Greenwave Earns Shot at State Title

One year after coming oh so close to the state championship game, losing to SLAM Academy in double-overtime in a state semifinal matchup, the Fallon Greenwave made sure history didn’t repeat itself.

The Greenwave beat Virgin Valley 31-19 last Saturday in Mesquite, punctuating the effort with several big plays, including two on their final drive that put the game away.

“Explosive plays are something that not a lot of people talk about, but it’s the most important thing,” Fallon coach Calvin Connors said. “You throw a deep shot to (Wyatt) Peek, Calin (Anderson), Maxton (Richardson), whoever it is, they come down with it.”

The play everyone’s going to talk about came late, with the Greenwave holding a 24-19 lead and facing third-and-27 from their own 30-yard line and just over two minutes left in the game. Conventional wisdom might have led some coaches to run the ball and force Virgin Valley to either use a timeout or let the clock run down below a minute and a half, then punt and let the defense try to hold the lead.

Instead, Connors took another tack. It was bold, it was calculated, and it worked. Quarterback Matt Bird lofted a pass deep down the left sideline, and Calin Anderson went up over Virgin Valley defender Ellian Pinto to bring it in for a 34-yard gain. On the next play, Carson Melendy ran 36 yards for the clinching touchdown.

“We could have run the ball, had them waste a timeout, but then you’re punting into the wind, so we took our matchup with Calin on (Pinto),” Connors said. “(Pinto) was cramping up throughout the game, he was starting to limp a little bit, and so we just took our dude over their dude and told Calin to go up and get it.”

Big plays either accounted for or set up every Fallon score. Leading 17-13 at the half, the Greenwave extended the margin to 24-13 on a 71-yard run by Melendy. But Virgin Valley cut the margin to 24-19 with 6:12 left in the game when Harvey Hurtado scooped up a fumble by Melendy and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown.

“These are high school kids, they’re human beings, they’re going to make mistakes, but we believe in our guys and they’re going to get the play back,” Connors said. “We told Carson, you fumbled the ball, it’s okay, just go score now. Make up for it. And he did.”

The game started slow offensively for the Greenwave, with punts on both of their first two possessions. Virgin Valley also punted the first two times it had the ball, but on the third try, the Bulldogs drove 64 yards in nine plays to score first, on a 25-yard pass from Koby Perry to Pinto with 8:54 left in the second quarter. 

The third offensive possession was the charm to Fallon, too. On the fourth play of the drive, quarterback Matthew Bird hit Maxton Richardson on a 61-yard pass down to the Virgin Valley 4-yard line. Two plays later, Camden Richardson scored on a 1-yard run to tie the game.

After that, the Greenwave seemed to get a big play every time they got the ball.

“That’s energy away from their defense and giving it to our offense, and then we take that into special teams, and that carries over to the defense, and vice versa,” Connors said.

Bird and Maxton Richardson hooked up on a 66-yard touchdown pass on the next possession, to take a 14-17 lead with 4:32 left in the second quarter.

Virgin Valley answered with an 80-yard touchdown pass from Perry to Pinto, but the Greenwave blocked the extra point to maintain the lead at 14-13.

A 36-yard pass from Bird to Anderson got the Greenwave to the Virgin Valley 6-yard line on the next drive and set up a 23-yard field goal by Bird on the last play of the half to make it 17-13.

The Greenwave made a couple of big defensive plays in the second half to keep the lead.

After Melendy’s 71-yard run in the third quarter made it 24-13, the Bulldogs were threatening, but on fourth-and-11 from the Fallon 37, Joseph Romero tackled Perry two yards short of a first down after a 9-yard scramble. Melendy then thwarted Virgin Valley’s next drive by intercepting a pass by Perry at the Fallon 3-yard line. Virgin Valley’s next drive ended with a fumble on fourth-and-goal from the Fallon 2 that Alijah Juarez recovered.

Then, following the big plays by Anderson and Melendy for the final touchdown, Camden Richardson put a seal on things with an interception, and the Greenwave was able to take a knee to end the game.

“We believe in our players and instill them with confidence to play the game at a high level and play fast,” Connors said. “We try not to overwhelm them, but it’s a fine line. They’re good athletes, they’re smart kids, and they execute very well, and they don’t give up.”

Now the Greenwave will face Moapa Valley in the state championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mackay Stadium in Reno. Connors said he wants his team to enjoy everything about this week leading up to the game.

“(It’s) our final week of this season, no matter what, so we’re just going to be where our feet are. Enjoy the sunsets, enjoy the lights at practice, enjoy each other’s company,” Connors said. “Take it day by day and make sure we have a good week of practice. These kids are hungry for a state title, and they’re not going to let this moment pass them by.”