Winter Sports need Support

I am writing this blog to encourage attendance for the winter local sports teams and organizations here in Reno. We all know we love Pack football and summertime Aces baseball.  However, there is also a lot of excitement happening in Pack men and women basketball as with Bighorns basketball. I have noticed last Saturday as our men’s basketball team squared off in a big game against Drake that simply… nobody was there. Bighorns also opened up their season last weekend. I have listed a few reasons why you should come out and support Reno basketball this winter.

-       Come watch Pack point guard Deonte Burton. Burton was named the most underrated college basketball player in the country. He recently has had some success hitting game winning shots so come out and enjoy some excitement at Lawlor.

-      Reno Bighorns are entering their second season under new owner and local lawyer Herb Santos Jr. Come see your local Bighorns preform at the Reno Convention Center.

-      Pack women’s team gearing up for what will look like a successful season.

-      Men’s basketball team will host two 25 teams in rival UNLV and San Diego State this season at Lawlor.

-       Come see first hand, Bighorns and future NBA star Tyler Honeycutt display his skills.

Get out of the house and come see some top notch Reno basketball. Whether it is high school, college, or NBA development, come on out. Reno would like to see you come out and support their sports.

No Miracle at Mackay this year

The Pack couldn’t pull off a miracle at Mackay this year. The Pack fell to the Boise State Broncos in the highly anticipated rematch at Mackay Stadium this Saturday. The Pack who lost 27-21, had a chance to create another Mackay miracle against the Broncos with one last desperation heave to the end zone. The pass was batted down and Nevada couldn’t pull off the comeback. This game didn’t have any meaning besides pride for the Pack as they have already accepted a bid to play in the New Mexico bowl. The game was a tail of two halves for the Pack as they came out flat heading the locker room at halftime trailing 17-0. The Pack outscoring Boise 21-9 in the second half wasn’t enough couldn’t close the gap.

 

Key Moments/Stats of the Game

-       In the third quarter Pack tight end Zach Sudfeld fumbled the ball in the end zone causing a huge Nevada turnover.

-       Broncos went 9-15 on third down conversations throughout the game. Pack defense had trouble stopping the Broncos long drives.

-       Pack defensive secondary dropped 3 potential interceptions.

-       Pack offense scored 0 points in the first half

-       On a brighter note, Pack running back Stefphon Jefferson broke Wolf Pack single season touchdown record with his 23^rd touchdown of the season.

 

The Pack will be playing December 15^th in New Mexico against a Pac 12 opponent. Many analysts expect that the Pack will be playing the Arizona Wildcats.

Raiders Fall

Saturday, November 24^th marked the Reed Raiders rematch against southern powerhouse Bishop Gorman. The Nevada 4A State-Semifinal game played at Reed did not quite go in their favor. The Raiders fell to the Bishop Gorman Gaels 49-27. The game was not what the score entails. The Raiders kept the game very close only trialing 7 points at halftime (21-14). The Raiders then cut that deficit again with a field goal mid-way through the third quarter (21-17). The Bishop Gorman Gaels in the last 14 minutes of the game showed why they are so tough to beat. Gorman kicked it into overdrive as they went on a 28-7 run blowing out the Raiders chances to return to the State Championship game.

 

Quick Facts of Saturdays Game

-Bishop Gorman as a 47 game winning streak against any team from Nevada (northern or southern)

-The Reed Raiders scored first making them the first Nevada team to lead Bishop Gorman all season

-Bishop Gorman will be playing for their 4^th straight Nevada 4A State Championship

Personal Comments

Bishop Gorman must go independent. Bishop Gorman Catholic high school has done nothing less than win state title after state title. They have won consecutive state titles in all major sports; (baseball, football, basketball). The Gaels haven’t just won state titles but only demolish any Nevada team that comes in their way. Gorman must go independent and play top programs from across the nation to be competitive. Nothing Nevada can other will consistently stay competitive with Gorman.

Bighorns Gearing up for Season

The Reno Bighorns this coming Friday November 30^th, start their season. The Bighorns will be in Reno opening up their season by taking on the Santa Cruz Warriors. The Bighorns look to make it back to the playoffs. Last year the Bighorns didn’t reach the playoffs and look only to improve this season. The Bighorns look to be tough this season as they have some fresh new talent. Player to watch out for this season will be Forward Tyler Honeycutt.

