Last Saturday Nov. 16, Truckee Varsity Football secured their place to compete for State Champions for the third time in a row. Playing at their home field for the last time this season in the 3AA State semifinals, Truckee Wolverines beat the Virgin Valley Bulldogs from Mesquite, Nevada, 27 to 41.
For the Wolverines, the large lead and safe spot for a win was nothing new, after 12 straight wins and two seasons previously being undefeated. The last game that the Wolverines lost was in Sept. 2022 and they have been playing stronger ever since. Truckee has a 40 game winning streak!
In the first quarter, both teams scored 7 points. In the third quarter with one minute to go, the Bulldogs rushed for a 2 point conversion, which tied the game; Virgin Valley 21, Truckee 21. The game was very close through the third quarter.
Truckee quickly picked up the lead during the fourth quarter, securing the win through two rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown. With two minutes until the end of the fourth quarter, Virgin Valley scored a touchdown as a last ditch effort. Throughout the whole game, the team had 450 total yards, 272 passing yards and 178 rushing yards.
Senior quarterback Jace Estabrook had a total of 286 passing yards, while the Bulldogs quarterback, Koby Perry, had 226 total passing yards. The Wolverines far outplayed the Bulldogs, helping secure the win.
Truckee’s defense was led by senior Luke Lauter who completed three sacks. Additionally, sophomore Ivan Esparsa completed 91 rushing yards and a touchdown. Junior Sam Kuntz,who plays cornerback on defense, said, “I think we were sloppy in the beginning of the game and later I think we did good.” He continues, “We have some bad practice habits but we are the best we’ve been in a while.” As for the winning streak, “we don’t think about it much, we just play and we just have to focus on the next thing which is states,” Kuntz said.
The strength of the Truckee varsity football team shone through every second of the game, reflecting the dedication and teamwork that the players and coaches have put in.
On Tuesday, November 26, the Wolverines will play a non-league game against Sports Leadership and Management as they prepare to travel to states in Las Vegas!
