There are a few reasons why high school coaches love preseason tournaments.
They give athletes a chance to bond away from the distractions of everyday life.
They also simulate a fast-paced playoff atmosphere that identifies team strengths and weaknesses. Sadly, they will not be part of the 2021 sports seasons.
“Having no early tournaments is a huge blow for team chemistry and fixing kinks in a system,” says Jesse Canchola, Pershing County High School’s varsity boys basketball coach. “With such a shortened season, we have to utilize open gyms as our development.”
According to the coach, about eight to ten athletes show up to the open gym daily, an encouraging number. Sports participation has waxed and waned over the years. Periodically, boy’s basketball has faced low numbers.
Last year, the Mustangs started with about 13 players. Going into the tournaments, one player stayed home with a back injury.
Another was ineligible to play because he had yet to complete all his practices.
A third had other issues. Consequently, at an opening tournament in Hawthorne, Pershing County fielded two teams with 10 available athletes.
That’s why Coach Canchola is glad to welcome three boys coming up from the middle school — Tom Meyers, Conner Fecht and Aaron Kienbaum. They each played for PCMS Colts. Now, they’re starting their high school years in an era where sports look different than ever before.
“We follow all the NIAA guidelines,” says coach Canchola. “We do health screens prior to workouts, maintain six feet distance as much as possible, mask on at all times which the boys have done well with.”
According to returning senior Dalton McNeff, the Mustangs aim to play ball.
“It was tough the first time playing with a mask,” he said. “It was tough breathing, and it threw me off. But after a few practices, I got used to it even though it is still a big pain to wear them while playing.”
The team practices social distancing by spacing out lines during drills. Also, they do not scrimmage, so there is no form of body contact. Football, basketball and wrestling hover in a “modified phase three.” As high-risk sports, they may not compete according to the NIAA. For that, Nevada must reach phase four.
“We have to hope for that to happen by Jan. 2,” says Canchola. That’s when winter sports, including basketball and wrestling, are slated to begin practice. The first contests are scheduled to begin in mid-January. Right now, it looks iffy.
Still, despite the uncertainty, the Mustangs persevere. What is one secret of their resilience?
The PCHS sports program consistently encourages its athletes to broaden their athletic horizons. For example, McNeff, a returning senior, joined the track team as a junior last spring.
This year, Diego Gonzalez a junior, tries high school basketball for the first time.
“He’s shown up every day and is putting in the work,” says Canchola.
Likewise, Noel Zaldivar and Seth Provstgaard are new to the basketball team.
Pershing County’s small size gives many students a chance to shine. Returning senior Victor Flores had a big season last year.
Coming in, he’d only scored six points in his career, and those were on the JV level. He stepped up to fill a vacancy and became a leader on and off the varsity court.
The rest of the returning seniors include McNeff, Jordan Gentry, Timothy Fecht, Blake Barter, Logan Oberman and Zeke Jackson. Returner Blake Burrows is a sophomore. Ashton Nolf is a junior.
“My goal is to make sure the players get the most out of their experience playing team basketball for six weeks,” says Canchola. “The schedule isn’t concrete yet, but it’s 12 games in those six weeks. What we do from now until Jan. 2 will be huge for us.”
Coach Canchola sums up the Mustang’s progress in a few words.
“The boys are willing to do anything to have sports,” he says.
