Tabor Fletcher signs his letter of intent. Sitting with him are his father Tad Fletcher and mother T.J. Fletcher. In back are his stepmother Wendy Fletcher and grandmother Bev Fletcher.
It’s a big and could be historic weekend for Virginia City High School athletics. The football and volleyball teams continued their effort to win NIAA 1A state titles.
And Tabor Fletcher signed to play football at the next level. Fletcher has signed to play for NAIA Mayville State in Mayville, N.D.
“It’s a dream come true,” Fletcher said. “It just feels amazing. I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 6 years old. I’ve been playing since I was 6.”
Fletcher signed his letter of intent during a rally on Friday at Virginia City High that also honored the football and volleyball teams.
Virginia City won the regional title in volleyball and played on Friday in the state semifinals against Smith Valley. The Muckers had swept both matches against Smith Valley this season heading into Friday’s match. With a win, the Muckers would play for the state title at 10 a.m. today against the winner between Pahrangat Valley and Eureka.
If Virginia City wins it would be only the second state title in volleyball in school history with the first coming in 1986.
Fletcher will lead the Muckers football team (10-1) into a state semifinal game against Spring Mountain at 2:30 p.m. today in Hawthorne. Fletcher and the Muckers have never beaten Spring Mountain, so that’s the first part of the Muckers’ unfinished business.
The other is a possible chance at revenge against Tonopah in the State Championship Game. Tonopah plays Eureka in the other semifinal. Tonopah beat the Muckers 42-30 for Virginia City’s only loss this season.
Fletcher would love to lead Virginia City to a state title first as a player and then as a coach. “That would be awesome,” he said.
“It means everything to me,” Fletcher also said about representing Virginia City. “They always come out to support us no matter who we’re playing.”
The 5-11, 220-pound Fletcher is a running back and middle linebacker for the Muckers. He has rushed for 978 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 15 passes for 155 yards on offense.
But it’s on defense where Fletcher was named the conference Defensive Player of the Year, piling up 125 tackles. Fletcher will play linebacker at Mayville State.
“He’s going to give the best players the chance to start,” said Fletcher about Mayville State head coach and defensive coordinator Sean Thom. “I’ve just got to get out there and prove myself.”
About Thom, Fletcher also said, “Me and the coach clicked.” He also said he fell in love with Mayville when he visited and added it’s “a place I want to live the next four years.”