Stories for December 2005

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Saturday, December 31

Friday, December 30

Nevada falls to Saint Mary's

MORAGA, Calif. - No defense. No victory.

Fazekas on the bench during second half run

MORAGA, Calif. - When Nevada made its valiant second-half comeback, WAC Player of the Year Nick Fazekas was on the bench.

Racers are staying busy

Happy New Year, and may your favorite driver/team/car make be the 2006 Champion!

Nevada women beat San Francisco

RENO - Jessica Preslar scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help Nevada overcome a sluggish start in its 59-53 win over San Francisco Saturday before 255 fans at Lawlor Events Center.

Thursday, December 29

Nevada to face Saint Mary's

MORAGA, Calif. - Nevada puts its four-game winning streak on the line today against Saint Mary's College.

Grizzlies defeat East Cheyenne

It looked like the Galena High boys basketball team was in trouble at halftime of its consolation championship game at the Energy Classic in Gillette, Wyo., on Friday morning. The Grizzlies, who have a goal of limiting opposing teams to 45 points per game, already trailed Wyoming power Cheyenne East 48-38 and still had the second half left to play.

Carson girls fall short in tourney finale

The Carson High girls basketball team may have played its best game of the year, but it wasn't quite enough in a 47-40 loss to host Juneau Douglas in the Capital Classic in Alaska on Friday.

Wednesday, December 28

Picking the rest of the bowl games

Fifteen college games remain in the football bowl season, and by this time next week, they will all be decided. That means there's plenty of picks to get to.

Carson boys fall, Galena boys win

The Carson High boys basketball team couldn't take advantage of its chances at the foul line as the Senators dropped their final game in the Las Vegas Prep Classic, losing to Palos Verde of Southern California 58-43 on Thursday.

Nevada rolls past Ragin' Cajuns

RENO - Nick Fazekas got mad and then even.

Banko, Miller strike gold at Sierra Nevada Classic

RENO - Meet Carson's Kyle Banko and Shane Miller of Douglas.

Sessions is chairman of the boards

RENO - Ramon Sessions was one of the shortest players on the floor, but that didn't stop him from grabbing a career-best 12 rebounds.

Tuesday, December 27

Sessions is healthy again for Nevada

RENO - Ramon Sessions' hip is finally healthy. That is bad news for opponents on Nevada's basketball schedule.

Locals shine in the pool

Carson City has had a long line of swimmers who have competed at the collegiate level and this year is no different with no less than six Carson High graduates swimming in college this year.

Carson boys split at Las Vegas tournament

The Carson High boys basketball team split two games on Wednesday at the Las Vegas Prep Classic, coming back to rout Las Vegas 78-51 after losing to Kelly Walsh of Wyoming 58-51.

Carson girls fall in Alaska

Foul trouble hurt the Carson High girls basketball team in a 57-35 loss to Wasilla, Alaska, in the Capital Classic on Wednesday in Juneau, Alaska.

Bankos, Lamborn advance to quarterfinals

Todd and Kyle Banko and Travis Lamborn are all still alive in the chase for individual titles for the Carson High wrestling team at the Sierra Nevada Classic.

Top 10 of 2005

Before you read this column, please remember this is just one person's opinion and doesn't reflect the opinion of the rest of the Appeal sports staff.

Monday, December 26

Carson girls win Alaska opener against Australian squad

The Carson High girls basketball team traveled north to Alaska and beat a team from Down Under Tuesday at the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic in Juneau, Alaska.

Wolf Pack's Coach Carter returns home on Saturday

RENO - David Carter has made very few trips to Saint Mary's College since he graduated in 1989, and they have mostly been to coach against his alma mater.

Cool Nevada beats Norfolk State

RENO - It was a sub-par performance to be sure, but Nevada was philosophical about it.

Yes, thankfully, skiing and life does go on

A couple of incidents recently put skiing in a different perspective for this snowsporter. One may mean something to most skiers or riders, the other is I hope unique.

Sunday, December 25

Nevada hosts road-tested Spartans tonight

RENO - If there is a team that has had to endure a tougher road basketball schedule than Nevada has this season, it is Norfolk State.

