Football games are rarely won in the first quarter. They can certainly be lost in the initial 12 minutes, however. Reed’s 12-game regular season winning streak was not snapped in Friday’s season opener at Clayton Valley Charter (Concord, Calif.) due to an absence of plays late. It was snapped because of the plays that weren’t made, early, in a 35-21 defeat. The Raiders … [Read more...]
High Desert League Capsules
The High Desert League was filled with sophomore coaches last year. Spanish Springs coach Eric Borja, Hug coach Carl LaGrone and North Valleys coach Tony Doucette all were in the middle of their second seasons at the helm. Now the faces are becoming familiar. Here’s a look at the league: Reed Raiders Coach: Ernie Howren Experience: 16th season 2015 record: 13-1, … [Read more...]
Reed Preview: In the mix for six
It’s been since 2010 that a team other than the Reed Raiders has won a 4A North regional title. Defending regional crowns has become a fabric of the program. So much so that it’s rarely discussed. It’s understood. “We don’t really talk about it,” Reed coach Ernie Howren said, gearing up for his 16th year at the helm. “What we do, do is the first week, we just say to … [Read more...]
Shoup Shots: Three premature prep football predictions 3.0
So, I cheated this year. The two previous years I wrote this column in July. This year, I waited until the week before the season started. Oops. A couple factors dictated why I wrote this piece so early in the past. One, I was confident (well, kind of) in the predictions. And two, I was new to the glamorous life as the Sparks Tribune Sports Editor and occasionally … [Read more...]
Shoup Shots: The state of prep athletics, Reed baseball on the brink, I’m lucky…ish
Welcome to 2016: A time when a multi-billion-dollar business (ESPN) has a say in high school football non-league schedules. Reed was scheduled to open its season at Mackay in the Battle Born Classic for the second straight year this fall, but the team it was slated to play, Saguaro, was baited away by the sports empire. ESPN offered to pay for Saguaro to play in … [Read more...]
ESPN causes change in Reed’s football schedule
Reed was scheduled to play Arizona’s defending Div. II state champion, Saguaro, in its season opener at Mackay Stadium in late August. Then ESPN got in the way. The major sports conglomerate offered to pay for Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) to square off with Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) as part of its Kickoff Classic the same weekend. It was a deal too good to … [Read more...]
Reed dominates football all-league selections
The DI North football all-league teams were released at the conclusion of the season and unsurprisingly, Raiders littered all teams. Reed went 13-0 on its way to its fifth-straight regional title before falling to Bishop Gorman in the state semifinals. Reed claimed 40 all-league spots, which was easily the most in the DI North. Galena had 29 and Carson had 28. Spanish … [Read more...]
Gorman eliminates Reed, again
The Raiders’ season suffered a familiar finish on Saturday. For the fifth-straight season, Reed saw its run come to a close at the hands of Bishop Gorman, falling 41-13 at home in the DI state semifinals. Bishop Gorman, the No. 1 team in the country, improved to 14-0. Reed ended the campaign 13-1 after winning its fifth-straight regional title. “It is hard to reflect,” … [Read more...]