Tyler Honeycutt

Tyler Honeycutt is a 6’ 8” Forward from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). Tyler is from NBA affiliate team the Sacramento Kings. While playing at UCLA Tyler was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. The next year as a sophomore, Honeycutt was named team co-MVP and first team All Pac-10. The next season he declared for the draft and was drafted in the second round by the Sacramento Kings. The Kings just recently on November 7^th of this year re-assigned Honeycutt to the Bighorns.

 

The Reno Bighorns look for a successful season under second year management. The team with new talent can compete and make a run for the playoffs. The Reno Bighorns will be coming out with new promotions that help community outreach. Come out and participate in these promotions and route on your locally owned Reno Bighorns.

 

Winning Time

           If anybody is a sports enthusiast and loves to watch the “30 for 30” sports documentaries, then I am sure they have seen the documentary “Winning Time”. This documentary is about Reggie Miller, a cool confident sharp shooter in the 90’s. Reggie always found a way to hit a clutch shot to win the game for his team like he did against the Knicks in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi-finals. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are two other great basketball players that always found a way to win.

            Lets just say, the Nevada men’s basketball team has just that. Junior point guard Deonte Burton has that concept of “Winning Time” and an uncanny knack to hit game winners. Last night when the Pack played Green Bay, Deonte did just that.  Green Back shooting guard Alec Brown hit a 3 pointer with 12 seconds left to lead the Pack 69-68. Burton quickly grabbed the inbound pass, drove it down the court, and hit a game winning 25 footer. This wasn’t Burton’s first game winning shot for the Pack. Last game he made a crucial block and hit two free throws to beat Cal State- Fullerton. Last season in a pivotal battle against Pack rival Utah State, Burton hustled down the court and hit a game winner. That game allowed the Pack to take home the 2012 WAC title. Deonte Burton, who was named by many college analysts as the most underrated college basketball player in the country, has a special ability to win games. This ability is what the Pack basketball team needs and what will help them win games in the new challenging Mountain West Conference.

Raiders Dominate

The Reed Raiders dominated the Damonte Mustangs Friday to win their 3^rd northern title in the last 4 years. The Raiders steam rolled the Mustangs to a 50-9 win. The high octane Reed Raiders spread offense was too much for the undersized Mustangs defense. The Raiders put up 50 points and a total of 620 yards. Reed Raiders quarterback Mark Nowaczewski threw for 337 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also added 100 yards rushing. Damonte Ranch stalemated on offense as the only offensive touchdown came on a last minute hook and ladder trick play. Raiders went into the game as the heavy favorite and made sure to keep it that way. The Raiders have now advanced to face last year’s Nevada State Champion, Bishop Gorman.

Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas’ catholic high school team will be a huge favorite. The Bishop Gorman Gaels have been ranked as high as 10^th best high school football team in the nation. This wont be the first meeting of the Gaels and the Raiders. Last year for the Nevada state title the two met. The Gaels routed the Raiders in a 72-28 one sided game. The Raiders will have to figure something out this year if they want to match up against one of the best teams in the country. The Gaels have many college prospects and have a more powerful offense then that of the Raiders. This game will be played at Reed High School, this coming Saturday. Come out and support Reed for they will be the team representing the northern Nevada area.

Aces Mess

 

Last week I wrote a blog about the Reno City Council approving an annual 1 million dollar grant to Aces Ballpark. This week… different story. The case of the refinancing of the Aces ballpark went back to the city council for what essentially seemed a re-vote. With the newly elected officials to the Reno council members, Jenny Brekhus, Oscar Delgado, Neoma Jardon, and Hillary Schieve, all expressed their concern and voted down the projected deal that was made last week. In a vote down with a 6-1 majority the plan for the park is now a mess.

Reno Aces owners and their attorney have argued that going against the previously agreed agreement is violating the law. However, the six council members firmly believe that Reno just doesn’t have the money to support this business.  A list of pros and cons of refinancing the Aces stadium should help you guys decide what is best for Reno.

 

Pros

-Brings business to surrounding local small businesses

-Brings business to Reno Hotels and Casinos

-Loved by the residents of the city

-Makes Reno more attractive to future residents and tourists

-Puts Reno more on the map/getting more outside public attention

 

Cons

-Missed annual payment can greatly affect city’s credit rating

-No money: Reno is hurting right now so creating funds we don’t have is not smart financially

-Would not be able to pay off existing city debts

-Take financing away from existing city services: I.e. Fire department, Police department

 

Whether the case, I believe the decision to refinance the Aces stadium should be put in the hands of the residents. The residents should have a vote or have a petition regarding the future financing of the Aces stadium.