Beaver. Serrano’s kick put the ‘Horns up 14-7.
Five plays into their next possession, Beaver recovered an Incline fumble on their own 44 yard line, setting up his own third touchdown on a 17-yard run five plays later. A missed kick left the score at 20-7.
The tough Longhorn defense once more held Incline to three plays, after which Battle Mountain drove 66 yards on just four running carries, the last a 16-yard scamper by Arturo Serrano. A two-point conversion failed, ending the quarter at 26-7.
After getting pinned inside the 20 on the kickoff, Incline showed some life, busting out 50 yards in three runs. Battle Mountain Coach Mitch Domagala observed, “We missed some tackles, and lost containment on this series, mostly from being over-aggressive. The kids settled down and forced a turnover.”
Andrew Cox recovered the fumble. Runs by Beaver and Serrano alternated with pass completions to Matt Rochester, before a 15-yard Chavira run and Serrano kick upped the Longhorn lead to 33-7.
Incline answered with a solid kick return to their own 48 yard line. The Longhorn defense then stepped up and pushed them backwards on four straight plays, taking over on downs at the Incline 46.
Next, Chavira hit Jaren Price for a 46-yard touchtown, and a Serrano kick took it to 40-7.
After starting at their own 35, the Highlanders threw three incompletions and punted. Beaver then bounced off five defenders before landing at the 5. Two plays later, Brenden Petersen found the end zone, and Serrano converted, for a 47-7 Longhorn lead at half.
After forcing Incline to turn the ball over on downs to start the third quarter, Chavira hit Regan Knight on a 57-yard TD pass. A Serrano kick forced a running clock at 54-7.
Incline salvaged some pride, scoring on a 32-yard run with two minutes left for a final score of 54-14.
Quarterback Bryan Chavira went nine for 16 passing for 266 yards and three touchdowns. He led the Longhorns in rushing, too, with 16 carries for 98 yards. He scored one touchdown.
Petersen, Beaver, and Serrano rushed for 87, 70, and 43 yards respectively.
Calvin Goddard caught 2 for 67 yards, while Brendan Petersen caught two for 65 yards. Regan Knight caught one, a 57-yard touchdown reception.
Coach Domagala commented, “We played a solid game tonight, and were sharp in our execution.
“Our offensive line, Truxton Price, Cesar Tovar, Cooper Burkhart, Danile Tovar, and Zach Heese dominated the game. We ran where and when we wanted to, and Bryan had all day to pass.
“We controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage. We don’t keep this stat officially, but I would figure we were in double digits on pancake blocks.”
Battle Mountain hosts Pershing County at 6 p.m. Friday night in the opening round of the Division III playoffs.
The last time the two rivals played, Battle Mountain overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Pershing County 42-36 in triple overtime.
The winner of the game will travel south to play either Lincoln County, Needles, Calif., or White Pine on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Yerington hosts West Wendover in the other Division III North match-up.
“Now, we get ready for the playoffs,” Domagala said
