A couple more yards here, or a defensive stop there, and the Fernley High School football team might be headed to Mesquite this weekend for the 3A state semifinals.
Instead, it was quiet hugs and flowing tears as the Vaqueros gathered amongst friends and families after a touchdown in the final minute sent Fallon to the semifinals with a 35-28 win over Fernley.
Fallon freshman Camden Richardson scored the winning touchdown on a 15-yard run with 46.6 seconds left in the game, capping a back-and-forth contest that each team had reason to believe they were going to win in the fourth quarter.
“I’m kind of sitting there reflecting on it, and that type of football game is probably the best way that you can go about it, win, lose or draw, even though you can’t draw in the playoffs,” Fernley coach Anfernee Sloan said. “But to know that we left it all out there, there was no doubt.”
The Vaqueros had the ball and looked to be driving for the possible winning score late in the fourth quarter but came up short on fourth-and-4 from the Fallon 42-yard line with about two minutes left in the game.
In a situation where a punt would essentially mean hoping for a chance in overtime, Sloan didn’t hesitate in his decision to go for it. With a first down, the Vaqueros would have been very close to field goal range for kicker Noah Spencer, who made three field goals this year of longer than 40 yards, including one from 50.
“I’m looking at the risk and reward, and what it is that we got for a football player that can go and win the game for us,” Sloan said. “We were going to go and try and win that football game.”
Instead, Fallon linebacker Alijah Juarez shot through a gap unblocked and stuffed a run two yards short. Fallon then drove 60 yards in four plays for the winning touchdown.
“I told those guys, there’s nothing to hang your head on,” Sloan said. “You guys came out here and just smacked them in the mouth. You guys went head-to-head with a dang good football team. There’s nothing to be sad about when it comes to that stuff.”
The game began as a dream scenario for the Vaqueros. On Fernley’s first offensive possession, Keeshawn Love ran 82 yards for a touchdown, giving Fernley a quick 7-0 lead. Then on Fallon’s first possession, Joey Machado intercepted a pass by Fallon’s Matthew Bird that had been tipped into the air. Moments later, Bryce Stephens scored on a 3-yard run and Fernley had a 14-0 lead with 6:05 left in the first quarter.
But the Fallon offense is the most explosive in the Northern 3A, and it struck back quickly. Keyed by a 25-yard pass from Bird to Maxton Richardson, the Greenwave drove 65 yards in 2 minutes, 10 seconds and scored on a 21-yard pass from Camden Richardson to Calin Anderson.
After a fumble by the Vaqueros at the Fallon 40, Bird again hit Maxton Richardson, who made a one-handed catch for a 40-yard gain that set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Camden Richardson to tie the game at 14.
The Vaqueros took a 21-14 halftime lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Love with 1:17 left in the first half.
But Fallon opened the second half with an 80-yard drive that took almost seven minutes and tied the game at 21 on a 1-yard run by Bird. Moments later, Bird connected with Anderson for a 79-yard touchdown pass that put Fallon on top 28-21 with 2:16 left in the third quarter.
Fernley answered with its own 75-yard drive, tying the game at 28 on a 6-yard run by Stephens. Fallon drove to the Fernley 5-yard line, but a penalty on Fallon helped the Vaqueros make a fourth-down stop, setting up Fernley’s drive that came up short on fourth down.
“A better team is going to come out on top when it matters, and all you can do is just congratulate them and be grateful for the opportunity that we have to be able to come out here and do this,” Sloan said. “I commend my team, I commend this community. We had a stellar crowd and my coaching staff. I’m very grateful for those guys because without them there is no me, I can tell you that.”
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