Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024 | 8:39 p.m.
Slam Nevada trailed by 10 points in the second half Tuesday of the Class 3A state championship game at Allegiant Stadium and appeared headed for a third straight defeat to Northern Region champion Truckee in the title game.
Then, Slam flipped the script.
Damien Nevil had four touchdowns, and quarterback Alaijah Young was masterful in managing the game, helping the Bulls to a 34-30 win. They snapped Truckee’s 34-game winning streak.
More important: In the program’s seventh season, the Bulls are champions.
“We have a resilient group of kids,” Slam coach Mike Cofer said. “This group has been through it before. Rather than dropping our heads and feeling sorry for ourselves, we found the way to get back (into the game). Things happen in football and things happen in life. You have to refocus.”
Slam wasn’t the only program to win its first state title today.
Mojave, which opened in 1996, defeated Canyon Springs 30-6 in the Class 4A title game. It was the Rattlers’ 11th straight win to close the season.
Antwan Hawkins had a pair of touchdown runs for Mojave.
“Very happy for the kids,” coach Wes Pacheco said. “We played our brand of football — high motor, physical football.”
Canyon Springs had a few lengthy drives but “our defense hunkered down and overcame the adversity,” Pacheco said.
In 2019, Mojave won just one game in Pacheco’s first season as head coach. Tonight, they are champions.
“The game we played tonight was how we played all season; physical and disciplined,” the coach said.
On Monday, Centennial captured its second straight championship with a 24-16 win over Galena in the Class 5A, Division III final. Centennial won the Class 4A title last season.