This past Friday the Pershing County Mustangs football team hosted the North Tahoe Lakers.
It looked a bit shaky at first, but the Mustangs seized the league win 38-7, their third this season.
“The game was tough in the first half,” acknowledged coach Mike Brooks. “We weren’t sure what to expect from North Tahoe because we had limited game film and we didn’t get to see them play last year due to Covid restrictions.”
Pershing County scored in the opening moments of the game with a touchdown from freshman Izayuh McGlothin.
Graduating senior Diego Gonzalez kicked for the extra point. However, North Tahoe fought back. The first quarter tied at seven.
Noel Zaldivar scored for the Mustangs in the second quarter.
Once again, Gonzalez’s kick was good. At the half, the Mustangs led 14-7, too close for comfort.
“The kids were able to make halftime adjustments that propelled us in the second half,” said Brooks.
First, royalty stood on Yanni field. PCHS alums Senicka Happy and Colton Wanner crowned the 2021 Homecoming King and Queen – QB Devin Moura and soccer player Bela Rosas. Fireworks boomed and lit up the sky, courtesy of the Lovelock Volunteer Fire Department.
The juniors won the float contest and the Mustangs owned the rest of the night.
“Defensively, Blake Burrows played his best game yet which was great to see,” said Brooks. “Seth Provstgard played well on the D-line.”
Moura made it to the end zone with a minute remaining in the third quarter. Gonzalez kicked the extra point, bringing the score to 21-7.
The Mustangs recovered a fumble and took possession of the ball as tailgaters honked their approval.
In the fourth quarter, Moura scored for the Mustangs again. Gonzalez’s kick brought the score to 28-7. With ten minutes to go, Esteban Vidrio’s touchdown and Gonzalez’s footwork made it 35-7.
Gonzalez’s fourth-quarter field goal ended the scoring for the night at 38-7.
“We were happy with the improvements we saw from key points after last week,” Brooks continued, referring to Pershing’s 36-3 loss to Yerington on Sept. 24. “That’s the beauty of playing games. You get to see new things to correct each week. I was happy with the effort our kids gave offensively, but we have things to clean up.”
“We’d like to thank the parents for providing us with amazing meals and snacks throughout the week,” he concluded.
Upcoming games
On Thursday, Pershing County JV hosts Coral Academy at 6 p.m.
The varsity team travels to West Wendover next week to confront the Wolverines.
They play on Friday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. Mountain time.
