2024 NIAA Football State Championship Previews and Predictions
Good morning!!! Championship Saturday is upon us, and our team at Battle Born Preps couldn’t be more excited to get things going Today. It is going to be a great couple of days for Northern Nevada HS Football teams from our area. In this preview you will find some quick facts about each school participating as well as a brief preview, stats, players to watch and predictions for these games. Without further ado, let us get going.
Editor’s note: I only have Today’s games in this preview as of publishing, check back on Monday for the rest of the previews for the remaining State Championship games that will be played on Monday and Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nev.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the preview for the 5A-III Championship game between Galena and Centennial. Enjoy.
2A State Championship
When: Saturday November 23, 2024; at 10 AM
Where: McQueen HS in Reno, Nevada
Who: Incline Highlanders vs. Pershing County Mustangs
Why: The only ‘All North’ State Championship Game that will have this season. The undisputed ‘Top Two’ teams in the 2A this season will finally settle this long-awaited matchup as their game that was scheduled on September 13th was canceled due to the Davis Fire. This is a game of contrasting styles as Incline likes to sling the football all around the yard and Pershing County is an old school ground-and-pound offense. Against common opponents this season, the Mustangs of Pershing County outscored Incline by 75 points, which equates to 12.5 points per game; only regular season results were counted towards these totals.
The Quick Facts, and some Stats
Incline: The Highlanders come into Today’s game with a 10-0 record overall and a 6-0 record in league. They average 42.8 points per game and only give up 7.6 points per game on average. This is good for a plus/minus of 35.2 points per game for the high-powered offense of Incline. Their defense has posted four shutouts this season. The closest game the Highlanders played this season was last week as they traveled down to Needles (Calif.) and came away with a 12-8 victory to advance to the State Championship.
Incline Players to watch:
QB Tommy Williams, Senior: A wizard with the ball in his hands Williams has dazzled all season long. I finally got a chance to see him in person three weeks ago when he was dropping dimes against North Tahoe in what amounted to a 49-0 victory for the Highlanders. Williams posts career totals of 247 completions for 4,187 passing yards and 52 touchdowns to go along with 256 rushing attempts for 1,797 rushing yards and an additional 33 scores. He is the spitting image of a dual-threat QB that could play at the next level and Football isn’t even his “main” sport.
LB Colin Combs, Senior: A four-year starter for the Highlanders defense Combs is responsible for 315 tackles, 10 sacks and six interceptions during his career. I’ve heard some rumblings that the 6-foot-2, 205-pound wrecking ball has garnered a little interest from Coach Choate and his staff so maybe we will see him playing up on Virginia Street in the near future.
WR/DB Jayden Abbate, Senior: Abbate is Williams favorite target this season as he has hauled in 37 receptions for 617 yards and six touchdowns on offense. Defensively, he is responsible for 14 tackles and two interceptions for the Highlanders.
RB/LB Aidan Midgley, Senior: Midgley does it all for the Highlanders. In addition to being the team’s starting RB and OLB he is also the team’s Kicker, so, needless to say he is versatile. His stats are as follows: 402 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 49 tackles and one interception.
RB/LB Colton Barraza, Senior: A menacing player on the defensive side of the ball for the Highlanders, Barraza is responsible for 82 tackles, one sack and one interception this season.
Also, shout out to the following Seniors who will be playing in their last game for the Highlanders: Ryan Arnett, Tate Gitchell, Jacob Evans, Dylan Zuvic, Lucas McNamara, Zach Harrell, Ace Zender, Alex Briggs, Chris Ibarra, and Alex Finne.
The Quick Facts, and some Stats
Pershing County: The Mustangs come into Today’s game with an 11-0 record overall and a 6-0 record in league. They average 51.6 points per game and only give up 4.9 points per game on average. This is good for a plus/minus of 46.7 points per game for the high-powered offense of Pershing County. The closest game the Mustangs have played this season was on August 23rd when they defeated Portola (Calif.) 47-13, on the road in the season’s second week. Their defense has posted four shutouts this season. They have only given up 34 points over their last nine games.
Pershing County Players to watch:
RB/LB Tyrn Sam, Senior: Sam has been the engine that makes the horses go for this Mustangs offense. He has 639 rushing yards and 14 TDs on only 53 carries while racking up a first down every time he touches the ball. Need a little more?!? He also returned an interception 101 yards for a touchdown while playing defense this season.
QB/DB Travis Donaldson, Senior: The most difficult position to play in the Mustangs offense is QB, where on any given play you must process about ten different things pre-snap in hopes of getting the right play call once the ball is snapped. Donaldson has done that in abundance this season as he has accounted for 835 yards of total offense and 22 touchdowns even though he only has 70 touches according to the stats on MaxPreps. Don’t look now but it seems as though he also had a Pick-Six this season returning an interception 78 yards while dabbling on the defensive side of the ball.
