Two dominant backs in Carson Melendy and Briggs Hickman are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Churchill County Greenwave are taking a road trip to face off against the Moapa Valley Pirates at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 869 yards in their previous games.
Churchill County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They came out on top against Virgin Valley by a score of 31-19. Winning may never get old, but the Greenwave sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Churchill County's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Maxton Richardson, who picked up 151 receiving yards and one score. Richardson didn't just play on offense: he also made three total tackles and defended two passes. Another signal caller making a difference was Matthew Bird, who threw for 213 yards and one TD on only 15 passes.
Churchill County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 225 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 152 rushing yards in six consecutive matchups.
Churchill County didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Melendy and Camden Richardson. Another thorn in Virgin Valley's side was Alijah Juarez, who forced one fumble and made nine total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Moapa Valley faced Elko in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Pirates took down the Indians 43-27. Moapa Valley's victory was all the more impressive since the Indians were averaging only 14.18 points allowed on the season.
Churchill County better keep an eye on Kamden Drosos. He was instrumental in Moapa Valley's win, rushing for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine carries, while also throwing for 110 yards while completing 73.3% of his passes. Those 89 rushing yards gave Drosos a new career-high.
Churchill County's record is now 11-1. As for Moapa Valley, their record now sits at 9-4.
Saturday's contest might be decided on the ground. Churchill County has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 178.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Moapa Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 164.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Churchill County might still be hurting after the 42-21 loss they got from Moapa Valley when the teams last played back in November of 2021. Can the Greenwave avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
