Truckee runs over Greenwave in Hall of Fame game

Truckee’s 35 first-half points in a Northern 3A league game against Fallon dampened the return of Greenwave athletes and contributors from previous years Friday at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex.

Buoyed by a potent running game and stingy defense, the league-leading Wolverines shut out the Greenwave, 42-0, to improve their record to 6-0. Truckee hasn’t lost a league game since the latter part of the 2023 season.

The Wolverines rushed for 295 yards, leading to 401 total yards on offense.

Before the game, the seventh class of former Greenwave standouts, contributors and teams were honored as part of this year’s Greenwave Hall of Fame.

Fallon, which travels to Fernley on Friday, drops to 3-3 overall, 2-1 in league play after wins against South Tahoe and Sparks.

Truckee flexed its defensive muscles on the first drive, stopping Fallon in four plays. Matt Bird’s booming punt, though, put the Wolverines on their own 9.

Truckee put together an 11-play drive capped by quarterback Jace Estabrook’s 13-yard run. The Wolverines picked away at the Greenwave defense with short plays except for a 23-yard keeper from Estabrook. The Truckee quarterback also tucked the ball in on a first and 10 from the Fallon 13-yard line to cross the goal line for a 6-0 lead. The extra-point kick made the score 7-0.

The kickoff didn’t bode well for the Greenwave as Truckee recovered a fumble on the Fallon 35.

It didn’t take Estabrook long to engineer another score. On the fifth play, he faked a handoff and found Logan Arata for a 15-yard pass play with 5:29 left in the quarter.

The Wolverines piled on the Greenwave in the second quarter with 21 points.

Truckee began its second drive of the quarter from its own 10 when a Fallon drive sputtered. In five plays, Truckee returned to the end zone on a 15-yard run, and with the extra point, the Wolverines led 21-0 at the 8:35 mark.

The ball took an unfortunate bounce on its net series when a snap for a punt sailed over Bird’s head and was recovered on the Fallon 15.

Luke Lauter scored from 8-yards out on Truckee’s third play.

Fallon put together its best drive in the first half, taking the kickoff deep and returning to its own 34-yard line. Fernley, though, forced Fallon to cough up the 41. Estabrook completed two passes before handing off the ball to Arata for a 3-yard score. Another PAT with 39 second left in the quarter pushed the lead to 35-0 and a running clock for the rest of the game.

The second half began like the first, on a touchdown.

Truckee received the kickoff and was tackled on its 31. On the first play from the line of scrimmage, Esparza ripped through the Greenwave’ defense for a 69-yard run, and the PAT increased Truckee’s lead to 42-0.

The Wolverines offense churned out 295 yards on the ground with Estabrook gaining 102 yards and Esparza 110 yards. Estabrook also passed for 80 yards on 10 attempts.

Fallon did move the ball in the fourth quarter after recovering a fumble.

Bird completed a bass to Calin Anderson on the left since and also saw some good running from sophomore back Rylan Clark, who picked up some yards to give the Greenwave good field position late in the game.

On a first and goal from the 7, Fallon couldn’t pass against a stiffened Wolverines’ defense. On a third and goal from the 6, Bird’s pass was incomplete as time expired.

Carson Melendy rushed for 90 yards on 15 carries for Fallon. Bird had 19 yards on the ground, and Clark had 57.

Bird was 3 of 13 passing for 20 yards.