TEAM 

1966 Baseball: The 1966 baseball team was a dominant force in the Silver State winning the AA championship under head coach Bob Nistler. Fallon finished the year with a perfect 10-0 conference record, including a title-clinching doubleheader sweep over Carson. The team included assistant coach Wint King, managers Larry Evans and Rusty Andreasen, and players Bill Felices, Dave Kalousek, Carl Dodge, Joe Madraso, Bruce Markert, Steve Ward, Larry Eyre, David Thomas, Dale Jensen, Deon Skinner, Irvin Baldwin, Bruce Risi, Dave Munoz, Eugene Pritchard and Tom Rhodes.

1967 Baseball: Under new head coach Frank Guisti, the 1967 baseball team didn’t waver, winning its second-straight state title in a three-horse race with Carson and Hawthorne.  The team included assistant coaches Wint King and Tony Klenakis, manager Rusty Andreason and players Eugene Pritchard, Dave Munoz, Jon Pace, Mike Doyle, Ray Ferguson, Mike Luce, Tom Rhodes, Bob Dudley, Glen Hooper, Mark Winans, Fred Hall, Mike Jack, Ron Holmes, Jim Mackedon, Bruce Markert, Steve Vicks, Jack Beach, Bill Felices, Joe Madraso, Dave Thomas and Joe Thompson.

1971 Baseball: Under Wint King, who led the Greenwave to a state basketball title earlier in the year, Fallon captured the crown on the diamond. After a 10-inning affair that saw Hawthorne win the first game, 2-0, of the three-game series, the Greenwave swept a doubleheader from the Serpents the next day, 2-0 and 5-4, to win the AA title. Assisted by Gary Imelli and Brent Heath, the team included manager John Brown, and players Ernie McKenzie, Ken Tedford, Doug Maupin, John Lewis, