Robert Perea
Before his team even took the field on offense for its second overtime possession in last Saturday’s 3A State semifinal game against Sports Leadership and Management (SLAM) Academy, Fallon Coach Calvin Connors had decided to go for two and the win if his team managed to score a touchdown.
The Greenwave had scored a touchdown with the first possession of the first overtime and, under high school overtime rules, would have had the ball again for the first possession of the third overtime if the game were still tied.
Instead, Connors wanted to give his team the chance to win right then and there.
“We have the momentum, and we have the opportunity to put the game away and seal it,” Connors said. “We want the ball, and we want to dictate whether we’re going to win or not.”
Matt Bird hit Barry Mitchell with a six-yard touchdown pass to set up that game-winning two-point try, but the SLAM defense stuffed a run by Carson Melendy for no gain, sending SLAM to its third consecutive 3A state championship game with a 28-27 win. Photo: Matthew Bird #5 runs with the ball.
“We had multiple opportunities to put that game away and just didn’t capitalize on those, but that’s sports in general and life in general, so you live, and you learn and reflect on this season as far as the highs and lows,” Connors said. “It’s one of those that I don’t know if I’ll ever get over, but it’s something that was a special season, and ending the season that way doesn’t take away from the amazing things that happened this season for those kids.”
In overtime, both teams can score, starting with first-and-goal on the opponent’s 10-yard line. After the first overtime, the teams switch the order for the scoring attempts for the second overtime.
Both teams scored touchdowns on their first overtime possessions and kicked the extra point. Then SLAM took a 28-21 lead in the second overtime with a three-yard touchdown run by Damien Nevil and an extra point kick by Grant Ploetz.
Fallon had taken a 21-14 lead in the first overtime with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Bird to Wyatt Peek and an extra point kick by Bird. But SLAM answered with a 10-yard touchdown run by quarterback Alaijah Young and an extra point kick by Ploetz.
SLAM had missed a chance to win in regulation when Ploetz missed wide left on a 31-yard field goal attempt with six seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Fallon largely dominated the first half but was in a tie game in the third quarter because of two unlucky breaks. Leading 14-7, the Greenwave was threatening to take a two-score lead, but a fumble at the SLAM four-yard line ended the drive.
Fallon had just gone ahead 14-7 moments earlier on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Bird, then the ensuing kickoff hit a SLAM blocker, and the Greenwave recovered at its own 49-yard line. A 24-yard run by Melendy got the Greenwave in business, and five plays later, the Greenwave was at the SLAM 14 before turning the ball over.
The Greenwave opened the second half with a time-consuming drive, but they were forced to punt on 4th-and-22 from their own 33-yard line because of penalties. The punt was blocked, and SLAM recovered at the Fallon 11-yard line, leading to a 7-yard touchdown run by Damien Nevil that tied the game at 14.
In the third quarter, a 52-yard screen pass from Bird to Calin Anderson down to the SLAM 1-yard line was called back because of a penalty for an illegal formation. Photo: Calin Anderson with a Reception.
“Whether we agree with that or not, that was the call, and you gotta live with that, just making sure that throughout the course of the game, you’re on point with everything and making sure that you leave no stone unturned, which I thought we did,” Connors said.
That led to another unlucky bounce for Fallon. The Greenwave was forced to punt after the penalty, and the SLAM returner fumbled the ball, but it went out of bounds before the Greenwave could recover it.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Greenwave scored with a 5-yard touchdown run by Bird with 9:23 left in the second quarter. But Nevil answered right back for SLAM with a 59-yard touchdown to tie the score at 7-7.
The Greenwave were successful with Connors’ game plan to control the ball on offense and keep it away from SAM’s explosive offense, running 61 offensive snaps to SLAM’s 50 in regulation. Melendy ran for more than 180 yards for the Greenwave. Bird passed for 88 yards, including two touchdowns in the overtime periods.
“I thought our defense did a great job throughout the game of containing their studs and really containing that quarterback,” Connors said.
The Greenwave graduated more than 20 players last year and had only three or four starters returning on each side of the ball this year, with Connors coming in as a new head coach. He credited the team’s seniors for leading the way as the Greenwave won four straight games after a loss to Fernley on Oct. 4.
“I can’t thank them enough because they could have packed it in, folded after that Fernley loss,” Connors said. “We were able to do something great that not a lot of people thought we’d be able to do, but our staff knew, and our team knew that we could do something special this season. I’m just thankful for this group and this community. Those kids lit a fire under me every single morning.”
John Baker contributed to this report.
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