Before the season started every Northern 4A boys basketball team figured they were fighting for two spots in the state tournament. Sure, three spots had been allotted for the North in the eight-team tournament, but one of them was practically given to Reno High and its' 6-foot-11 center, David Padgett.
But when Padgett suffered a season-ending knee injury for the second straight year last Saturday at Morse Burley Gymnasium, the Huskies are now vulnerable, making next week's Northern 4A Regional Tournament completely wide open.
"I think it changed for everybody," said Carson coach Bruce Barnes, whose team plays at Hug tonight. "With David gone, it's really up for grabs. People thought they could beat them before. But now it's definitely up for grabs."
Padgett went up for a rebound with the Senators' Ed Jaquette in the third quarter of Carson's 59-57 overtime win over Reno, but when the University of Kansas signee came down, he landed awkwardly on Gary Borst's ankle.
The initial diagnosis was he strained his patellar tendon in his right knee and will miss the Huskies' final two regular season games and the zone and state playoffs. He is scheduled to have an MRI today.
Reno is 8-2 in the Sierra League going into tonight's game at Wooster and it hosts North Valleys on Saturday. If the Huskies were to lose either of their next two games and Carson beats Hug, the Senators will win the league title for the second straight year.
Either way, though, it doesn't matter to senior Ricky Correlli.
"It doesn't really change our aspects for the whole thing," Correlli said. "We're still hoping to get first or second. We're definitely looking to be first or second for the home court advantage in zone. But I think in the long run Reno might be even better without Padgett because they've got a lot of other guys. I mean Padgett is awesome but those other guys haven't had a chance to do a lot and they're good."
The Huskies advanced to the state tournament when Padgett was a sophomore, but didn't qualify for state last year after he dislocated his kneecap in a game at Carson. Barnes, though, thinks his team still faces an uphill battle to qualify for state. He's also had to replace a senior in two-year starter Ryan Henry, who went down with a finger injury in a game against rival Douglas.
Doctors have now diagnosed Henry with a broken index finger in his left hand and he will be in a cast for the next three weeks, canceling any chance for a return if the Senators were to make the state tournament.
"Obviously the injury bug is going to be a factor for us," Barnes said. "Before Henry got hurt, I thought we had a chance. I still think we have a chance."
Reed and Galena are top two teams from the High Desert League and any of the four Sierra League teams have a shot at the zone title. The Raiders and Grizzlies have locked up the top two seeds and will host first round games next Wednesday. Their opponents, however, are still undecided because Carson, which sits in second place going into today's game vs. Hug, could finish anywhere from first to fourth.
Regardless, the zone tournament, more so than any other in the last few years, doesn't have any front runners.
"Reno still has a very good team. But now, without David, the games against them have changed. You can score on them now," Barnes said. "Galena can win it, Reed can win it. Those two can win it from their side. I would say six (teams) can. On our side, Reno can still win it. Hug can win it. I think it's clearly wide open."