Saturday, December 24

Boxing columnist recognizes best of 2005

With the last days of 2005 winding down, it's time to present the Nevada Appeal's year-end boxing awards:

Friday, December 23

Andrettis set for Indy 500

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope that you were all good little gearheads, and that Santa filled your stocking with your fondest wishes, whether that is a new set of wheels for your racecar or tickets to the Daytona 500.

Thursday, December 22

Carson girls fall in tourney finale

While the Carson High girls basketball team fell again at the San Diego Above the Rim Classic, it was able to end the tournament on an encouraging note.

Dahl activated by the Niners

As a member of the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad, Harvey Dahl toiled in the trenches for the first 14 games of this regular season.

Wednesday, December 21

Betting on the college games

Making correct picks in college football bowl games can sometimes become difficult. Here are some strategies to use when making bowl game wagers.

Thorson Takes Big Win at Red Bluff

Only a couple of Carson City racers traveled over the hill for the final race of the prestigious QRC Cup at Red Bluff on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Younger wrestlers contribute to improved team

Citing the performance of his junior wrestlers, Highlanders coach Jeremy Reichert said the team was improving with each meet.

Carson girls fall to top team

The Carson High girls basketball team lost 61-25 to one of the San Diego area's top teams in Mt. Carmel at the Above the Rim Classic on Thursday.

Douglas girls fall to Damonte Ranch

Damonte Ranch held off a late run by the Douglas girls' basketball team to claim a 44-40 victory in south Reno.

Carson and Reed to play in finals

Thank goodness for the defense.

Nevada is packing them in

Rocking and rolling. That's what it's like to be at Lawlor Events Center these days for a Nevada men's basketball game.

Tuesday, December 20

Nevada receives dog fight in win

RENO - Nevada coach Mark Fox expected a dogfight, and he got exactly that.

Late pins lift Carson wrestlers past North Valleys

Caleb Davis, Brian Halverson and Kyle Banko logged successive pins to finish the night as the Carson High wrestling team rallied for a 42-34 Sierra League dual meet victory against North Valleys on Wednesday in Reno.

Unsung Shiloh shines for Pack

RENO - Kyle Shiloh often goes unappreciated except those close to the Nevada basketball team.

Monday, December 19

Nevada to host Georgia

RENO - A year ago, Nevada defended its way to an 11-point win over Georgia, holding the Bulldogs to a putrid 27.6 percentage from the floor.

Capital Classic begins today

Carson High coach Bruce Barnes could be forgiven for looking ahead to a possible meeting with former teammate and rival Eric Swain in the finals of the Capital Classic.

Sunday, December 18

Charlo, Shiloh spark Nevada's improved outside shooting

Through eight nonconference games, Nevada has shown great improvement in one area from last year - 3-point shooting.

Carson girls win Above the Rim opener

Rosella Nunez scored all 15 of her game-high points in the second and third quarters to help the Carson High girls basketball team post a 64-26 victory against Gardena, Calif., on the opening day of play at the Bishop's School Above the Rim Prep Classic in La Jolla, Calif., on Monday.

Saturday, December 17

Carson's Todd Banko fifth at Coast Classic

Todd Banko placed fifth at the high-powered Coast Classic in Scotts Valley, Calif., to lead a solid effort for the Carson High wrestling team this past weekend.

Oklahoma State wins Reno TOC title

Top-ranked Oklahoma State captured three individual titles en route to its ninth team championship in 10 years at the Reno Tournament of Champions college wrestling tournament on Sunday.

All I want for Christmas are these eight bouts

It's nearly Christmas and since WWE diva Trish Stratus has decided to play Scrooge and turn down my requests for a date, I've decided instead to share with you this gift list.

Friday, December 16

Douglas boys fall against Orem

The Douglas High boys basketball team was in complete control against Utah's top team in the first half. But then the Tigers were brought back to reality in the second half.

Fernley track is taking shape

It seems like ages ago that I attended the first race at a rather primitive 3/8 mile clay oval at Reno-Fernley Raceway.

