Dayton hangs on to make playoffs

DAYTON - Halloween came early to Dust Devil Field Thursday night as Dayton survived a fourth quarter scare from the Fernley Vaqueros, winning 23-15 to reach the playoffs.

The Dust Devils jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead and then held on as Fernley's late comeback effort fell seconds short. As time ran out, the Vaqueros held the ball on the Dayton 3-yard line but couldn't get a play off or stop the clock.

Big plays were the rule of the night as neither team could establish any offensive continuity. Dayton scored touchdowns on a fake punt and a fake field goal as Coach Rick Walker rolled the dice to jumpstart his faltering offense.

"We were not getting it done up front at all," Walker said. "We could not run the ball and we've got to have that."

Unofficially, Dayton only managed 97 yards on the ground with leading rusher Kyle Onstott getting 42 yards on 21 carries.

Senior quarterback Kage Walker also had a tough night, completing just five of 16 passes for 109 yards. Walker did have a few bright spots, throwing touchdown passes of 38 yards, to Cody Yeater, and five yards, to TJ Harnar. He also caught a pass from Conner Oliver to set up another.

The Dust Devils' first score came on a fake punt with 2:54 remaining in the first quarter. On fourth and six from Fernley's 38-yard line, Walker took the snap and rolled out to his right. He found Yeater at the goal line for a 38-yard strike. The drive was helped by a 38-yard completion from Walker to Logan Jones four plays earlier.

Dayton scored again on it's next possession. After stopping Fernley's attempt to convert on fourth and two on it's on 48-yard line, the Dust Devils drove to the Vaqueros' 24 on the strength of Onstott's 19-yard run. When the drive bogged down, Oliver split the upright's with a 41-yard field goal to give Dayton a 10-0 lead.

Oliver had a big hand in setting up Dayton's final score of the half, returning a punt 27 yards. Seven plays later, he hit Walker at the 1-yard line on an end around pass, setting up Onstott's 1-yard dive.

The two teams traded punts in the third quarter before disaster struck the Dust Devils when Walker fumbled the snap in punt formation. Sean deRubertis recovered the ball, but Fernley took over on downs at Dayton's four. Fernley scored one play later, closing the margin to 10 at 17-7.

Dayton managed to score again in the fourth quarter on a fake field goal. After a poor Fernley punt, the Dust Devils got excellent field position, setting up at the Vaquero 37. A 17-yard run by Yeater took them to the Fernley 20. Two plays later, Yeater gained eight more to give Dayton a first and goal situation at the Vaquero 8-yard line, but a holding call moved Dayton back. Walker then hit Onstott on a screen pass for 18 yards, but Dayton was left with fourth and goal from the five. Walker took the snap for the field goal, stood up and rolled to his right and found Harnar crossing at the back of the endzone for the Dust Devils final score. The PAT was blocked and Dayton's lead was 23-7.

Fernley's offense woke up after that as quarterback Kenny Bradley connected with Bryce Pasco in the backfield who then found Dylan Evans alone behind the defense for 46 yards. Bradley hit Evans again in the end zone for a 14-yard score. Bradley then hit Charlie Cooper on a quick slant for the two-point conversion to bring Fernley within eight at 23-15.

The Dust Devils needed to run the clock but couldn't hold on to the ball, going three and out and were forced to punt.

Bradley led the Vaqueros on a quick march down the filed, completing passes of 15, 14 and 16 yards to Evans. Evans' last catch gave Fernley first and goal on the Dayton 2-yard line with less than five seconds remaining and no time outs. After spiking the ball on first down, Bradley tried a quarterback draw but was stopped short of the goal line and time ran out as the crowd finally exhaled.

The win assures Dayton of a playoff berth. With Lowry beating Fallon on Thursday, the Dust Devils look to be the fifth seed in the Northern 3A, if No. 1 Truckee beats South Tahoe on Saturday.

"It's a huge win," Walker said. "It was hurting a lot, it was adding a few grey hairs to my chin, which I didn't like, but it's a nice win."