Pershing County's Taylor Garland goes up for a kill during a match at the Yerington tournament.
The pool closes, school starts and sports begins. It's the rhythm of life in Lovelock every fall. Many of the volleyball, football and soccer players have been working out in the weight room all summer. Now it's time to compete.
First home football game is Friday night
The Mustangs scrimmaged in Battle Mountain on Aug. 19. They played Lowry, White Pine, Battle Mountain Spring Creek and Elko.
"It's always nice to get preseason reps," said coach Mike Brooks. This past Friday, they traveled to Wooster to play their first game of the new season. They lost 33-0.
"Wooster was a tough opponent and we knew that going in. We were excited to play them and see how our kids responded. They battled tough early but definitely ran out of gas at the end," said Brooks.
This Friday, Aug. the Mustangs host the Portola Tigers from California for the first home game of the year.
The JV plays at 4:30 p.m. and the varsity follows at 7 p.m. Portola finished the 22 season at 10-2, overall, and 7-1 in their league. They lost five seniors to graduation.
JV hosts Elko on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 4:30.
Pershing County soccer player Yasmin Acosta helps out at camp.
Soccer hosts camp; headed to road games
The Pershing County soccer team hosted a youth camp on the high school football field on Monday, Aug. 14.
Several high school soccer players helped their new coach, Kelly Brooks, teach fundamentals to the pre-K through eighth grade boys and girls. The campers stretched, drilled and scrimmaged all morning. There were water balloon fights and snow cones, some of the last of the summer.
Lovelock youth soccer begins the week after Labor Day and ends in mid-October. The high school players begin this weekend with a pair of road games. The girls travel to Ely and West Wendover this Friday and Saturday.
They'll play their first home games of the year Tuesday Sept 5, against Fernley and Wednesday, Sept. 6, against Dayton. The Fernley game starts at 6 p.m. The Mustangs play Dayton at 4:45 p.m.
Volleyball aces
preseason
Volleyball scrimmaged in Spring Creek on Aug. 12. Last weekend, Aug. 18 and 19, the varsity girls competed in the Yerington tournament. On Friday they won in two sets against Mammoth JV, lost in two to Carson, and won in three against Pahrump.
Saturday, they played Fallon, Douglas and Alamo. They lost to Douglas and Fallon in two sets and beat Alamo, also in two sets.
The coach was proud of how the girls competed against Douglas, a much larger school.
"We played hard, fought their big blockers and gave them a run for their money," she said.
The team celebrated Anna Happy's eighteenth birthday with cupcakes and the birthday song. Happy graduates this spring along with Yasmine McKinney, Taylor Garland and KayLee Poffenroth.
Halverson thanks the fans who drove to Yerington to cheer for the Mustangs.
"I love preseason tournaments. They get us the needed practice and help us overcome mental and physical challenges before our season starts. I'm proud of my team for staying strong and playing through adversity," she said.
This weekend, the varsity and JV girls compete in the Battle Mountain tournament.
Levi Haynie plays with water balloons at soccer camp last Wednesday.
Preseason dinner
and auction
On Thursday, Aug. 17, AD Mike Brooks hosted the preseason dinner and parking spot auction. The proceeds from the annual dinner benefit the athletic program.
"Thanks to our amazing community for their support. Thanks to the people who helped set up, serve, cook and clean up. Thanks to Steve (Evenson) for being a great event host," he said.