Yerington holds on against Sparks

The Yerington High boys basketball team was just able to hold on, but kept its unbeaten mark in tact in the Northern 3A.

Nevada women defeat Sacramento State

RENO - It's funny how easy the game of basketball is when you play some defense and take care of the ball.

Galena boys fall against Madison Ridgeland

RENO - More often than not, a basketball coach would be satisfied if their team limited an opponent to 62 points.

Thursday, December 15

Hubbard on the run for Nevada

Many times last season, Nevada football coach Chris Ault mentioned that JC transfer Robert Hubbard was good enough to be getting some playing time in the Pack's backfield.

Top wrestling teams bound for Reno TOC

Ross Aguiar and a group of local wrestling enthusiasts took the line from "Field of Dreams" to heart when they first envisioned a top-level collegiate and high school tournament in Reno.

Carson girls fall against McQueen

Signs of improvement could continue to be seen from the Carson High girls basketball team despite a 48-40 loss at McQueen on Friday.

Hill ties state record for threes

DAYTON 67, FERNLEY 44

Dayton boys roll against Fernley

All 12 players scored for the Dayton High boys basketball team as it rolled to a 67-36 win over Fernley on Friday.

Carson boys defeat South City

SPARKS - Carson High's scheduling has turned out to be a double-edged sword.

Goulet's final act breaks Galena's heart

RENO - The play didn't go quite as Bishop Gorman coach Grant Rice planned, but he'll gladly take the result.

Wednesday, December 14

Best trends in the NFL

With only three weeks remaining in the National Football League's regular season, it's about time we review which trends have been the best moneymakers so far this year. Point spread records may vary depending on what sources you use.

Carson boys fall in tournament

The Carson High boys basketball team made a valiant second half comeback before falling short in a 54-46 loss to Corona Del Mar, Calif., on Thursday in the Rail City Classic at Reed.

Five soccer players sign with WNCC

Alli Otto says she was very disappointed when she left MacKay Stadium after the Carson Senators lost 3-2 against Galena in the Northern 4A girls soccer championship match back on Nov. 12.

Galena boys beat Modesto Christian

After a huge win against one of Northern California's top teams, the Galena High boys basketball team will jump right back into the fire.

Tuesday, December 13

Carson baseball three in major tourneys

The Carson High baseball program will have a chance to really make a name for itself during the off season thanks to three players.

Carson boys beat El Camino

SPARKS - It was only fitting that the game-winning basket in Carson High's 68-67 overtime win over El Camino in the first round of the Nugget-Rail City Classic was a putback by Jake Jeffers.

Carson wrestling beats Damonte Ranch

The Carson High wrestling team picked up a hard earned win over Damonte Ranch at home on Wednesday in Sierra League dual meet action.

Yerington beats Fernley

The Yerington High boys basketball team was able to hold off Fernley in the two schools' Northern 3A opener at Yerington.

Galena boys knock off Santa Rita

RENO - With coaches from Nevada, Syracuse, UCLA and Washington looking on, talented sophomore Luke Babbitt scored 25 points to help power Galena to a 61-37 win over Santa Rita of Tucson, Ariz., in the first round of the George Maldonado Memorial Classic Wednesday night at Galena.

Dayton boys beat Incline

The Dayton High boys basketball team broke open a close game in the third quarter on its way to a 70-52 win at Incline on Thursday in its Northern 3A opener.

Monday, December 12

Last race a highlight for Annie Brinson

She was fatigued. There were six to eight inches of fresh snow on the ground and temperatures hovered in the mid-30s. Her hopes of a top-25 finish and All-American recognition appeared dim. Annie Brinson wasn't feeling so positive about her ninth and final trip to the USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships.

Joey Gilbert gets his title shot

As a member of the University of Nevada boxing team, Reno's Joey Gilbert slugged his way to three national championships. Now the 29-year-old attorney will be looking to win his first belt as a professional.

Pack: 'We're a good team

RENO - There is still a ton of basketball left this season, and Nevada is showing signs of having another good season, possibly good enough to land it in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.

