Mountain View rolls to 54-7 win over Juanita

KIRKLAND — The victory was important, but perhaps more valuable for the Mountain View Thunder proved to be the travel north.

There’s a good reason why Thunder head coach Adam Mathieson seeks outs quality nonleague opponents as early-season testers. Most importantly, he said, it’s the road-trip process that he wants his players to get acclimated to, including long bus rides and new stadium atmospheres. 

“To get on the road,” Mathieson said, “is a big deal.”

And after a nearly five-hour trip north, Mountain View had little trouble with the host Rebels in a 54-7 victory.

Seven players scored touchdowns as Mountain View (1-1) bounced back from its season-opening defeat to district-rival Union to earn its first win of 2018, scoring 41 unanswered points after the first quarter.

Friday, seven players caught at least one pass from senior quarterback Garrett Moen, who threw for 280 yards on 23 of 32 completions. Three of those completions went for touchdowns to Makai Anderson (10 yards), Dominic Stephens (12) and Michael Bolds (15).

“This game proved we’re much more than a running team,” said Anderson, who had six catches, including a 10-yard touchdown to open the game, and an interception. “We’re capable of getting the ball into the air to our athletes.”

But the run game did have its moments, too. Rushing touchdowns came from Philip Earnhardt, Tresean Foreman, Andrew Gulliford and Bobby Shepard. Earnhardt also had a team-best 78 yards rushing and his 43-yard touchdown run in the first quarter came on fourth-and-6.

Bolds finished with a team-best 99 yards on six catches. He and Moen connected on three straight passes on its opening possession of the fourth quarter that eventually led to the senior’s touchdown to make it a 47-7 lead jumpstarting the 40-point running clock in the final 8 minutes, 54 seconds. The Thunder scored 41 unanswered points on five touchdowns and two Aiden Hargrove field goals after Juanita’s lone scoring drive cut Mountain View’s first-quarter lead to 13-7.

A pass tipped and deflected by the Mountain View secondary landed in Conner Blackburn’s hands for Juanita for the team’s longest gain of the night — a 30-yard catch — leading to a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

After that, it was all Mountain View. The defense failed to let Juanita into an offensive rhythm the rest of the way, forcing seven punts and preventing the host team inside the red zone the rest of the way.

“We brought it on defense,” Anderson said, “and our offense provided a spark to keep pushing the score.”

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MOUNTAIN VIEW 54, JUANITA 7

MV 13 13 14 14 – 54

J 7 0 0 0 – 7

First quarter

MV — Makai Anderson 10 pass from Garrett Moen (conversion failed)

MV — Philip Earnhardt 43 run (Aiden Hargrove kick)

J — Jacob Grammer 1 run (Nick Taylor kick)

Second quarter

MV — Hargrove 21 FG

MV — Tresean Foreman 1 run (Hargrove kick)

MV — Hargrove 35 FG

Third quarter

MV — Dominic Stephens 12 pass from Moen (Hargrove kick)

MV — Andrew Gulliford 1 run (Hargrove kick)

Fourth quarter

MV — Michael Bolds 15 pass from Moen (Hargrove kick)

MV — Bobby Shepard 1 run (Hargrove kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Mountain View: Bobby Shepard 5-52, Xavier Mayo 1-1, Philip Earnhardt 7-78, Jack Mertens 8-53, Garrett Moen 4-19, Tresean Foreman 5-20, Andrew Gulliford 1-1, Alex Cann 1-4; Juanita: Isaiah Eubanks 8-18, Eli Eubanks 1-2, Jake Hoju 7-42, Jacob Grammer 3-12, Jackson Byrne 2-10.

PASSING — Mountain View: Garrett Moen 23-32-1-280; Juanita: Jake Hoju 1-3-1-30.

RECEIVING — Mountain View: Michael Bolds 6-99, Dominic Stephens 2-22, Makai Anderson 7-57, Philip Earnhardt 6-77, Jack Mertens 1-10, Alec Cann 1-6; Juanita: Connor Blackburn 1-30.