Douglas High offensive lineman Jack Ross looks to block and Elko pass rusher during a week two game this fall. Ross and the Tigers are off to the team’s best start in two decades.
Photo by Ron Harpin.
Currently off to its best start to a season since 2003, the Douglas High School football team has its sights on a fourth-straight win to start the season this coming Friday.
After a 31-0 rout over Spring Creek, the Tigers will traveled to Reno to take on the Mustangs Friday at 7 p.m.
Damonte Ranch (2-1) has two blowouts wins over Hug and North Valleys before falling to Truckee this past Friday.
“They’ve got some dudes,” said Douglas High head coach Kyle Mays of Damonte Ranch. “Bralen Toles has a great motor. He’s all over the place.”
While the Tiger defense has allowed nine points through its first three games of the season, this week the Mustangs will likely challenge the offense to beat them.
Damonte Ranch has outscored its opponents 110-27 through the first three weeks of the season.
On offense, the Mustang rushing attack has built up 836 yards on 123 carries with 11 touchdowns this season.
Tiger line continues to work
Plenty of Douglas’ success to this point has come in the trenches.
Trevor Shaver — playing on the offensive line and as a nose tackle on defense — has continued to impress the coaching staff through the first part of his senior year.
“He’s getting better for us each week,” said Mays. “I think his conditioning is getting to a spot. He chased a play 10 or 12 yards down the field to make a tackle.”
Shaver has had some reps in practice on the offensive line, but so far the Tigers haven’t needed him to multi-task.
Offensively, Andrew Strand has received more carries over each of the first three contests, including a touchdown in the win over the Spartans.
Strand, a senior, has seen his confidence grow each week as a running back.
“At the freshman level, he was a backup quarterback and middle linebacker,” said Mays. “Last year, he got some looks in the backfield, but he just worked his tail off this offseason — both physically and mentally.”
The added responsibility for Strand has helped ease the workload of fellow senior running back Connor Jackson, who plays on both sides of the ball for the Tigers.
Defensively, Aaron Tekansik swallowed up two interceptions this past weekend against the Spartans.