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Thomas Ranson

Stories by Thomas

Wave cagers open playoffs against West’s best

Fallon needs 2 wins to advance to state

Two years ago, the Greenwave boys basketball team entered the postseason as the favorite to win and defend its state title.

Fallon sends trio to state meet

Six grapplers come 1 win shy of qualifying

The Greenwave wrestling team qualified three to Saturday’s 3A state championship after the team placed sixth in last weekend’s regional tournament at Spring Creek High School.

Fallon wrestling sends 14 to Northern 3A regional

After a year with no wrestling, the Greenwave will send a near-complete lineup to this weekend’s regional tournament.

Lady Wave avenge loss to Dayton on Senior Day

Fallon needs to win 2 of 3 to qualify for playoffs

The Lady Wave basketball team picked up a critical win on Saturday to stay alive in the playoff race with three games left in the regular season.

Playoff format changes for hoops, Fallon girls fall to Lowry

The Lady Wave basketball team was dealt with a double dose of bad news Friday. In an improved performance compared to the first meeting against No. 1 Lowry, Fallon fell to the Buckaroos in Winnemucca, 54-23, dropping to 1-4 against 3A East opponents.

Lady Wave upsets Elko

With less than a minute left in regulation, the Lady Wave needed clutch long-range shooting and defensive stops to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Wave comes back with win over Spring Creek

Snyder leads Fallon against Elko County schools

After a humbling setback on Friday against Elko, the Greenwave boys basketball team rebounded on Saturday against Spring Creek to stay in the race for the playoffs.

Fallon grapplers finish 4th in Fernley

Six place in top 6; McFadden, Diaz win weight classes

Six wrestlers reached the podium, including a pair who won it all, as the Greenwave wrestling team finished sixth out of 26 teams in the Walter Marrietta Vaquero Classic in Fernley on Saturday.

Wave grapplers finish 5th in Minden

A late cancellation of the annual Spring Creek wrestling tournament due to the coronavirus didn’t deter the Greenwave.

Diaz, Garcia win Sparks Invite titles

Fallon finishes 4th, travels to Spring Creek

The Greenwave wrestling team had its best outing of the season, finishing fourth at last week’s Sparks Invitational in the Rail City.

Lady Bighorns overcome late start to season

When it was time for tryouts, not enough girls came out to field a team. Dusty Casey, the Oasis Academy athletics director who also coaches the girls basketball team, noticed a disturbing effect on student participation because of the pandemic. It wasn’t just his basketball team. Low numbers are plaguing the Bighorns to the point where this current school year feels like Oasis Academy has gone back in time.

Senior duo returns to lead Oasis Academy

A year after making the playoffs for the first time in school history, the encore season looked promising.

Defending state champs return to floor after canceled season

Fallon returns 1 varsity player from 2020 team

The last time Chelle Dalager’s cagers stepped on the floor, Elijah Jackson sunk a buzzer-beater to lift Fallon over Elko, again, for the state championship at Lawlor Events Center.

8 seniors lead Lady Wave hoops into new season

Fallon opens with South Tahoe, Hawthorne tournament

The girls were getting used to the new system just in time for the playoffs before an early exit in the regional tournament. Kevin Wickware was excited to see what the incoming senior group could do with a year under its belt. But then the pandemic happened and canceled the 2020-21 basketball season.

Wave grapplers open season with annual Earl Wilkens tournament

A state champ was crowned the last time Fallon hit the mat almost 18 months ago. After the pandemic canceled the 2020-21 season, the Greenwave wrestling team is back as it opens the season Saturday with the annual Earl Wilkens Memorial Tournament.

Williams named Offensive POY

Wave scores 8 on all-region team, 18 on all-league after reaching state semifinals

After reaching the playoffs for the third-straight season, the Greenwave football team was well represented on the all-region and all-league teams as announced by the Northern 3A coaches.

Voice of the Greenwave inducted into Hall of Fame

The Voice of the Greenwave was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.

Moapa Valley’s 4th-quarter push ends Fallon’s season

Wave finishes as top-four team after battling COVID, injuries

The defense held as long as it could but Fallon’s inconsistent offense couldn’t keep up as Moapa Valley stayed unbeaten this season after a 42-21 win in Saturday’s 3A state semifinal game.

Back to state: Defense forces 3 turnovers in upset win over North Valleys, state semifinal date with Moapa Valley

The defense stepped up against the best scoring offense in the league, setting up a last-minute, game-winning touchdown as the Greenwave football team upset No. 1 North Valleys, 21-14, on the road on Saturday. The win sends Fallon to Saturday afternoon’s state semifinal at Moapa Valley while the loss ended North Valleys’ undefeated season, which included wins over Elko, competing in the other state semifinal, and 3A powerhouse Truckee.

Wave tennis to compete in 3A regional

After the Fallon boys and girls tennis teams advanced to the semifinals of the Northern 3A team tournament last week, the Greenwave turns the corner to this weekend’s singles and doubles regional tournament.

Elko comes back to stun Fallon, 32-19

Greenwave drops 1st league game, travels to Fernley

ELKO — After spotting Fallon a 12-0 lead, the Elko football team came back to outscore Fallon by four touchdowns for the remainder of the game in a 32-19 win Saturday afternoon. Fallon, which sits at 1-1 in the 3A East, travels to Fernley (1-0) on Friday for a key battle against its cross-valley rival. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Reid places 3rd in final tournament, qualifies for state

The Lady Wave golf team finished the regular season last week and qualified one for next week’s state tournament in Mesquite.

Defense, big plays lift Fallon over Spring Creek in league opener

A defensive battle in the first half let up after the break as the Greenwave football team exploded for 22 points to knock off Spring Creek, 28-14, Saturday at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex.

