Truckee rolls to 35 points in 3A football showdown

Truckee spotted the Greenwave an “8” early in the first quarter Friday, then rolled with 35 unanswered points for a 35-22 Northern 3A football win at Truckee High School.

Both teams, along with Elko, were undefeated in league play coming into Friday’s action under the lights, but with Fallon’s loss and the Indians’ win, the Wave drops to 2-1 in league play while Truckee and Elko are tied at 3-0.

Fallon hosts cross-valley rival Fernley in Friday’s Homecoming game at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Against the Wolverines, the Wave looked strong on the first drive, an 84-yard march on 12 plays. Fallon quarterback Bryce Adams rolled left with a play action fake up the middle to Victor Sepulveda and tossed a 2-yard pass to Baylor Sandberg. Sepulveda barreled up the middle for the 2-point conversion at the 5:08 mark.

Fallon kept the ball on the ground for most of the drive with Roland Grondin and Sepulveda blasting the Truckee line. Grondin picked up 33 yards rushing while Sepulveda ground out 15 yards.

Truckee played possum in its first possession, missing on a 37-yard field goal after moving the ball from its 45 to the 20. The Wolverines’ only big play came on a 23-yard pass from quarterback Jace Estabrook to Joe Birnbaum.

After taking the ball on the 20-yard line, the Greenwave struggled and only moved the ball to the 35 before punting. Likewise, Truckee was out in four plays culminating with a punt that bounced on the Fallon 23-yard line.

The Wolverines’ transformation from the first to second quarter portrayed a different team on defense. With Fallon fielding a punt on the 23, Fallon worked its way to the 45 on Grondin’s 10-yard run. Truckee’s defense erected a brick wall for the Fallon running back on his next two rushing attempts, allowing the Fallon back nothing on the ground.

On a third and 10 from the Fallon 45, Miles Kelly-Caruthers zeroed in on Adams’ pass and picked it off, returning the ball to the Fallon 30. Truckee kept its play-making to the ground game and between Birnbaum and Trotter as they moved the Wolverines to the end zone in five plays capped by Birnbaum’s straight-ahead 2-yard run. Michael Tanner’s extra point closed Fallon’s lead to a point, 8-7, with 5:22 left in the second quarter.

Truckee’s defense surrendered short-yardage plays to Fallon on the next series. Fallon moved from its 19-yard line before Truckee’s Fabian Cerda intercepted Adams for the second time as he was trying to set up a screen pass. With Truckee taking over, Kelly-Caruthers evaded the defense for a 25-yard touchdown run.

Tanner’s boot gave Truckee a 14-8 lead.

Neither team mounted any serious drive for the remainder of the second quarter.

Truckee broke a one-touchdown lead against Fallon in the third quarter by storming the field for three additional scores.

Birnbaum rushed for a touchdown early in the quarter. With 4:21 left in the same quarter, Truckee scored on a five-play drive culminating with Estabrook’s 22-yard pass to Maxx Ellermeyer and capped by another Birnbaum touchdown. A Tanner PAT gave the Wolverines a 20-point lead, 28-8.

Truckee added to its score on an eight-play 63-yard drive with Birnbaum breaking loose for a 30-yard run.

The Greenwave added two touchdowns in the final 12 minutes.

Sepulveda rushed for a touchdown from the 1-yard line and also carried the ball for the 2-point conversion.

Adams’ two long passes to Ethan Tarner and Sandberg in Fallon’s next series led to another touchdown. With the ball on the 4-yard line, Grondin scored the final touchdown. Fallon’s 2-point conversion attempt fell short.

3A North standings

(League, overall)

Truckee           3-0, 6-0

Elko                 3-0, 3-2

Fallon              2-1, 3-2

Sp. Creek        2-1, 2-3

Lowry              1-2, 2-3

Fernley            1-2, 2-3

So. Tahoe        0-3, 1-4

Sparks             0-3, 0-6