By DAVE BELCHER
The Progress
Last weekend was the first round of the state football championship playoffs. Eight teams, four games with four additional teams, the division champions awaiting the winners in the state quarter finals this Friday night. Here is how things went.
Northern 3A
Fernley at Truckee
The closest game of the week was played on Friday night in the high country of Truckee, California. The rest of the state of Nevada played their playoff games on Thursday night due to the Nevada Day holiday on Friday.
What was different about this game was that Truckee has no permanent stadium lighting on their football field so the playoff games are usually played on Saturday as well as 99% of their home regular season games.
Well, that is until last Friday night when Truckee brought in portable construction lights to light up the field for the first Friday night playoff game in Truckee history…EVER.
Fernley has dominated the Wolverines the past five games, having beaten Truckee in four of them. Well, now make that five of the last six.
Fernley came from behind, 28-13 with just under 7 minutes to beat Truckee 35-34 on Friday night.
Fernley scored the first 13 points in the first quarter. Truckee then went on to score 28 unanswered points before the comeback.
Truckee’s Max Carter scored the final Truckee touchdown on a 10 yard run with 6:22 to play in the game for a 28-13 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Fernley’s Carson Kingston returned the kick off 83 yards for the touchdown, swinging the momentum in Fernley’s favor. A 2-point conversion had the Vaqueros trailing by 7, 28-21.
Fernley kicked an onside kick and recovered the ball at the Truckee 48 yard line. Six plays later Emiliano Alonzo ran a 9-yarder into the endzone for the touchdown. He gave the Vaquero’s the lead with the 2-point conversion, 29-28.
Truckee then threw an interception returning the ball to the Truckee 12 yard line.
Truckee, frustrated, was called for a personal foul after the play, placing the ball at the 3-yardline. Fernley quarterback Julian Mcintyre scored just a couple of plays later for a 35-28 lead. Fernley failed on the 2-point conversion with 2:36 to play.
Truckee used a 45-yard pass play to cut the Fernley lead to one. Instead of tying the game the Wolverines went for what would have been the game-winning 2-point conversion. But it fell a yard short with 1:51 to play.
Fernley knelt on the ball and will travel to Elko this Friday night for round two. Elko is the #1 seed from the 3A east. Fernley is #3.
By the way, Fernley is also the defending state champion.
Sparks at Fallon
It wasn’t much of a game in Fallon last Thursday night. Churchill County (Fallon) pounded Sparks 41-7. This was the first time in over a decade that Sparks had even made the playoffs. Churchill is who Fernley beat for the state championship in 2019.
Victor Sepulvada ran for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Green Wave in the win.
Fallon quarterback Keaton Williams tcompleted 4 of 6 passes for 90 yards with 3 touchdowns. Evemar Garcia ran for the other touchdown.
The Green Wave will travel to North Valleys in Reno on Saturday where they will face the Panthers who are undefeated at 8-0 and the #1 seed from the west.
Southern 3A
Valley at SLAM
SLAM had very little problems with Valley as they beat the Vikings 48-8.
Joseph Kuvkendall, the Bulls quarterback, threw for 200 yards on 12 of 16 passing with 3 touchdowns.
Daniel Nevil ran for 2 touchdowns gaining 59 yards on 14 carries.
Donnell Colbert caught 3 touchdown passes grabbing 5 passes for 79 yards.
The Bulls will travel to Moapa Valley Friday night to face the Pirates. These two teams didn’t play each other this year. But last spring Moapa Valley beat the Bulls 50-12.
SLAM is 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the Mountain division. They are the #2 seed. They beat Virgin Valley 21-14 on September 29 in Mesquite. They lost to Pahrump Valley 20-18 for their lone loss in division play.
Eldorado at Virgin Valley
Virgin Valley beat Eldorado 52-12. The Dawgs will travel to Pahrump Valley on Friday to play the #1 seed from the Mountain. Virgin Valley has already beaten the Trojans this year, 42-18, in Pahrump Valley.