CCHS senior completes Rattlesnake project to earn Eagle Scout recognition

The pandemic left Toby Escobar in a tough situation in completing his Eagle Scout project before turning 18 in July.

Austin, defense come up big in road win over Sparks

SPARKS – Down to their third-string quarterback who has never taken a snap and facing a much-improved opponent, the Greenwave still found a way to come out on top.

Comeback bid in 2nd game comes up short in Wooster sweep

RENO – In its first game since the opening-season tournament in Yerington, the Lady Wave volleyball team nearly swung the momentum in the second game before falling to Wooster in straight games on last Monday.

Reno stops Fallon run game in 42-18 season-opening win

Fallon’s running game struggled to get going and Reno took advantage of 10 three-and-outs in a 42-18 win over the Greenwave in Friday night’s NIAA Hall of Fame game at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex.

Wave football reloads, eyes return to state championship

Fallon opens season Friday vs. 5A Reno

For the first time in two years, football returns to the Lahontan Valley when it should: under the lights on a Friday night in the late summer and fall.

Fallon finds little luck as Babe Ruth tournament’s host

The Fallon 13U all-stars hosted the Pacific Southwest Babe Ruth Regional Tournament for the first time in more than a decade.

Hawaii Kai comes back to win regional title in Fallon

A pair of Hawaiian teams battled on the mainland for the right to advance to this month’s Babe Ruth World Series.

Strasdin named NIAA Top 10 Student-Athlete

Fallon’s Avery Strasdin was named as one of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association and One Nevada Credit Union's Top Ten Student-Athletes for Northern Nevada.

Greenwave Hall of Fame announces 5th class

Classes of 2020, 2021 to be inducted in October

The school’s first girl to lead Block F. A wrestling coach who put Fallon on the map. A dedicated research team that dug up decades’ worth of statistics. A group of girls who shined on the links during the 1970s.

Fallon 13U wins state tournament

Hosts Pacific Southwest regional tournament this month

The Babe Ruth Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament returns to the Lahontan Valley for the first time in more than a decade when Fallon will host the 13-under tournament July 26-31.

Churchill County Library to welcome visitors at Open House

After watching the pandemic limit the library’s services for the past 15 months, Carol Lloyd is happy to see people walking through the doors again.

Volleyball, cheer, football camps highlight July

One of the most successful setters in Wolf Pack history will host a three-day volleyball camp this month.

Oasis Academy grad earns USA Lacrosse All-American, All-Academic honors

Sadie O’Flaherty, who graduated from Oasis Academy in May, earned All-American and All-Academic honors and was named a recipient of the Jackie Pitts Award by USA Lacrosse last week.

Thomas Ranson: For love of the game, Jack Beach thrived as an official

Instead of engaging in a shouting match with this notorious travel ball coach, the umpire stayed calm and collected. He explained the reason for the call and asked the coach to return to his dugout. Not satisfied with the response, he walked back, still frustrated. His team still won and would eventually win the second game of the doubleheader against the California school.

Several qualify for nationals, SSIR rodeo events

Several Fallon cowboys and cowgirls punched their ticket to the national rodeo in Lincoln, Neb., or the Silver State International Rodeo – or even both – after competing in this month’s high school and junior high school state rodeo.

Longtime official battling unknown illness

Like the thousands of batters he watched fighting off a two-strike count, Richard Pitts is battling to stay alive.

More than 40 graduate from Oasis Academy

Throughout her high school career, she understood that Oasis Academy was not the biggest school.

Fallon defeats Dayton for 3A East crown

After catching the final strike — and out — of the 2021 season, Tyler Austin ran up to his teammate, embraced him, before the rest of the Greenwave piled onto the junior battery after winning the Northern 3A East championship.

Fallon defeats Dayton for 3A East baseball crown

The Greenwave defeated the Dust Devils, 5-2, to win the league championship at Fernley High School.

Fallon girls 4th in 3A regional, boys take 7th

After competing in three-to-four-team meets this season, the Greenwave track and field team hosted the season’s biggest meet on Friday. The Northern 3A region converged in the Lahontan Valley for the regional championships at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex where Spring Creek won both the boys and girls divisions.

Greenwave girls 4th in 3A swim regional, boys take 7th

The Greenwave swim team finished fourth in the girls division of the Northern 3A regional meet at the Carson Aquatic Center on Saturday.

Oasis Academy boys golf takes 3rd in regionals, lacrosse teams finish regular season

The Oasis Academy boys golf team made its first-ever regional appearance last week when the team finished third at the Carson Valley Golf Course in Gardnerville.

Lady Bighorns softball finishes undefeated, hosts Wells in 1A semis

Thomas Ranson/LVN Oasis Academy’s Emily Payne pitched the Bighorns to a sweep over Smith Valley last week as they host Wells on Thursday in the playoffs.

Lady Bighorns LAX eyes playoff run

Thomas Ranson/LVN Oasis Academy junior Maiya Swan leads the team in draws, winning almost 90 percent in her team’s seven games. The Bighorns face Bishop Manogue twice this week, including a rematch on Thursday at the county fields before the playoffs begin with the semifinal round on Monday at Bishop Manogue. The regional championship is next Wednesday.

Greenwave track and field tunes up at Dayton, hosts regional meet

After competing in its final short-team meet of the regular season, the Greenwave track and field team concludes the abbreviated, six-week season by hosting the Northern 3A regional meet at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex on Friday.

Greenwave track and field wins 3-team meet

The Greenwave hosted its first meet of the season on Saturday at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex with the Lady Wave winning the three-team event and the Fallon boys tying for first.

Roundup: Payne pitches perfect game, no hitter as Bighorns stay undefeated

Emily Payne pitched a perfect game in Oasis Academy’s 21-0 win over Mineral County as the Bighorns swept the Serpents in Hawthorne on Tuesday.