Vandals rout Braves 53-0; host pivotal Pyramid Lake game

The Eureka High School football team was dominant against the Owyhee Braves, running away with a 53-0 shutout in Eureka on Saturday. The Vandal defense forced four interceptions from Owyhee junior quarterback Kelan Jones, which was more than welcomed by EHS head coach Fred Minoletti.

“Good to get a much-needed win,” he said. “We were able to finally force some turnovers, which is great to see because we have not been winning the turnover margin up to this point in the season and that has obviously been a major factor in the outcome of games.”

The Vandals had been dealing with injuries that have had an impact on both sides of the ball. They were shut out last week at Wells as a result, but bounced back with a shutout of their own on Saturday. 

“Getting injured players back allowed us to open up the playbook and be more efficient on offense. We were able to get everyone quite a bit of playing time to help build confidence in the younger players,” Minoletti said. “We’ve backed ourselves into a wall, so we know there is little room for error as we move forward to Pyramid Lake this weekend.”

The Vandals (2-4, 2-2) host Pyramid Lake (2-3, 2-2) for a must-win game on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. The winner will take sole possession of fourth place in the 1A Northern (eight-player) league. The team plays at Virginia City on Oct. 25 and Mineral County on the 30th.