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Truckee Pop Warner | Mighty Mite Whites shut out Sparks

Staff report

Truckee defensive back Jacob Vieira tackles the Wolf Pack quarterback on a sweep to the right. Vieira was key in shutting down the right side and contributed three tackles during the Pop Warner Truckee Mighty Mite White's 21-0 win. He also had an interception and a sack.
Courtesy Cherise Williams |

When the Truckee Wolverines Mighty Mite White football team lined up at Truckee’s Riverview Sports Park and prepared to take the opening kickoff from their opponent, the Sparks Wolf Pack, it looked like a bright day for Truckee Pop Warner was coming to an end.

Truckee’s four other teams had either won their contest or were moments away from securing an opening-day victory under a bright sky.

Dark clouds took position in the sky just in time for the 2 p.m. kickoff, but the 8- and 9-year-old boys of fall quickly kept Truckee Pop Warner shining in the last game of the day Saturday.



The Mighty Mite White team poured it on to win 21-0 as the sun took an afternoon exit behind the clouds that dropped a few sprinkles and bellowed with distant thunder.

Quarterback Tavin Hamilton connected on a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Alex Roberts on the first play of the game from the line of scrimmage to set the tone. Running back Jackson Kahl busted through the middle of the Wolfpack defense and went 25 yards for the Wolverines first touchdown of the year just two plays later.



Kahl then took the handoff around the right side for a 23-yard touchdown on just the second play of the second drive still early in the first quarter.

The Wolverines racked up 105 of their 185 total yards for the game in the first quarter on 11 offensive plays.

Kahl led the Wolverines with 122 yards from 14 carries and added 4 yards from a single catch on a screen play in the third quarter.

Running back Carson Jensen followed with 33 yards on six carries, including a 1-yard score that capped the Wolverines’ only drive in the second quarter.

Running back Ryland Morrison gained 8 yards on three carries, including an extra point in the first quarter.

Hamilton contributed 11 yards on two carries and went 2-for-3 passing, gaining 14 yards.

On the other side of the ball, Hamilton took advantage of winning a Rochambeau contest earlier in the week at practice to put him in with the starting defense where he co-led the team with nine tackles. He had two solo tackles and two tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including one sack.

Defensive end Peter Reoutt shared top tackling honors with Hamilton. He also shared the top spot for tackles behind the line of scrimmage with three.

Jensen matched Reoutt’s behind-the-line effort from the left defensive end position opposite of Reoutt and also took down a total of eight Wolf Pack opponents.

Both defensive ends recorded a sack.

Linebackers Brian Baker and Matthew Seline added six tackles to the Wolverines’ defensive effort that limited the Wolf Pack to 71 yards on 23 offensive plays and only allowed Sparks inside their 20-yard line once.

Defensive back Jesse Espinoza pulled down six Sparks runners.

Linebackers Hunter Hansell and Jacob Moule tallied five tackles. Two of Hansell’s tackles were sacks. He co-leads the team with Baker as the game’s sack leaders.

Linebacker Caige Maran was key in shutting down the Wolf Pack’s only red-zone visit. He contributed tackles on three consecutive plays to help force Sparks to turnover the ball on downs. He had four tackles for the game.

Defensive back Jacob Vieira helped contain the right side of the field that yielded negative 15 yards on six Wolf Pack carries. He was in on a sack and positioned himself perfectly to pull down an interception.

Defensive tackle Quinn Krommenhoek stuffed the middle and pulled down three, including a solo sack.

Kahl got in on a sack in limited time on defense and defensive tackle Sam Marr got in on a nine-man tackle.

The Wolverines hope to continue to shine at Truckee’s Riverview Sports Park next week against Reno Central on Saturday at noon.


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