After opening up its season with its toughest game schedule, the Battle Mountain High School football team made its home debut this past Friday night on an unseasonably hot night at Tim Knight Field.
The Longhorns were just as hot as the temperatures, evening their season record at 1-1 with a 43-0 win over White Pine.
“We did some good things tonight and it was nice to be on our home field,” said BMHS coach Tucker Vezina. “The south teams like to throw the ball and this was a good test for us. There are a couple things we need to clean up on the back end. The big emphasis all week was to defend Tim Knight Field.”
It was all Battle Mountain on the night, who took the opening possession of the game 81 yards for a score.
The Longhorns’ Anthony Silva kept the drive going with a first down pass on 3rd and 8 to Blake Stuart.
One play after a 10-yard run by Silva, the quarterback connected with Jr. Vazquez for a 56-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead less than 90 seconds into the contest.
White Pine was forced to punt on its initial drive of the night, which quickly led to another Battle Mountain score.
On the second play of the Longhorns’ next drive, Silva hit Liam Bundrock for a 27-yard touchdown pass and a 15-0 advantage with 8:03 to play in the first quarter.
The Bobcats countered with their best drive of the first half and moved the ball down the field with their passing game.
White Pine kept the drive going with a fourth-down conversion, but it ended with an interception by Vazquez near the goal line.
After a Battle Mountain punt and White Pine turning the ball over on downs, the Longhorns were back on the board four minutes into the second quarter. Battle Mountain capped off a 67-yard drive with an 18-yard pass from Silva to Vazquez to increase the lead to 22-0.
White Pine gave the ball right back to Battle Mountain with a punt and the Longhorns closed out the scoring in the first half with a short 46-yard drive, capped off by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Silva to Vazquez.
After turning the ball over on downs on its first possession of the second half, the Longhorns created a running clock midway through the third quarter.
Silva started a 68-yard drive with a 30-yard run and then found Sean Bengoa over the middle of the field for a 32-yard touchdown, as Bengoa made his way through the Bobcat defense for a 36-0 lead.
White Pine moved the ball into Battle Mountain territory early in the fourth quarter with the aid of a roughing the kicker penalty, but the drive stalled out on downs.
On the next drive, the Longhorns finished the scoring with a 65-yard drive and a 38-yard pass play from Silva to Stuart.
Battle Mountain is off this week and opens Northern 2A play in North Tahoe on Saturday, Sept. 17.
“We get a week off and then the grind starts,” Vezina said. “It gives us a chance to heal up and get our guys healthy before league play starts.”
