By james art Updates with pictures
With the game on the line, overtime and a first round bye in the playoffs up for grabs, why not send the freshman.
Reed did just that and cruised to a thrilling 31-28 win over Spanish Springs in high school football Friday night at Reed.
Also Friday, Reno defeated McQueen 35-28 to earn the No. 5 seed in the 5A-DIII bracket. Spanish Springs is No. 3, Douglas is No. 4 and McQueen is No. 6. The Lancers will move to 5A-Division III next season, as is the current seeding structure.
In Class 3A action Friday, Elko beat Spring Creek 26-0 and Fallon defeated Lowry 42-6.
Spanish Springs took advantage of Reed’s mistakes early and took a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter thanks to a fumble recovery and then a long interception return.
Reed quarterback Nishaan Bajwa was 24-for-36 passing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran 13 times for 76 yards and a TD. The interception in the second quarter was his first of the season.
The Raiders got on the scoreboard on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Bajwa to Xavier Pineda, but the Cougars answered right back to take a 28-7 halftime lead.
Reid coach Gareth Hughes admitted his half-time talk was a little fiery and left him a little hoarse.
But it worked.
Bajwa found Zeke McKay for two and ran for one. His second TD pass to McKay was a beautiful one, deep in the corner of the end zone, that McKay caught while looking back over his head. That tied it at 28 with 32 seconds left in regulation. The Raiders looked like they wanted to convert for two points after McKay’s TD, but instead kicked to tie the game.
In overtime, Reid won the toss and gave the Cougars the ball first as each team started 10 yards from goal. The Raiders had four downs per possession. Hughes said he thought about kicking a field goal right away, but waited until fourth down, then sent in freshman Max Fuentes, who promptly high-kicked for the win.
Spanish Springs quarterback Tyson McNeil also had a great night, completing 22 of 31 passes for 231 yards and two TDs.
Friday’s results
- Reno 35, McQueen 28
- Reed 31, Spanish Springs 28 OT
- Elko 26, Spring Creek 0
- Fallon 42, Lowry 6
Saturday, October 26: 1:30 p.m., South Tahoe at Truckee; 5:30 p.m. Dayton at Coral Academy; 11am, North Tahoe at Silver Stage.
Results from Thursday (October 24)
- Bishop Manogh 48, Douglas 24
- Galena 47, Wooster 0
- Damonte Ranch 16, Carson 14
- North Valleys 40, Hug 7
- Tilt 47, Yerington 3
- Pershing County 35, Battle Mtn 0
- Pyramid Lake 44, Wells 8
- Fearnley 58, Sparks 6
- Tonopah 72, Indian Springs 0
Schedule for week 12
October 31: 19:00 Virginia City at Pyramid Lake.
November 1: 7 p.m., Dayton at White Pine; Slope in North Tahoe; Coral Academy in Pershing County; Silver Stage in Yerington.
Playoffs
The Class 5A-North regional football playoffs begin with two quarterfinals at 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1, McQueen at Spanish Springs and Reno at Douglas.
The semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 8 and the Regional Championship is Nov. 15 in the higher bracket. The 5A-II winner earns a berth in the state title game set for Saturday, Nov. 23 at McQueen.
Bishop Manogh is the top seed and has a bye into the quarterfinals. Reed is seeded No. 2 and also gets a bye.
In 5A- DII South, Faith Lutheran is 5-0 and has earned first place.
In 5A-North D-III, Galena is the top seed and Damonte Ranch is the No. 2 seed. At 6 p.m. Friday, Carson is the No. 3 seed and will host Hug, while No. 5 Wooster will play at No. 4 North Valleys, also at 6 p.m
The 5A-Division III state championship is at noon Monday, Nov. 25 at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.
There is no regional title game in Class 3A. The winners of the two semifinal games on Nov. 8 advance to the state semifinals on Nov. 16, with the 3A state title game set for Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Allegiant Stadium in southern Nevada.
Truckee, which has won 31 straight games, earned the 3A-North No. 1 seed, Fallon is No. 2, Elko is No. 3 and Lowry is No. 6.
No. 5 Fearnley plays at No. 4 Spring Creek at 6 p.m. Friday, and No. 6 Lowry plays at Elko, also at 6 p.m. Friday.
The 2A-North Regionals are Nov. 8-9, with the winners advancing to the state semifinals on Nov. 16. The 2A state championship is Nov. 23 at McQueen.
Incline and Pershing County are 4-0 and tied for first place in the 2A-North. The teams were scheduled to play each other in September, but that game was canceled due to the Davis fire.
The Class 1A state quarterfinals are Nov. 8-9, those winners advance to the semifinals Nov. 16 at Fernley. The 1A state championship is Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Allegiant Stadium in Southern Nevada.
In 1A-North, Eureka and Mineral County are 4-1. Eureka plays at Mineral County on Nov. 1.
More: Thursday’s football scores Galena, Damonte Ranch, Bishop Manogue and North Valley win Thursday night football games