Mountain Pointe's 2014 season got off to a slow start Saturday night.

By slow start we mean Paul Lucas scored the first touchdown of the season on the fourth play from scrimmage rather than the first as he did in 2013 at the Sollenberger Classic.

Lucas's 47-yard TD reception touched off a big night for the defending big-school Arizona football champs as the Pride hammered Reed High (Sparks, Nev.), 66-13, in the second game of the 9th annual Sollenberger Classic at Fertitta Field on the campus of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas.

Mountain Pointe was solid in virtually every facet in beginning its bid to defend its state title.  Lucas set the tone with his 47-yard TD catch from quarterback Garvin Alston two minutes into the contest. Lucas added a 57-yard TD run late in the second period and capped a huge opening night with an 84-yard kickoff-return TD late in the third period. The kick return was the only time Lucas touched the ball in the second half.

Mountain Pointe led 21-0 after one quarter and 35-0 at halftime. By midway through the third period the Pride had initiated a running clock with a 45-0 lead (42-point rule).

"Paul Lucas is pretty sensational," Mountain Pointe coach Norris Vaughan said.

Lucas, a 5-foot-11, 168-pound senior, rushed nine times for 91 yards, caught two passes for  53 yards and had the 84 yards in his lone kick of punt return of the evening. fIf Lucas had more touches he likely would have brought gargantuan stats, but the Pride showed they have the capability to score often ground and  air with multiple players. There was some questioni n regard to that prior to the game since the Pride graduated their quarterback and top receivers from a year ago.

"I think we showed we can do it all again," Vaughan said. "They have to get more confidence before I have more confidence in them, but they showed some of that tonight."

Other standouts on offense Saturday for Mountain Pointe:

Alston completed 7 of 11 passes for 139 yards and two TDs. He made several tough throws escaping pressure and looked every bit as capable as Vaughan projected in preseason. Alson's second TD pass went to wide out JaQunn Gipson from 13 yards out.

Running back Brandyn Leonard carried 10 times for 78 yards and scored one TD. Leonard showed he was capable last year and was solid in the opener.

Minnesota transfer Tyrek Cross scored a pair of short yardage TDs, looking like the Pride's go-to back inside the 5.

Tyree Shivers had a a long kick and punt return. Pared with Lucas on returns there is no place for the opposition to hide.

Wide receiver Frank Matchinsky, at a slight 6-0, 142 pounds, caught twon passes for 60 yards. Each one set up a touchdown.

Place kicker John Abercrombie bombed most of his kickoffs in the end zone to prevent returns. He got the opportunity for one field goal -- a long one -- early in the third period. He connected from 50 yards out and had another five to seven yards to spare.

Deep on the depth chart at running back, junior Robert MCCallum busted loose for a 66-yard touchdown to cap Mountain Pointe's scoring with about nine minutes left in the game.

On the defensive side, Vaughan had little if anything to criticize. Reed, operating out of the spread, gained just 91 yards of offense while the Pride's first team was on the field. They forced two fumbles and one was returned 42 yards for a touchdown by Ke'Shawn Churchwell late in the first period. Reed, coached by Ernie Howren, was last year's big-school runnerup to Bishop Gorman.

"We played really good defense most of the time, didn't do anything poorly," Vaughan said. "The secondary was great. We had guys back there that played some last year year. They can all hit. A physical group. More physical than last year. We got called for some interference penalties I'm not sure were there."

Reed scored once in the third period and once in the fourth for its only points. Backup quarterback Matt Denn, who started at wide receiver, got some work in and scored on a 54-yard run in the middle of the third period. Reserve running back John Torres scored from 7 yards out in the fourth.