Homecoming Hopes Shattered as Lions Take On The Mustangs

Article and Photos by Journalist Chris Brown

On September 22, 2023 the homecoming matchup between Yerington and Lovelock left many fans and players scratching their heads and wondering “what the heck is going on?” The 50-0 Mustangs win over the Lions was not indicative of past Yerington football success. Recent opponents in the last two games have outscored the varsity Lions by a 70 to 0 margin.

The scores are, in great part, indicative of the lack of depth on the Yerington sidelines.  There are only 21 players listed on the varsity team.  Five of those players have been out on injury/illness at various times though the start of the season.  This has left a core group of players who have been playing both the offensive and defensive sides of the game without breaks in play.

The stats for the Yerington/Lovelock game were as bleak as the score reflected.  Pershing County had 64 total plays, to Yerington’s 32.  Lovelock converted 23 first downs, to the Lions 4.  On a positive note, Yerington did refrain from penalties with only two for 30 yards, compared to Lovelocks 8 for 73 yards lost to penalties.  Sophomore Colby Rowe had 45 receiving yards on two receptions from Quarterback Cameron Reyes.

Junior Beck Merrill was the defensive stand out for the Lions.  This was his first game played following a preseason injury and recovery.  He led the Lions in tackles with 3 solo and 12 assisted tackles for a total of 15.  Senior John Thompson followed with 12 total tackles, four of those were solo and eight were assists.  The Lions had 77 total tackles on the game with 60 of those coming from assists.

Junior standout running back, defensive linebacker, and kicker Alexis Martinez, who has racked up 70 rushing yards per game and has two interceptions, is out with a season ending injury sustained during the game against the Coral Academy of Science.  His presence was sorely missed during the homecoming game.

The Yerington Lions play their final home game of this season on Friday, September 29, 2023 at 7:00pm at Yerington High School against West Wendover.  Reports indicate (though not verified at press time) that the JV will be playing with the varsity in this game because West Wendover does not have a JV team.  This will hopefully provide some of the needed depth to the Yerington Roster. A select group of JV players have also reportedly been moved to the varsity squad to provide help and fill positions.