Dayton looks for freedom from losing vs. Lincoln

Dayton High football coach Patrick Squires vows the school’s losing streak will end this season.

The Dust Devils, who haven’t won a game since late in the 2014 season, put their 21-game losing streak on the line today at 7 p.m. against the 2A Lincoln County Lynx.

Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. at Dayton High School.

Lincoln is a Southern Nevada 2A school. The Lynx reached the 2A semifinals a year ago before losing to Yerington. Lincoln went 9-1 last season. Of the 29 players listed on the 2016 Lynx roster, 19 were freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

Squires admits he doesn’t know much about this year’s Lincoln team. No film was exchanged. Squires said he got 2016 game film from Yerington coaches.

“It’s really tough,” Squires said. “I just don’t know much about them. I feel we are going in blind. They are a solid team from what I saw on film. What they did, they did well.

“If we can get penetration we’ll be fine. They pull a lot. We have to fill with our safety.”

Squires said Lincoln runs a double-wing formation, at least it did last year.

Sophomore Mason Thornock takes over as quarterback for his older brother. New coach Raymond Wadsworth, who was the line coach last season and is the school’s baseball coach, has been impressed with senior Landon Smith and his brother, Noah, a junior. Senior Matt Finnlinson also is impressive. Junior McKinley O’Connor, a two-way starter is out with an injury.

Wadsworth said the loss to Yerington is still in the minds of his players. He said the team’s goal this year is to make the state finals.

The Dust Devils will be minus running back-defensive back Justin Schmidt. Squires didn’t go into the specifics of the injury, just to say Schmidt could miss up to two games.

“Nathan Collins is going to move to safety,” Squires said. “David Leach will get the reps at running back.”

Squires has been pleased with how practice has been going this week.

“The kids are upbeat,” Squires said. “They are getting into game mode. We scrimmaged Fallon at camp and Fernley last weekend. We’ve played the best teams in our league. They are usually two of the top three in the league.”