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Tahoe-Truckee High School Football: All quiet on the Wolverine front

LARA MULLIN, Sierra Sun

Saturday’s semifinal game at home against the Spring Creek Spartans drew a considerable TNT crowd, as the Wolverines prepared to take back their only loss of the season. However, even with this familiar goal marker in site, the Wolverines were unable to bring the ball in to score enough points to defeat the imposing Spartan offense and lost 14-6.

The first offensive drives of the day for the Wolverines were fruitless, as the home team was unable to move the ball down the field for a first down. Playing aggressive defense from the start of the game, the Spartans held their line, making Wolverines quarterback Kevin Schlesinger work for every yard gained. Spring Creek was equally unsuccessful in materializing its first offensive possessions, closing the first quarter of play at a scoreless 0-0.

With 7:38 remaining to play in the second quarter Spring Creek’s Tony Greener ran the ball in to put the first six points of the day on the board for the Spartans. The successful point after was the last of the scoring in the first half.



After more see-saw play, the Wolverine offense found itself at first and goal for the first time of the day with only four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Despite the loud cries of “defense” from the small Spartan crowd, Casey Nelson scored on a short run, but Truckee could not complete the point after and entered the fourth quarter down by one point.

As the chill in the air and intermittent snow began to numb the home crowd, the TNT bench began to look sluggish. Observers retreated to their cars, and lined the fences to peer out of steamy windows toward the field.



Despite intense efforts by Eric Detwiler and strong tackling by Kellen Babb, the Spartan offense, led by Zach Shumacher, found its way into the end zone to put the Spartans ahead 13-6. With another successful extra point and only 5:40 left to play, the Wolverines were left eight points down and unable to bring the ball home.

With only minutes remaining in the biggest game of the year, snow began to fall, and the clouds rolled in, burying the last glimpses of sunlight. The last fleeting hopes of the TNT team also began to fade.

Casey Nelson and the Truckee offense dangled on the edge of the goal line, coming ever so close to scoring in the final moments of the game.

On its feet, the home crowd voiced the last shouts of “TNT dynamite” as Schlesinger threw the ball into the hands of the Spartans’ Steve Hauck to end the game and the Wolverines’ championship run.


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