Evett nabs first-team all-state honor

Capping a fantastic senior campaign, Fallon’s Jeff Evett added another patch to his sleeve.

The 6-foot-5 forward was named first-team all-state in Division I-A boys basketball. He also earned first-team all-North honors, although the league’s Most Valuable Player went to Elko’s Nathan Klekas. The northern coaches voted for their all-league and half of the all-state teams.

In addition, Elko’s Chris Klekas was selected as the Coach of the Year.

Both players were tabbed first-team all-state along with Elko’s Brandon Jenkins. The second team consists of Lowry’s Garrett Naveran, Spring Creek’s Caden Gunnell and Elko’s Marshall Dumas and Tim Meo.

As for first-team all-North, Klekas, Evett, Naverran, Gunnell, Dumas, Jenkins and Meo were all selected. Evett averaged 16.8 points per game, which led the league.

The second team consists of Lowry’s Nathan Lutzow, Spring Creek’s Jayson Woodland, Elko’s Eric Klekas, South Tahoe’s Stone Merkley and Fernley’s Dominic Ceresola and Zach Burns.

Fallon’s Clay Davison and Connor Richardson, both juniors, were named honorable mention. Joining them are Adrian Garcia of Sparks, Ryan Knudsen of Spring Creek, Kevin Montgomery of Fernley, Nick Oberitter of Truckee, Cody Nielsen of Elko, Sterling Dennis and Christian Gray of Lowry, Blake Blocker and Jonathan Joyner of Dayton, Denzel Perez, Tyler Hogbin and Harry Moses of South Tahoe.

In a shocking outcome on the girls side, Fallon’s best player — and arguably the best in the league — was left off the Division I-A’s all-state first team.

Instead, senior guard Ali Tedford, who was a first-team selection last year, was tabbed second-team all-state by the coaches.

Tedford average 10.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 2.2 assists.

Taking first-team honors are Fernley’s Lynsee Ferretto, Spring Creek’s Maddy Merschel and Lowry’s Alyssa Dendary. Merschel was also named the Northern DI-A’s MVP, while Lowry’s Chelsea Cabatbat was tabbed Coach of the Year.

Tedford is joined on the second team by South Tahoe’s Ally King, Truckee’s Sydney Mock and Elko’s Desirea Danner.

As for all-league honors, Tedford joins Merschel, Ferretto, Dendary, King, Danner and Mock on the first team.

Fallon junior forward Megan McCormick, who average 11.2 points, took second-team honors along with Dayton’s Angela Sikora, Sparks’ Marisa Coleman, Elko’s Hailee Simpson and Lowry’s Jasmine Marchand and Kylee McClellan.

Senior Maggie O’Flaherty was Fallon’s lone selection for honorable mention. In addition, Sparks’ Driftwind Nau, South Tahoe’s Drue Chapman, Elko’s Emily Elquist and Marissa Sandoval, Spring Creek’s Johanna Marcille and Kristin Jordt and Lowry’s Payton Naveran and Jillian Albright were also named honorable mention.

As for the southern representatives, the northern coaches did not include those players or coaches in their paperwork.