STATE ROUNDUP: Sparks’ speed too much for Virgin Valley boys
Virgin Valley’s boys had heard about Sparks’ speed on a soccer field.
On Friday, the Bulldogs got an up-close look at it.
And it was a blur.
Sparks used its speed to out-race the Bulldogs on its way to a 3-0 win over Virgin Valley in the Class 3A state semifinals at Golden Eagle Park in Reno.
“They were as good as advertised,” said Virgin Valley coach Bob Snell, whose team finished 15-2-2. “Their speed was incredible.”
The Railroaders finished with a 24-6 advantage in total shots and put 11 shots on goal.
Still, Virgin Valley trailed only 1-0 at halftime and had a pair of quality scoring chances in the second half before the Railroaders put the game away.
“Our kids responded well,” Snell said. “They battled.”
Freshman goalkeeper Nathan Lee made eight saves for the Bulldogs.
“He got a taste of what it’s like in the big time,” Snell said. “This was our best season ever, and it was a great ride. This is a learning experience. Now when we talk to the kids about the level of play (at state), they’ll know exactly what we mean.”
Faith Lutheran girls fall
At Damonte Ranch in Reno, Katie Dry scored two goals to lead Douglas to a 4-0 win over Faith Lutheran (17-2-1) in a semifinal game of the Class 4A state tournament Friday afternoon at Damonte Ranch High School.
Dry redirected a cross from Kyra Barth to the bottom right corner of the net to give Douglas a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.
Cora Moody added an unassisted goal in the 14th minute, and Dry gave Douglas a 3-0 lead with her own unassisted blast in the 30th minute.
Douglas advances to play Galena in the championship game today at 10 a.m.
White Pine girls downed
At Golden Eagle Park, the clock struck midnight on White Pine’s Cinderella-run through the postseason in a 4-0 loss to Spring Creek.
White Pine, which finished 4-13-1, collected half of its wins this year during the Class 3A Southern League tournament. The Bobcats beat Virgin Valley and top-seeded Boulder City to earn a trip to the semifinals.
