SLAM Academy stops 2-point try to return to 3A title game — PHOTOS
SLAM Academy’s hopes of reaching a third straight Class 3A football state title game came down to one play — a Churchill County 2-point conversion in double overtime Saturday.
The Bulls’ defense had kept them in the game, and it delivered one final stop to keep their hopes of a state title alive.
SLAM Academy swarmed Churchill County running back Carson Melendy in the backfield and tackled him for a loss to deny the 2-point attempt, and the Bulls, the South’s No. 1 seed, escaped with a 28-27 win in double overtime over Churchill County, the North’s No. 2 seed, at Basic.
SLAM Academy (8-4) will face North No. 1 seed Truckee — a 41-27 winner over Virgin Valley in the other state semifinal — for the 3A state title at 12:20 p.m. Nov. 26 at Allegiant Stadium
It’s the third straight season SLAM Academy and Truckee will play for the title. Truckee has won both matchups.
“We didn’t come out loaded from the first snap,” SLAM Academy coach Mike Cofer said. “We were kind of trying to find ourselves, and we made some big plays in the first half defensively to keep (Churchill County) out of the end zone. It could have turned into a train wreck for us. The kids responded after halftime.”
SLAM Academy’s offense struggled in the first half but made one big play when Damien Nevil broke off a 59-yard run touchdown run in the second quarter. The Bulls trailed 14-7 at halftime.
The Bulls got the break they needed in the second half when Dereon Johnson blocked a punt to set the offense with a short field. Two plays later, quarterback Alaijah Young scored on a 7-yard touchdown run to even the score at 14.
“It was a game changer that changed the whole game,” Nevil said. “Our momentum was up after that. We never dropped.”
SLAM Academy did have a shot to win it in regulation, but Grant Ploetz missed a 31-yard field goal.
Both teams scored on their opening overtime possession. SLAM Academy then scored on a 3-yard Nevil run to go up 28-21 in the second overtime with Churchill County’s possession following.
The Greenwave (7-5) scored on a 5-yard TD pass from Matthew Bird to Barry Mitchell and called a timeout to decide on the 2-point try. Melendy had racked up 182 rushing yards, but the Bulls denied the junior from getting any more.
Churchill County “lined up and came with their best deal with what had been working for them all day,” Cofer said. “It was grind-it-out football, but our kids stepped up and shut it down. It was a huge play for us. We had to be on point.”
Nevil finished with 119 rushing yards and touchdown runs of 59, 7 and 3 yards, and added 43 receiving yards on three catches. Young completed 7 of 10 passes for 78 yards.
Truckee defeated SLAM Academy 35-14 last year in Reno to win the title and 40-13 at Allegiant Stadium in 2022. Truckee has won 34 straight games.
“We’re going to have a difficult task in front of us … and we’re just happy for the opportunity,” Cofer said. “It’s been a resilient group, and we fought adversity early on. I’m proud of this group.”
— No. 1N Truckee 41, No. 2S Virgin Valley 27: At Truckee, the Wolverines (12-0) scored three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter to break a 21-21 tie and pull away from the Bulldogs (9-4) in the other state semifinal.
Class 2A
— No. 1N Pershing County 51, No. 2S Lincoln County 7: At Pershing County, the Mustangs (11-0) raced to a 30-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back in a rout of the Lynx (7-4) in a state semifinal.
Pershing County will play Incline (10-0) — a 12-8 winner at Southern League champion Needles (10-1) in the other state semifinal — at 10 a.m. Saturday at McQueen High in Reno for the state title.
Class 1A
— No. 1C Tonopah 64, No. 2N Carlin 8: At Fernley, the Muckers (10-1) cruised past the Railroaders (8-3) in a state semifinal.
Tonopah will play Pahranagat Valley — a 54-0 winner over Eureka in the other state semifinal — at 9 a.m. Nov. 26 at Allegiant Stadium for the state title.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