RB/DB Denzel Zaldivar, Senior: Zaldivar should be referred to as The ‘Twenty Yard Man’ from here on out. You guessed it, he has 26 touches on offense this season and has accounted for an astounding 533 yards in the process, meaning that each time he touches the ball he gains 20.5 yards on average. He has also hit paydirt five times, meaning that he scores six once every 5.2 times he gets his hands on the rock.
The rest of the RB stable: Senior Izayuh McGlothin (297 yards, 7 TDs), Junior Trenton Rhodes (247 yards, 4 TDs), Senior Luis Sanchez (244 yards, 6 TDs), Junior Ayden Montes (132 yards, 3 TDs), Senior Michael Reitz (122 yards, 1 TD), Junior Ashton Jimenez (118 yards, 1 TD), and Junior Josiah Hunt (112 yards, 1 TD) have all rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown so they deserve a shoutout as well, having totaled 1,272 rushing yards and 23 TDs amongst them.
Lastly, shoutout to the following Seniors who will be playing their last game for the Mustangs: Angelo Gibson, Daniel Jimenez, Efrain Aceves, Kaden Chambers, Landon Fitzpatrick, Wyatt Hughes, Brian Flores, and Braxson Bird.
This will be an exciting game for all Northern Nevada. Get out and support these boys!!!
J. Ray Dockter’s Prediction: Pershing County 34, Incline 21
5A-II State Championship
When: Saturday November 23, 2024; at 1:30 PM
Where: McQueen HS in Reno, Nevada
Who: Faith Lutheran Crusaders vs. Bishop Manogue Miners
Why: The regular season champions in Northern and Southern Nevada took care of business for the second season in a row and will meet for the 5A-II State Championship for the second consecutive season. Last season the Miners successfully landed Coach Ernie Howren his first state championship when they defeated the Crusaders 40-21 at Allegiant Stadium behind WR Ben Scolari’s multi-touchdown game. The Crusaders are no strangers to Northern Nevada having traveled up here last season when they played Reed in a non-league contest. However, this won’t be the first time all season that they have played against a squad from up north as they dispatched Damonte Ranch 41-0 on August 30th in a game that was played in Las Vegas. The Miners also defeated Damonte Ranch 42-14 during the opening week of the season. That is the only common opponent that these two teams had this season.
The Quick Facts, and some stats
Faith Lutheran: The Crusaders come into Today’s game with an 11-0 record overall and a 6-0 record in league. They average 33.9 points per game, while only giving up 12.6 points per game on average. This is good for a plus/minus of 21.3 points per game for Coach’s Sanford’s squad. Their defense posted three shutouts this season. The closest game that the Crusaders played in this season was last week when hung on to defeat Shadow Ridge 35-34 in OT for the Southern Nevada 5A-II Regional Championship, advancing to Today’s game against Bishop Manogue.
Faith Lutheran Players to watch:
RB Cale Breslin, Senior: The BYU commit has missed a few games this season but has still accounted for 104 rushing yards per game to go along with 11 TDs for the Crusaders. He has also snagged two receiving touchdowns this season.
QB Alexander Rogers, Senior: Faith Lutheran’s signal caller comes into the State Championship having one of the best TD-to-Interception ratios in the state as he has thrown for 27 Touchdowns while only throwing three interceptions this season. He has also thrown for almost 2,200 yards while also rushing for an additional four scores.
LB Ricky Manning, Senior: A Tasmanian-Devil on defense Manning leads the Crusaders with 139 tackles on the season, including 27 TFLs.
LB Patrick Duffy, Senior: Manning’s ‘Bash Brother’ on the Crusaders defense Duffy is responsible for 131 tackles including 16 TFLs on the season.
WR Aipa Kuloia, Junior: The only ’26 on this list for the Crusaders Kuloia is the real deal. On the season he has caught 31 passes for 803 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball as evidence by his one touchdown per every 2.5 touches for this high scoring squad.
Also, shoutout to the following Seniors who will be playing their last game for the Crusaders: Brandon Soares, Dylan Morgan, Jack Brascia, Abraham Harris, Cole Keith, Mack Ford, Jonas Weadon, Jackson Bentham, Jaxon Cope, Andrew O’Reilly, Sean Woosnam, Nikolas Knight, John Paul Carr, Bradley Stewart, Brady Seda, Jaiden Austin, Maddox Valoaga, Nicholas Stambaugh, Evan Couvillier, Vance Hoffmann, Ethan HansenIan, Ian Gries, Jackson Perkins, and Abraham Bernal.
