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Wolverines defeat South Tahoe 32-27 in regular season finale

Wyatt Haupt Jr.
whaupt@sierrasun.com
Truckee Wolverines running Jamie Parisi sidesteps a South Tahoe player in the Sierra Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Surprise Stadium.
Hans Baumann |

A resilient Truckee Wolverines football squad overcame numerous mistakes, and then held off a hard-charging South Tahoe offense to win the Sierra Bowl 32-27 on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Surprise Stadium.

“It certainly didn’t start off well. Not proud of the penalties,” said Wolverines Head Coach Josh Ivens shortly after the game ended.

“I think we had seven or eight penalties in the first quarter. It’s not the way we wanted to start … I’m certainly very proud of the guys hanging in there and dragging this one out.”



South Tahoe (5-4 overall, 5-4 3A Northern League) looked unbeatable early on with senior quarterback Peyton Galli repeatedly hooking up with senior wideout Mccallan Castles, who caught 10 balls for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the game.

Galli got the Vikings on the board first when he connected with the 6-foot 5-inch, 228-pound Castles on a second-and-goal pass with 9:18 left in the first quarter.



Less than three minutes later, Castles caught a 44-yard touchdown pass to make the score 13-0. The successful extra point kick made the score 14-0.

But Truckee (8-2 overall, 7-2 Northern League) answered with a drive that ended with a 37-yard touchdown run by senior running back Jamie Parisi. A failed extra point left the score at 14-6.

South Tahoe was able to tack on another touchdown early in the second quarter when senior Jakob Costley scored on a 2-yard run. A successful extra point kick made the score 21-6 with 11:33 left in the second quarter.

About eight minutes later, Truckee was able to creep closer when junior quarterback Marcus Bellon scored on a nifty 62-yard run.

Bellon juked a defender at the line of scrimmage, and avoided everyone else, as he dashed down the field for the score to close the gap to 21-13 with 3:43 left in the second quarter. Bellon rushed 5 times for 83 yards, and also connected on 13 of 18 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Truckee would score again as the half ended when Parisi rumbled 56 yards. A failed two-point conversion left the score 21-19 at the half.

A failed onside kick by South Tahoe to start the third quarter left the Wolverines with first and 10 at midfield. A short while later, Bellon rolled out and found Parisi for a touchdown. A successful extra point made the score 26-21 with 10:39 left in the third quarter.

Parisi finished the game with four receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed the ball four times for 60 yards and a touchdown.

South Tahoe then retook the lead near the end of the third quarter on a 4-yard run by Galli. A failed conversion left South Tahoe with a 27-26 lead.

But Truckee was able to answer when Jackson Skaff plowed into the end zone from the 2-yard line with less than 4 minutes to go in the game. A failed two-point attempt left the score 32-27.

The Vikings offense then took possession of the ball with 3:10 left on the clock, and was able to quickly move the ball down the field. But a resilient Truckee defense was able to fend off a series of throws from inside the 30-yard line to the end zone, and come away with the win.

Vikings Head Coach Louis Franklin said his team put forth a solid effort, but gave up too many big plays against a team they will face this week in the first round of the playoffs.

“We’re stepping up our game on the South Lake. We want to make this a rivalry … we’re there,” he said. “We just made too many mistakes.”

No. 4 Truckee and No. 5 South Tahoe meet again on Saturday, Nov. 4, in the first round of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association 3A Northern League playoffs.

The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. at Surprise Stadium under what could be dodgy weather conditions. Rain and snow are in the forecast, the National Weather Service Office in Reno said.

Statistics courtesy of MaxPreps.com

Staff writer Wyatt Haupt Jr. can be reached at 530-550-2652 or via email at whaupt@sierrasun.com


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