NASCAR’s most popular driver is now a Cup champion, too. Chase Elliott took the torch from teammate Jimmie Johnson by winning his first Cup title Sunday, driving from the back of the field to victory lane at Phoenix Raceway.
For all that Notre Dame has accomplished in 11 seasons under Brian Kelly, the Fighting Irish at their best always seem to be just a little less than the best of the best in college football. Wherever the line was drawn between the elite and the merely excellent programs, Notre Dame was on the wrong side. How else to explain 0-5 against top-five teams and big-stage beatdowns by Alabama in the BCS championship and Clemson in the College Football Playoff?
At long last, Yanni Field is about to see some action. On Saturday, Nov. 28, Mike Brooks will host the high school’s first official Turkey Bowl, a five-on-five flag football tournament. Check-in time is 9:30 a.m. Brooks jumped through some hoops to get the go-ahead, completing a hefty checklist to cover all protocols and safety measures. He finally satisfied both state and local health officials. “We’ve received a permit from the State of Nevada and are ready to roll,” says the longtime teacher, coach and athletic director. “My plan is to have everyone play four games, so they get their money’s worth.”
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.
November and December are a visual feast for football fans. A true pigskin follower can view over 300 contests in a four-day weekend…even more if he’s got cable. After games, that same middle-aged fanatic can race into the yard to play football with guys half his age, trip over his dog, fall into a tree, then lie prone in a comatose state up to four minutes because he’s afraid he’s dislocated something. How did this marriage of late fall and football begin? And will they stay together? Will they have children? Football started in ancient civilizations, although no parchment videos still exist. It came to America in the 17th century, about the same time as the Pilgrims.
Four times in the 84-year history of The Associated Press college football poll, there has been a tie for No. 1, and not since Aug. 26, 2002. If a single voter who placed Clemson No. 1 and Alabama No. 2 on Sunday had instead flipped the Tigers and Crimson Tide, the Top 25 would have had tie No. 5. Alas, a chance for an odd piece of poll history was missed. Clemson stayed No. 1 and Alabama stayed No. 2, but they were separated by a mere two points.
The Nevada Public Health Training Center’s #COVIDCrew has launched a multimedia COVID-19 “Protect the Pack” communications campaign which has already garnered national attention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The main objectives of the training center, a part of the University of Nevada, Reno’s School of Community Health Sciences, are to address misinformation, provide culturally competent public health information and decrease the number of cases in Washoe County. The collaborative campaign includes a video with University President Brian Sandoval and former Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball player Jordan Caroline. Caroline last played with Hapoel Eilat, of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the South Bay Lakers at the NBA G. League. Watch their videos English or Spanish.
Two years was a long enough wait for the Wolf Pack to take back the Fremont Cannon. A career receiving night from Romeo Doubs not only helped earn Nevada the largest rivalry trophy in football, but also let the Wolf Pack leave Las Vegas with a 37-19 win over rival UNLV, in the first collegiate football contest played in the new Allegiant Stadium. Carson Strong continued to flourish for the second time this season, completing over 75 percent of his passes for the second straight game this season.
Now that Justin Fields has arrived, the Heisman Trophy race can begin. Though the front-runner might not be the quarterback you think. Fields made up some ground Saturday with a spectacular season debut for No. 5 Ohio State against Nebraska. He went 20 for 21 for 276 yards and a couple of touchdowns. His only incomplete pass was a deep ball that hit Chris Olave in the hands in the end zone, but the receiver couldn’t hold on after hitting the turf hard.
Some games lend themselves to social distancing more readily than others. A case in point is kickball. Nicholas C. Seuss invented the game in 1917, during the last pandemic. He called it “kick baseball.” Right away, PE teachers across the country adopted it into their classes. They used kickball to teach children how to play baseball. In kickball, as in baseball, two teams try to score as many runs as they can. Each team scores by kicking the ball away from home base into the field and then circling the bases.
Skiing and snowboarding won't be much different than usual on the slopes when Lake Tahoe ski resorts begin reopening next month. But a variety of changes are planned indoors because of COVID-19. Capacity limits will be in place, and some resorts are adopting reservation systems. But masks and social-distancing requirements won't faze most outdoor enthusiasts.
It certainly wrapped up much closer than Nevada football would have liked, but the Wolf Pack escaped with a 37-34 overtime win against Wyoming Saturday evening. After the Cowboys kicked a 38-yard field goal to take a 34-31 lead in the first OT period, Nevada responded with an offensive series that looked similar to many of its drives in the first half. A pair of carries by Devonte Lee setup Carson Strong to fire a nine-yard touchdown pass over the middle of the end zone to junior wide receiver Romeo Doubs.
Indiana jumped into The Associated Press college football poll at No. 17 on Sunday after pulling off the weekend’s most dramatic upset and Ohio State moved up to No. 3 following a dominant season debut. Clemson remained a rock-solid No. 1 and Alabama was No. 2. The Tigers received 52 first-place votes and the Crimson Tide got the remaining 10.Ohio State leaped two spots after easily dispatching Nebraska as the Big Ten Conference kicked off its pandemic-delayed and abbreviated season. No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Georgia each slipped a spot behind the Buckeyes.
The NCAA announced more than 450 selections of host sites for preliminary rounds and final sites of predetermined championships in Divisions I, II and III, with most to be held from 2022-23 through 2025-26. Nevada was part of two of those 450 selections. Reno will play host to the 2025 NCAA Men’s Golf Regionals at Montreux Country Club and the 2025 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship Finals at the National Bowling Stadium in downtown.
If you’ve ever attended youth sports events in Lovelock, you may have noticed a pattern. The Pershing County Mustangs show up to mentor the younger athletes. It could be football, basketball or wrestling. It doesn’t matter. According to athletic director Mike Brooks, mentorship has always been an integral part of the program. “It’s amazing to watch the older kids help the younger ones,” he says. “They love the high school athletes.”