Week 3
1. Spring Creek (Last week 1). The Spartans have done everything to stay in the No. 1 spot. The Spartans beat Dayton 42-0 last week (scoring all 42 points in the first half). They have outscored their league opponents 115-19. Clear-cut top team in the Northern 3A.
2. Fernley (Last week 2). Don’t look now but the Vaqueros are for real. Fernley beat South Tahoe last week 26-0. The Vikings lost their quarterback along with all-state receiver McCallan Castles. Fernley has shut out its last two opponents.
3. Churchill County (Last week 4). The Greenwave have bounced back nicely since their loss to Fernley to open the league season. Even though Churchill County lost a lot players to graduation, there is young talent on the team. They will continue to get better.
4. Truckee (Last week 5). After an off week against Churchill County, the Wolverines returned to form last week with an impressive win over Lowry. The Wolverines took advantage of Buckaroo mistakes and turned them into points.
5. Sparks (Last week 7). When you beat Elko for the first time in 27 years, you get to claim this spot. The Railroaders shocked the league with their 24-13 win over the Indians. Elko did not have an offensive touchdown — they ran two kickoffs back for touchdowns. Sparks dominated the game.
6. Elko (Last week 3). The Indians are the biggest droppers this week. Elko had not allowed a point in league play, but Sparks did not care. I am not sure if Elko overlooked Sparks, or if there are bigger problems on the horizon. The schedule gets much tougher for Elko
7. South Tahoe (Last week 6). What I thought was one of the best teams in the league, the Vikings, are dropping fast. If they do not have their quarterback and all-state wide receiver, it could be a long year for the Vikings.
8. Wooster (Last week 8). The Colts have been outscored 96-0 in its first three Northern 3A games. Dayton has scored 30 more points than the Colts. But past history puts them in this spot. It only get tougher for Wooster from here on out.
9. Lowry (Last week 9). The Buckaroos continue to move the ball on offense, but penalties and turnovers have been drive killers.
Lowry has played three of the best teams in the league in its first three 3A games. It is just the way the schedule goes. We will see what happens in the second part of the year. There are new faces on the field.
10. Dayton (Last week 10). The Dust Devils are stuck at the bottom. Dayton has allowed a league-high 128 points. It might be another winless Northern 3A season for the Lyon County school.
