Sparks snaps 27-year skid against Elko behind dominant defensive effort None of the players on the were alive the last time Sparks beat Elko. Not even close. Before Friday night, the Railroaders’ last win over the Indians came 27 years ago. That streak is over. Sparks defense held Elko to just four total first downs on its way to a 24-13 win in the home opener. … [Read more...]
Rodriguez scores five times as Sparks picks up win No. 1
Railroaders explode for most points since 2015 in 46-30 road win at Dayton Carlos Rodriguez is making this whole head coaching thing pretty easy for Brad Rose. After scoring Sparks only two touchdowns of the season in games No. 1 and 2, Rodriguez found the end zone five different times on Friday night as Sparks (1-2, 1-1) picked up its first win of the season, 46-30 at … [Read more...]
Cal-bound Castles, South Tahoe too much for Sparks
Rodriguez returns punt to the house for second straight week The game plan was to limit the damage from senior tight end/wide receiver McCallan Castles. That will be every 3A North team’s idea this fall. Most will fail. Castles, a 6-5 228-pound end zone resident, scored three times on Friday night as South Tahoe (1-0, 1-0) handled Sparks 53-7 at the Lake. “He … [Read more...]
Sparks drops opener on road to defending 2A state champs
Railroaders fall 18-8 to Mustangs Perhaps you have no choice but to believe in moral victories when taking over a program that hasn’t put together a winning season since 2007. Brad Rose coached his first game for Sparks on Friday night, an 18-8 road loss to Lovelock, the defending 2A state champions. “(Tonight) absolutely was a positive,” Rose said. “Our defensive is … [Read more...]
2017 Sparks Tribune Prep Football Preview
A compilation of all content in the 2017 Sparks Tribune Prep Football … [Read more...]
Shoup Shots: Three premature prep football predictions 4.0
The law of averages is as consistent as my ability to snap hook the first tee shot of the day. The founder of the breakfast ball is all of us. So, it came as little surprise that after correctly predicting how the seasons would end for the Reed, Spanish Springs and Sparks football teams in 2014 and 2015, I regressed to the mean in 2016. A .333 batting average would put me … [Read more...]
Sparks Preview: New-look Railroaders aspire to surprise 3A North
First-year coach Brad Rose installing spread offense There are two new coaches in Sparks this year. And they are in entirely different positions. At Reed, Tony Amantia is taking over a program that has won five of the last six 4A North regional titles. At Sparks, Brad Rose doesn’t have that luxury. He inherits a program that is 16-71 since its last winning season in … [Read more...]
Shoup Shots: USL to Reno 1868 FC: Oops, Prep football practice begins, Miami should have signed Kaep?
Games are rarely won or lost in the first 30 minutes, regardless of sport. Clichés dictate contests are decided in the waning moments. That wasn’t the case for Reno 1868 FC last Wednesday in Oklahoma City as the referee was far-too-quick to un-holster his red card and left the visiting side down a man for the final hour of the match, a 1-0 loss. The call against Fatai … [Read more...]