The Quick Facts, and some Stats
Bishop Manogue: The Miners come into Today’s game with a 9-3 record overall and a 5-0 record in league. They average 36.3 points per game, while giving up 27.7 points per game on average. This is good for a plus/minus of 8.6 points per game for Coach Howren’s squad. Bishop Manogue has not posted a shutout defensively this season. The Miners have suffered a few losses this season but the closest game that they have won has happened three separate times, each by a margin of seven points, the last of which happened last week in the Regional Championship Game against Reed. In that game the Miners won 35-28 to claim a spot in Today’s State Championship.
Bishop Manogue Players to watch:
QB Brandon Mann, Junior: One of the area’s best quarterbacks Mann has taken control of this offense since the moment he stepped on campus. He currently has 2,324 passing yards and 31 touchdowns in his first season as the Miners signal caller. Not only can he get it done through the air, but he is equally dangerous as a running threat as well, having found pay dirt and additional four times to go along with 743 rushing yards. He has a little Cody Fajardo to his game, and he is exactly the type of quarterback that Coach Howren loves to run his ‘Pistol’ offense.
RB/DB Pele Masina, Senior: Masina has patiently waited his turn to be the Miners lead back and he has not disappointed racking 1,018 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 6.7 yards per carry this season. He also scored on a receiving touchdown and a Pick-Six. Defensively he has been a shutdown corner who has 27 tackles and two interceptions on the season. This kid has next level talent.
WR Demari Stacker, Freshman: Described by Coach Howren as “[a] physical specimen, who is a day one starter,” Stacker has not disappointed this season. Piling up stats unheard of for an underclassman he has 56 receptions for 620 yards and five touchdowns. The sky is the limit for this kid, and he should be undeterred by the big stage this afternoon. He could have a Ben Scolari-type day if the Crusaders don’t know where he’s at every play.
In the trenches Bishop Manogue has some dudes – Jackson Ramsey, Matt Harrington, Hueston Kolvet, Nate Bray and Kole Cronin lead the Miners with an intensity that is unmatched in our area.
WR Dulin Hukari, Senior and TE Vince Clark, Senior (along with the aforementioned Stacker) provide Mann with a trio of pass catchers that could give the Crusaders fits all day long if they aren’t prepared.
Defensively LB Marley Spuhler, Junior and DB Amir McGruder, Junior keep the Miners locked in at the second and third levels and will look to slow down the Crusaders potent offense.
Lastly, shoutout to the following Seniors who will be playing their last game for the Miners: Grady Montoya, Josh Zarcone, Sam Hall, Collin Knight, Andreas Alfaro, Lucca DiPentima, Ethan Conners, Ashton McCaffrey, Jack Fredericks, Pablo Guerrero, Cooper Trudeau, Damanpreet Singh, Cian Stack, Providence Pouono, Ethan Schmelzer, Parker Faulstich, Anthony Llamas, Trenton Watson, and Brayden Bender.
Call it a homer pick but I think the Miners get it done once again and don’t make Coach Howren wait another 20+ years to claim his second state championship.
J. Ray Dockter’s Prediction: Bishop Manogue 27, Faith Lutheran 21
5A-III State Championship
When: Monday November 25, 2024; at Noon
Where: Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas, Nevada
Who: Galena Grizzlies vs. Centennial Bulldogs
Why: Centennial went from 0-9 two seasons ago to 11-1 State Champions last season. They are in their first season in the NIAA 5A-III and have once again found themselves in the State Championship Game. The Bulldogs have had an up-and-down season this year but have gotten hot when it matters most, winning six of their last seven games coming into their showdown with Galena. Speaking of the Grizzlies, they find themselves in the championship tilt for the second consecutive season having seen a great turnaround happen in just the past four years. The Grizzlies also had a winless season this decade as they went 0-9 in 2021 before finding their stride with this current group of Seniors over the last three seasons. The Grizzlies ‘Class of ‘25’ has won 22 games over the last three seasons including two regional championships and two appearances in the state final.
The Quick Facts, and some stats
Galena: The Grizzlies come into Monday’s game with a 9-2 record overall and a 5-0 record in league. They average 31.3 points per game, while only giving up 13.9 points per game on average. This is good for a plus/minus of 17.4 points per game for Coach Cook’s squad. Their defense has posted one shutout – against Wooster last month, this season. The closest game that the Grizzlies played in this season was last week against Damonte Ranch where they squeaked out a 16-13 victory over Damonte Ranch to win the NIAA Northern Nevada 5A-III Regional Championship.
Galena Players to watch:
QB/DB Colson Kermode, Senior: Kermode was named NNFCA 5A-III MVP for his performance on the gridiron. He accounted for 1,639 passing yards and 20 TDs to go along with 451 rushing yards and another 9 TDs flashing his dual-threat capabilities in the process. He was also named First Team ‘All League’ QB and DB, where he led the Grizzlies in tackles with 102 (to go along with 2 INTs and 1 FF) from his safety position – he gets downhill and puts a hurting on you if you aren’t paying attention, for his play on both sides of the ball.
