Hayden Strasdin, 3, leaps past Spring Creek's players to shoot a basket earlier this season.
The Greenwave boys basketball team (12-4 in league) is looking for redemption this season.
Last year, the team was eliminated by Elko in the Northern 3A Regional semifinals. Now the Greenwave is back, going to Elko as the No. 2 seed in the league. Their first game will be tonight at 4:40 p.m. against the winner of Thursday’s Spring Creek-Dayton game.
Coach Chelle Dalager said Fallon’s last game against Spring Creek was “the worst game they’ve played” this season. Fallon played the Spartans Jan. 19, losing 61-48; the coach said the Wave did things she described as “crazy.”
She said if the team plays like it did against Lowry, Sparks and South Tahoe — all of which were wins — that the Wave would do well.
Though Spring Creek is seeded higher, Dalager said she hasn’t counted out Dayton as an opponent. She said the Dust Devils are crafty and well coached and would have a good game plan to defeat Spring Creek.
“Right now we’re just kind of preparing for everybody,” Dalager said.
Christian Nemeth said they’ve been working on all apsects of the game. Thomas Steele said this week’s practices have been tough, but feels they’ll be ready for tonight’s game.
Nemeth said getting Thursday’s bye was good since it meant they would go into tonight’s game fresh and rested. He said they’ve been practicing hard and playing hard this season.
“We’ve just worked too hard to settle where we’re at,” Nemeth said. “We have bigger goals, we have state goals. We’re definitely trying to achieve those goals.”
Steele said he couldn’t remember being on a team that’s played as well together as this year’s Greenwave.
He said the season has gone well, though they “let one slip” the last time they played Spring Creek. He said they’re working to focus and do better with rebounds and shooting. He said if they can stay focused they should come away with a win.
The Greenwave boys’ team has not competed in a state tournament since 1989.
“Some of these kids have played in regionals, but have not gone on to play at the state level,” Dalager said.
She said a state-run would be an especially nice sendoff for Nemeth, the team’s only senior. Dalager said Nemeth has been a great leader this year. She said he’s improved a lot from last year and added that people don’t see everything he does to help the team. She said he hangs out with his teammates and organizes group get-togethers, among other things.
“He just really enjoys this team and they really enjoy him,” Dalager said. “We’ll be sad to see him go next year. He’s been a big part of our success this year.”
The coach said regionals is a nice accomplishment, but they’re looking at it as just another set of games; she said the team’s goal is a place in the state championship and regionals is just another step along the way.
“We’re not done,” Dalager said. “The regional is just another couple games before we head to where we reach our goal; and our goal is to make it to state this year and compete at the state level.”