With the Northern 2A seemingly up for grabs this season, the Battle Mountain High School football team continues to make its claim for one of the tops spots in the league.
The Longhorns continued their winning ways on Friday night at home, beating West Wendover 58-0 to improve to 2-0 in the Northern 2A and 3-0 overall.
Battle Mountain has outscored its three opponents this year 162-14 and each game has ended with a running clock.
"We came out excited tonight,” said BMHS coach Mitch Domagala. “The kids knew this was going to be the best team we have played so far this year, so they stepped up their level a bit."
Battle Mountain took the opening possession of the game down the field in just three plays, as Aldo Castellanos scored on a 1-yard run. Jose Guizar caught the 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead. The big play in the drive was a 53-yard pass from Castellanos to Terrance Fetterly.
After forcing West Wendover to punt on its initial possession after three plays, the Longhorns were back in the end zone three plays later on a 15-yard pass play from Castellanos to Cody Ostler for a 14-0 advantage after the missed extra point.
After the teams traded punts, Battle Mountain looked poised to get back on the scoreboard, only to see the drive stall on downs.
However, on the next play Guizar intercepted a West Wendover pass and returned it for a touchdown. Castellanos connected with Fetterly for the 2-point conversion and a 22-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Wolverines picked up their initial first down of the game late in the first quarter but the drive did not go any further.
The Longhorns increased the lead to 30-0 late in the first quarter, as Castellanos scrambled around the field and hit Ostler for a 54-yard touchdown.
West Wendover found a bit of offense and gained a couple first downs in the opening minutes of the second quarter, before turning the ball over on downs at the 41-yard line.
One play later, Guizar took the ball up the middle for a 59-yard touchdown. Ostler added the 2-point conversion for a 38-0 lead and a running clock.
West Wendover went 3-and-out and then punted and on three straight runs later, Ostler found the end zone from 1-yard out. Kobe Lake kicked the extra point, giving Battle Mountain a 45-0 lead at halftime.
The Battle Mountain defense came up big again in the third quarter, as Brice Domagala intercepted pass. On the next play, Guizar scored on a 7-yard pass from Castellanos. Lake’s extra point made the score 52-0. Lake scored the final touchdown of the night on a 1-yard tun.
West Wendover hopes of scoring at the end of the game were snuffed out by an interception by freshman Chris Ortiz.
"We didn't have a JV game this week so we dressed all the kids and the younger group made some real nice plays tonight,” added the coach. "I think we have our schemes figured out now, which is perfect timing. The games are going to start to get a lot tougher from here on out, but our kids look like they're ready for it."
Battle Mountain travels to White Pine on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Longhorns travel to Idaho on Oct. 4, to play American Falls at 7 p.m.
Battle Mountain is back home on Friday, Oct. 11, to play North Tahoe at 7 p.m.
