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Bulldog defenders Dylan Bryant # 9 and Hannah Haviland # 22 stop Spartans Jaymee Luke during the Dawgs 31-14 loss Monday night in the Dawg Pound. Photo by Lou Martin

The Virgin Valley High School flag football team had difficulty containing last year’s championship team and most valuable player Cimarron-Memorial’s Jaymee Luke as they faded in the second half in a 31-14 loss. Luke accounted for 357 yards, 159 yards passing and two touchdowns plus rushing for 198 yards and three more scores.

The Spartans hit pay dirt on their first possession going 60 yards on seven plays, the last on a Luke pass for 20 yards and a touchdown. The extra point run was good giving the Spartans a 7-0 lead five minutes in to the game. The Bulldogs countered with a long drive of their own with freshman quarterback Kallie Graves taking it in on a two yard run. Graves extra point pass to Genesis De Leon was good tying the game at 7-7. The Lady Dawgs held the Spartans forcing a punt. Two Bulldog penalties forced the Dawgs to pass on first and thirty yards. Graves pass was intercepted on the Spartans 11 yard line. Luke marched the Spartans down field and ran it in for a 38 yard touchdown. The extra point run was good giving Cimarron a 13-7 lead. The Bulldogs responded once again behind the arm of Graves. Graves hit five completions moving the Dawgs to the Spartans 2 yard line. Graves hit Brooke White over the middle for the touchdown. The duo hooked up again on the extra point try for a Bulldog lead of 14-13 with 1:48 remaining in the first half. The Spartans Luke ran for 16 yards to her own 36 yard line. Two incompletions set up a fourth down and four, Luke responded by weaving her way through Bulldog defenders for a 44 yard touchdown run with :41 seconds remaining in the first half of play. This touchdown would be the most important of the night as it gave the Spartans a 19-14 lead going into the break.

The Bulldogs managed three good drives in the second half of play but were stopped by penalties and two Spartan interceptions. The Spartans meanwhile scored two more touchdowns on Luke passes making the final score 31-14. The win keeps the Spartans undefeated in league play at 4-0 and the Dawgs with a 2-1 league record. The Dawgs defeated Desert Oasis last Friday by a score of 19-13 led by touchdown passes from Graves to Dylan Bryant. Graves ran for the other score. Taylor Bryant had an interception for the Bulldog defense.

The Bulldogs travel to Centennial High School for their last game of 2014. Centennial is also undefeated with a 4-0 league record. The Centennial squad is ranked fifth in the Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs are ranked ninth in the 32-team league.