SILVER SPRINGS — A season ago, the Battle Mountain High School football team was minutes away from winning a state championship.
However, as the 2018 season began at the start of August there were a number of new faces on the sidelines for thew Longhorns. With around 20 players on the roster, Battle Mountain dropped its season-opener on the road to Lincoln County.
Battle Mountain was back on the road this past Friday in Silver Springs and got back on the winning track in a big way. The Longhorns took advantage of a number of Silver Stage miscues into a 43-6 victory.
“It was a great job by the kids and a nice way to bounce back,” said BMHS assistant coach Dave Fuller. “We struggled in that first game with guys being out of position. They just have to learn to do their job and everything will work itself out. The defense stepped up big for us today.”
Battle Mountain scored 28 points in the first quarter on just 56 yards of offense and cruised from there. The contest was played with a running clock with 5:28 left in the second quarter.
Silver Stage fumbled on its third play from scrimmage and Battle Mountain needed just three plays to drive 11 yards to lead 7-0 with less than two minutes gone on the clock. Cody Ostler scored on a 4-yard run and Nestor Miramontes added the extra point.
It didn’t get much better for the Nighthawks, as on the next play the ball was snapped over the quarterback’s head. After a penalty on the first play, Battle Mountain scored a play later on a 12-yard gallop by Isaiah Diaz for a 14-0 lead with 9:19 left in the first quarter.
Silver Stage turned the ball over on a third consecutive possession, as Diaz intercepted a pass and returned it to the Nighthawks’ 10-yard line. On the next play, DJ Martinez connected with Ostler for a 10-yard touchdown pass and a 21-0 advantage.
The carnage for Silver Stage continued in the first quarter, when Marcus Jury picked off a pass on the Nighthawks first play on their next drive. One play later, Martinez found Jury in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown and a 28-0 lead with 5:17 left on the clock.
“It didn’t matter who we put in there, they did a great job,” Fuller said. “The defense gave the offense great field position and we took advantage of that.”
One of the few Battle Mountain miscues on the day came early in the second quarter as Martinez picked off a pass and Silver Stage returned it for a 55-yard touchdown. The Nighthawks missed the extra point and the Longhorns led 28-6 with 11:41 left in the first half.
“We had a few let downs,” added the coach. “Silver Stage was sitting on that pick-six. Overall, it was a good win for us. We needed this for our confidence.”
Battle Mountain bounced back and drove 70 yards in less than three minutes and increased the margin to 35-6 after a 25-yard pass from Martinez to Jury.
After a blocked punt by Cesar Tovar, Battle Mountain needed to drive just nine yards for its next score and Diaz scored on a 5-yard run two players later to up the lead to 41-6 after the missed extra point.
“It was nice to have Cesar back,” Fuller said. “We didn’t have him against Lincoln County. He makes a big difference for us when he is on the field.”
Battle Mountain got to the 35-point mercy rule three minutes later, as Tovar sacked the Silver Stage quarterback in the end zone. That proved to be the final points of the game.
Martinez was 4-of-9 passing for 60 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Jury caught two balls (both for touchdowns) for 44 yards. Aldo Castellanos and Ostler each had one catch. Diaz led the rushing attack with 11 carries for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Ostler had five carries for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Battle Mountain makes its home debut on Friday against Coral Academy at 7 p.m.
“It’s going to be a short week for us but it will be nice to be on our home field,” Fuller said. “I know our guys are ready to play under our lights.”
