Sparks was a 57-55 double overtime loss at South Tahoe away from advancing to the 3A North regional tournament last winter. The defeat left them at 7-16, 6-10 – just one game behind both Spring Creek and Fallon for the final two spots in the field. Coach Dan Schreiber lost seven seniors from that team. That doesn’t mean he expects his team to bow out of contention. … [Read more...]
Season Preview: Beck to lead Railroader rebuild
New Sparks coach Tawnya Beck is familiar with winning. A 2004 Bishop Manogue grad, Beck won two state softball titles and a third as a member of the girls basketball team. Last year, she was an assistant for the Bishop Manogue girls basketball team which claimed its second-straight regional title. The program she just took over is not so familiar with winning. Sparks … [Read more...]
Shoup Shots: Kittrell leaves strong legacy, Is Nevada’s season salvageable? Hoops season is here
If there’s anyone who deserves a break, who deserves to exhale and kick their feet up, it’s Rob Kittrell. After 19 years as the head football coach at Sparks, Kittrell stepped down from his post early last week. I feel I can speak for his former players, coaches he’s worked with and against, the administration at Sparks High, and anyone else he’s associated with as I … [Read more...]
Scheels Athlete of the Week (Nov. 7-12): Jesus Partida
Jesus Partida, Sparks boys soccer The Sparks senior had a bounce-back season to remember and he couldn’t have written a better way to end it. After missing last season with a knee injury, Partida scored a team-high 32 goals this fall, including the game winner in Saturday’s 3A state championship game victory over Western in Las Vegas. Partida assisted the other goal in the 2-0 … [Read more...]
Finally! Sparks breaks through to claim state title
Three straight years of frustration have been forgotten. Sparks has broken through. After falling in the state semifinals three consecutive seasons, Sparks advanced out of the semis on Friday evening at Cimarron-Memorial Park in Las Vegas, then finished off a state championship Saturday morning. The Railroaders (25-2-1) blanked 3A South champ, Western, 2-0, for their … [Read more...]
Sparks advances to state title game
Berths into the 3A state boys soccer tournament have come regularly for Sparks. Wins at the tourney, however, have been much more elusive. The Railroaders (24-2-1) fell in the state semifinals three straight years before finally getting off the schnide on Friday with a 4-1 win over Chaparral (17-9-1) at Cimarron-Memorial Park in Las Vegas. One of the state semifinal … [Read more...]
Kittrell steps down after 19 years as Sparks football coach
Coaching a high school football program takes some wherewithal. Coaching a prep program for nearly two decades requires patience, endurance, strength, passion, thick skin and a genuine love for the kids, as well as the game. That’s just to name a few essential characteristics. Rob Kittrell embodied it all. After 19 years leading Sparks, Kittrell officially announced … [Read more...]
Boys Soccer: Railroaders win third straight regional title
Another 3A North regional tournament is in the books. And once again, Sparks ended it with a regional championship trophy. Sparks (23-2-1) edged North Tahoe (12-5-6) in title game, 2-1, on Saturday at Lowry to win its third straight title and fourth in five years. “The boys did a helluva job,” Sparks coach Jose Espana said. “Three in a row. Each one of them seems to get … [Read more...]