OL/DL Jack Shoda, Junior: A load along the trenches, Shoda was named NNFCA 5A-III Defensive Lineman of the Year for his performance on the gridiron this past season. He was responsible for 49 tackles including 6 TFLs and 3 sacks this past season. He was also named First Team ‘All League’ at OL and DL for his dominating play on both sides of the ball.
WR/DB Matthew Ritenhouse, Senior: Ritenhouse was a name we heard seemingly every Friday night making a play for the Grizz. An undersized stone-cold killer he plays with ferociousness that makes his style of play feel ‘old school’ by nature. He is never afraid to get his hands dirty and the coaches rewarded him as he was named First Team ‘All League’ at WR and DB for his play on both sides of the ball.
Athlete Ben Imse, Senior: Imse can do it all on the football field and he was named First Team Athlete offensively and First Team LB defensively by the NNFCA. Also of note Imse was also named Second Team ‘All League’ Kicker and Punter for his ability to impact the game on Special Teams – something that proved to be the difference in Galena’s Regional Championship victory.
RB/DB Erick Rodriguez, Senior: Rodriguez added to his repertoire this season as he got quite a few carries out of the backfield for the Grizzlies. He did not disappoint and was named Second Team ‘All League’ RB and DB by the league’s coaches.
Also, shoutout to the following Seniors who will be playing their last game for the Grizzlies: Zak Smrt (Second Team ‘All League’ WR), Zach Compston (Second Team ‘All League’ OL and DL), Eddie Davis (Second Team ‘All League’ DL), Colby Crossman (Second Team ‘All League’ DB, Honorable Mention ‘All League’ WR), Dylan Sullivan (Honorable Mention ‘All League’ LB), Devin Zervoulakis (Honorable Mention ‘All League’ LB), Shiloh Wilson (Honorable Mention ‘All League’ DB), Beckam Larsen, Jason Wylde, Ben Falin, Jackson Richins, Brandon Livingston, and Jonathan Corrales.
The Quick Facts, and some Stats
Centennial: The Bulldogs come into Monday’s game with a 6-5 record overall and a 4-1 record in league. They average 35.5 points per game, while giving up 28.4 points per game on average. This is good for a plus/minus of 7.1 points per game for Coach Campbell’s squad. Their defense has not posted a shutout this season but did allow a season low seven points to Desert Oasis in their 5A-III Southern Regional Championship victory last week. The closest game the Bulldogs have played in this season was a 36-28 victory against Las Vegas HS on October 24th.
Centennial Players to watch:
QB by committee – Junior Ashton Hunt and Sophomore James Monaghan IV both sling the pill for the Bulldogs as they have racked up more than 2,310 yards this season to go along with 18 TDs. Mostly pocket passers they have not done a ton of damage in the running game. Look for them to seek “mismatches” and exploit them accordingly.
RB Khy Harris, Senior: Dynamic with the ball in his hands, Harris has 1,248 yards of total offense to go along with 17 TDs. More impressive is that he has accumulated those numbers on only 135 touches, which equates to 9.24 yards per touch and one TD per eight touches. The Grizz must do their best to keep Harris in check because he could be the difference between winning and losing this game.
WR Jayden ‘Jet’ Thomas, Sophomore: I haven’t seen Thomas play yet but I am going to go out on a limb here and say that he’s probably pretty fast considering that his nickname is “Jet.” As an underclassman this season, he has racked up 814 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on only 44 receptions, for an average of 18.5 yards per catch. His longest catch of the season was 85 yards – showing that he has speed to torch defenses.
MLB Saione Inoke, Senior: One half of the Bulldogs “Bash Brothers” Inoke has been a force all season as evidence of his 79 tackles, two sacks, one interception and one forced fumble through ten games. He’ll be locked in on Kermode to begin the game.
MLB Jeremy Evans, Centennial: The other half of what I am referring to as the Bulldogs “Bash Brothers” is Evans and he is equally intimidating as Inoke having racked up 73 tackles including six TFLs, one sack, and 60-yard fumble recovery to give the Dogs some defensive momentum.
Also, shoutout to the following Seniors who will be playing their last game for the Bulldogs: Michael Babb, Shaje Silva, Dale Flore Jr., Nicholas Rassai, Cade Fontenot, Mason Garza, Braydon Allen, Evan Montero, Matthew Williams, Aaron Harmon, Isaiah Uyemura-Silva, Preston Kaneao, Chad Hillsoto, Ashton Rosalin, Gabriel Mora, Joesiah Blazio, Alexander Inoke, Manny Gonzalez, Jayden Arredondo, and Tariq Andrews.
J. Ray Dockter’s Prediction: Galena 30, Centennial 24
J. Ray Dockter has been covering high school sports since 2022. If you have a story worth telling let him know via Twitter @J_RayDoc.
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