Wave stars move onto collegiate level

Nine of Fallon’s best will move to the next level.

On Thursday, the former Greenwave athletes were put on display at a signing ceremony in the Elmo Dericco Gym.

Mary Scholtz (volleyball), Erin Nelson (soccer), Rileigh Ricken (softball), Robert White (wrestling) and football players Trent Tarner, Brendan Lewis, Dakota Schelling and Morgan Dirickson (not present) took part in Churchill County High School’s annual signing day.

Scholtz was an all-state selection in volleyball as a middle/outside hitter. She signed with the University of Dallas, a Division III school.

Scholz led the Lady Wave with 108 kills, had 11 aces and 20 digs last season.

Nelson was a Nevada Division I-A second-team all-state selection and a Northern DI-A first-team all-league honoree as a goaltender. She will compete for Pierce College (junior college) in Washington state.

Nelson played in 21 games, allowed 16 goals, made 130 saves and recorded 18 shutouts for the Lady Wave. She helped lead Fallon to its fourth consecutive postseason and a third-place finish in the Northern DI-A with a 12-3-2 record, 15-4-3 overall.

Ricken, meanwhile, inked her letter of intent to play at Southwest Oklahoma State, a Division II school.

The softball star coming off a monster postseason run where she led the Lady Wave to its third state title in four years. As a pitcher, she recorded six wins and 37 striksouts in the state and regional tournaments.

In the box, Ricken belted a pair of home runs and drove in nine runs.

White joins the DIII wrestling program at Buena Vista University in Iowa. He qualified for the state tournament in 2013.

Tarner, Lewis, Schelling and Dirickson, meanwhile, will continued their careers together at Montana State University-Northern. The quartet were essential this season leading Fallon to its first state championship game appearance since 1978. The Wave, though, lost, 17-0 to Faith Lutheran.

Nevertheless, Dirickson was named the Division and Northern I-A’s Offensive Player of the Year. Schelling, meanwhile, was the defensive Players of the Year. Tarner was named first-team all state, while Lewis was selected to the second team.

Dirickson threw for 2,314 yards, 32 touchdowns and completed 100-of-211 passes. He also had a seven-touchdown, 440-yard performance against Elko.

Schelling led the team with 106 tackles, was second with eight sacks and tallied two interceptions including one returned for a TD.

Lewis, meanwhile, opened holes for Tarner, the Wave’s workhorse in the backfield. Following Lewis’ lead, Tarner netted 1,471 rushing yards and 19 TDs on 167 carries.

Both also contributed on defense where Tarner recorded 34 tackles, two interceptions and four fumble recoveries.

Lewis, meanwhile, tallied 19 tackles and caused a team-high four fumbles on the defensive line.