Pack has plenty of fuel in tank for win over Seattle Pacific

RENO - Road-weary Nevada showed that it's tank wasn't quite empty.

Rogers honored fo Macalester soccer

Jeff Rogers, a 2003 Carson High graduate, received the Spirit Award this season for the Macalester (Minn.) men's soccer team.

Sunday, December 11

Nevada looks to bounce back tonight against Seattle Pacific

RENO - Nevada basketball coach Mark Fox will get an opportunity to see just how resilient his basketball team is.

WAC honors Utah State's Carroll

Jaycee Carroll, Utah State's outstanding shooting guard, was named Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week.

Brinson, Myer run fastest times at national meet

Annie Brinson and Meagan Myer finished 28th and 29th respectively with personal record times in their Young Women's division age group race for the Sierra Flyers at the USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships held in Smithfield, R.I., on Saturday.

Saturday, December 10

Friday, December 9

Locals continue to shine in racing

Remember back about four years ago when NASCAR announced its new TV package with FOX and NBC for $2.8 billion, and I warned you that you were going to be seeing more commercials to pay for it? Well, it's gonna get worse.

Nevada falls to UCLA

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The game was there for the taking. Nevada had closed UCLA's nine-point halftime lead to one point, and was ready to take charge of the game.

Galena boys rout Caldwell

The Galena High boys basketball team tuned up for a tough stretch over the next month with a 60-37 win over Caldwell, Idaho, on Saturday at home.

Nevada women fall to UNLV

RENO - Scoring droughts for the Nevada women's basketball team seemed as severe as a deadly plague.

Carson wrestling takes fourth in tournament

Travis Lamborn, Jonas Schenzel andd Kyle Banko all won titles to lead a solid effort by the Carson High wrestling team at the James Riddle Tournament on Saturday in Oakdale, Calif.

Douglas defeats Carson in C.V. Classic third-place game

MINDEN - Coming off a tough loss less than 24 hours before, coach Rob Streeter was interested in seeing how his Douglas High boys basketball team would respond against arch rival Carson on Saturday afternoon.

Thursday, December 8

College football needs a playoff

I'd like to follow up on what my colleague Joe Ellison said in his weekly column that appeared Friday - Oregon got hosed.

Promoter unloads on Gilbert

Promoter Gary Shaw said his relationship with Reno middleweight Joey Gilbert is over.

Galena boys basketball rolls to victory

The Galena High boys basketball team rolled to its first win of the year, beating Jefferson of South San Francisco 80-41 on Friday at home.

Carson girls roll past Fallon

For two quarters, the Carson High girls basketball looked woefully out of sync.

Wednesday, December 7

Oregon victim of BCS again

College football's Bowl Championship Series never fails when it comes to angering certain conferences, universities, players and fans. And far too often, the Pacific-10 Conference schools are the ones being provoked.

Crosstumblers shine at state meet

Kayla Skog took first in the vault to lead a strong effort by Crosstumblers Gymnastics at the Nevada State Championships held in Reno on Nov. 19 and 20.

Douglas wrestling beats Damonte

The Douglas High wrestling team defeated Damonte Ranch 54-15 in a Sierra League meet on Wednesday.

Douglas boys roll against Fallon

It took a quarter and a half for it to get settled in but once it did, the Douglas boys' basketball team had little trouble disposing of Fallon, 65-36 in the Tigers' home-opener Thursday night.

Carson surges past Dayton

MINDEN - There may be a line that separates 4A and 3A schools, but if there's a gap, it seems to be narrowing - at least when it comes to the Carson and Dayton high school boys basketball programs.

Tuesday, December 6

Wild hockey drops two games

Carson City's D.J. Freeman had an assist for the Wild Pee Wee ice hockey team in a 4-1 loss to Cupertino, Calif., last weekend. The Wild also lost 3-1 to the San Francisco Saber Cats over the weekend.

Galena to host big-time tournament

This is the time of year in which there is plenty of tournament action in high school basketball.

Yerington boys rout Hawthorne

There was no letdown for the Yerington High boys basketball team in a 71-47 win over Hawthorne at home on Wednesday.

