The Pershing County Mustangs ran onto Joe Yanni Field looking ready to tangle with anyone in their league. So did the visiting Incline Highlanders. Mostly, both sides just wanted to play football. It was Incline’s first game of the season and Pershing County’s second after walloping CASR at home on March 5.
The Pershing County girl’s soccer team hosted Spring Creek JV on Saurday starting at noon. Spectators watched from their vehicles, enjoying the springlike temperatures.
It looked a lot like old times and better days. On Friday night, under the lights of Joe Yanni Field, fans watched the Pershing County Mustangs slam Coral Academy 41-0. On Saturday afternoon, the JV boys hosted the Spring Creek Spartans and lost 32-18. Over the weekend, spirit squads cheered victory and soothed defeat all over the state. Friday, each team brought a squad to PCHS. The early spring chill numbed exposed fingertips by the end of the night.
Bryson DeChambeau received a text message Sunday morning from Tiger Woods to keep fighting, good advice for a final round that turned out to be the toughest at Bay Hill in 41 years.
The Pershing County Spirit Squad showed adaptability over the weekend. Usually, they perform in front of stands packed with fans. The give-and-take energizes everyone.
The Pershing County volleyball team heads to Yerington on Friday. They’ll play the Yerington Lions at 4 and 5 p.m. Pershing’s varsity girls are Andrea Canchola, Presley Burrows, Cheyeanne Diaz, Aledda Sam, Senicka Happy, Kaylen Halverson and Kaydance Happy. “With only two varsity players returning from last year, it’s important we trust each other on the court and play hard,” said coach Monica Halverson. Sam and Burrows are returners. The others stepped up from JV.
The “Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West” is set to return to Reno June 17–26, 2021 pending COVID-19 restrictions and tickets are now on sale. “After an incredibly difficult year we are optimistic that we will be able to bring ‘the toughest sport on dirt’ back to the Biggest Little City and are grateful for the support from our rodeo family and community,” said George Combs, general manager of the Reno Rodeo. “While this year’s rodeo may look a little different, we know it will still deliver the exhilarating experience the Reno Rodeo is known for.”
The Nevada High School Rodeo Association started up its spring portion of the schedule on Feb. 20-21 in Pahrump. A pair of Humboldt County Rodeo Club members claimed average wins over the weekend. Emma Garijo was first in the pole bending average with a combined time of 41.996 seconds. She was second in the first go-around at 20.891 and she won the second go-around with a time of 21.105.
The calendar says March, but fall high school sports are in full swing in Northern Nevada. Last summer the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association moved the calendar around and placed fall sports in March and April due to Covid-19 and the restrictions that were in place.
It’s a rookie mistake to underestimate your opponent, an error the Pershing County Mustangs are unlikely to make. In 2017, the CASR Falcons (Coral Academy of Science — Reno) became the first charter school in Nevada to field a football team. The last time Coral came to Lovelock, on Oct. 24, 2019, the Mustangs sent them packing 50-0. But the Falcons have persevered. They’re eager to challenge the Mustangs this Friday at 7 p.m. under the lights of Joe Yanni Field, dimmed for nearly a year now.
The first thing the girls saw when they walked into the gym was guest coach Shauna Bake’s smile. Then they noticed a quote on the whiteboard. It summed up Derek Jeter’s philosophy, and by extension, Bake’s. “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do,” said Jeter, a baseball Hall of Famer and five-time World Series champion.
Thirty-two Pershing County Mustangs and a few coaches couldn’t be any happier. Football is off the no-play list and can move forward with a 2021 spring season. Gov. Steve Sisolak’s recent announcement kicked the Mustangs into high gear. “Practice has been really good so far,” said Mike Brooks, now beginning his third year as head coach. Some of the players worked out over the past several months. Logan Oberman, Haydon Burrows, Conner Fecht, Victor Flores, Bryce Sherron and Devin Moura earned backpacks for their efforts.
The Reno Aces are beginning the first field renovation in franchise history, replacing the original field from when the stadium was built in 2009. The new field will bring Major League quality and standards to the biggest little city.
There’s no need to worry about geography in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Get ready for plenty of talk about the so-called “S curve” instead. And don’t worry — it’s not that complicated. With the entire tournament taking place in or near Indianapolis, there is no reason for the four geographic regions that have been a part of past NCAA brackets. The NCAA doesn’t have to ensure the best teams play closer to home.
The Reno Aces have a schedule for the 2021 season. The season will consist of a six-game series each week, with every Wednesday off as a travel day. The 142-game slate begins at Greater Nevada Field on April 8 against the Sugar Land Skeeters, and ends on September 21 at home against the Salt Lake Bees.