In August. 2015, Tina Gallagher went full sports-mom mode. First, she drove to Hug High School in Reno to watch her daughter, Anna, and niece, Alisa Keathley, play in a soccer tournament. Then she rushed back to Lovelock to see her son, Tristian, and nephew, Chris Keathley, play football.
“We are so used to going from one sport to the next. All four of our kids play sports, and it’s been challenging trying to fill the void of not being able to play,” said Gallagher.
Today, the Pershing County High School sports teams wait to hear if their seasons get off the ground at all. PCHS recently shut down its open gyms.
“It was the right thing to do,” said Superintendent Fecht at a recent board meeting. He based the decision on Gov. Sisolak’s extension of the statewide ‘pause.’ Also, COVID multiplied after the winter break, making its first significant inroads into the school district.
“Unless the governor changes his directive, we won’t have a winter sports season,” Fecht added. “If he does, we’ll reevaluate. There’s a remote chance something could change in the next few weeks. Maybe we could salvage a two-week season, but I highly doubt it. County by county, all the school districts are pulling the plug on winter sports.”
“We have eight senior boys in the basketball program. Half of them have jobs. It’s not fair to dangle that carrot when they could be working.”
For now, basketball, wrestling and football remain on the governor’s no-play list. He approved volleyball, soccer, track, baseball and softball. However, there may be some bumps in the road.
“We’re picking up a little enrollment,” said the superintendent. “We may have to add another bus route due to COVID restrictions. As a result, we might not have the transportation to get the players to and from the games.”
It’s safe to assume that many of Pershing County’s competitors face the same issues. Some schools have already said they can’t travel during the week unless the governor relaxes transportation restrictions.
Athletic buses run under the same protocols as on their daily routes to and from school. They are limited to 50 percent capacity with social distancing and mask-wearing. Windows stay open for increased ventilation.
Ever hopeful, coach Monica Halverson recently posted a tentative volleyball schedule. The girls can begin practice on Feb. 20. The season starts March 5-6 when Pershing County hosts Yerington and West Wendover.
Next, the Lady Mustangs go to Incline (March 13), Coral Academy (March 16) and Battle Mountain (March 19).
North Tahoe (March. 20) and Battle Mountain (March. 23) travel to Lovelock for Pershing County’s last home games of the season.
Finally, Pershing County travels to Yerington for a rematch on April 2. They face down the Nighthawks in Silver Springs on April. 3. A regional tournament is set for Apr. 10. All schedules are subject to change at anytime. At this time, games are closed to the public and media.
Update on a
sports family
Anna Vidales and Alisa Keathley graduated in 2017. Anna had four years of soccer under her belt. She also played basketball and softball. She’s finishing up her POST training in Carson City and starts work as a correctional officer in Lovelock next month. Alisa is a stay-at-home mom of two toddlers.
Chris Keathley graduated with the Class of 2020 and works construction in Reno. Tristian is now a sophomore at PCHS. He hopes to play baseball when the season begins practice on April 3. It runs from April 16 through May 22.
And, no matter what, Tina Gallagher is still a sports-mom.