Nevada rolls past UC Davis

RENO - Nevada made its first home appearance in 18 days, and the Wolf Pack treated their fans to a dominating performance.

Sessions sits out against Davis

RENO - Ramon Sessions sat out the entire game against UC Davis Wednesday night, and coach Mark Fox isn't sure when his talented sophomore point guard will return.

Monday, December 5

Gossage to speak at Dolan Dinner

Reno - Rich "Goose" Gossage, one of baseball's best relief pitchers will be the keynote speaker at the University of Nevada's 22nd Annual Bobby Dolan Baseball Dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Carson inline hockey wins again

The Carson Senator Inline Hockey team made a perfect weekend, sweeping both of its games after beating Fallon 5-2 on Sunday at the Pony Express Pavilion.

Carson Karters do well at Red Bluff

With the Thanksgiving break over, a contingent of Northern Nevada Outlaw Kart drivers headed over the hill for the sixth race in the Red Bluff winter series last Saturday.

Carson girls basketball team raising funds for travel

Ric Garcia knew there was no time to waste when he accepted the job as head coach of the Carson High girls basketball team at the end of October

Galena girls beat Damonte

Caitlin Crofts scored 12 points and Micheon Aguilar added 10 points in the nonleague win for Galena.

Yerington falls short against McQueen

The Yerington High boys basketball team gave Northern 4A school McQueen all it could handle on Tuesday before falling 58-46.

Carson girls fall against Reed

When you shoot 28 percent from the floor, turn the ball over 25 times and give up 17 offensive rebounds, you aren't going to win many basketball games.

Sunday, December 4

WAC honors Fazekas

RENO - Nick Fazekas enjoyed two huge games and helped Nevada stay undefeated last week, and his efforts earned him Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors.

Mitchell, Ault receive WAC awards

RENO - Nevada reaped the rewards of its co-championship season by walking off with two of the major awards on Monday when B.J. Mitchell and Chris Ault were named Western Athletic Conference offensive player and coach of the year on Monday.

Saturday, December 3

Pack is headed to Hawaii

RENO - Nevada accepted an invitation to play in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl against the University of Central Florida on Saturday, Dec. 24, in Honolulu.

Friday, December 2

Silly Season changes continue

The past couple of weeks you've read about some of the NASCAR "silly season" changes coming up for 2006.

Las Vegas beats Hug for state title

RENO - In high school football, defense wins state championships.

Dayton wins tournament title

The Dayton High boys basketball team picked up an impressive 61-49 win over Liberty of Brentwood to winning its own Sutro Classic on Saturday.

Lemoore defends title at Capital City Duals

It wasn't so easy for the Lemoore High wrestling team this time around.

Douglas boys basketball falls

Four games into the new season, pressure defense has emerged as an Achilles' Heel for the Douglas High boys basketball team.

Nevada has just enough in the tank

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Nevada Wolf Pack exorcised a demon Saturday night.

Charlo continues his consistent play

STOCKTON, Calif. - Mo Charlo made the most of his 24-minute stint Saturday night.

Thursday, December 1

Eleven-team field, including defending champion Lemoore, set for Capital City Duals

Eleven teams, including one of California's premiere prep wrestling programs, will compete in the eighth annual Capital City Duals today at Carson High School.

Charlo has improved his game

STOCKTON, Calif. - Mo Charlo came to Nevada with a lot of fanfare, and slowly, he is starting to live up to the expectations.

Vega helps Moondogs win title

Douglas High School student Eddie Vega helped the Reno Moondogs under-15 boys age group soccer team win the high-powered Irvine Nike Harvest Cup in Southern California over Thanksgiving weekend.

Dayton basketball rolls in Sutro Classic

The Dayton High boys basketball team rolled to a 2-0 start in its own Sutro Classic with a 73-26 win over Bishop, Calif., on Friday. Dayton advanced to today's semifinals and with a win would advanced to the championship game to be held later today. Jordan Stokes scored 20 points and Erik Hopper added 13 points.

Nevada volleyball falls to Stanford

PALO ALTO, Calif. - No. 5 Stanford is quickly making a strong case for another national volleyball title.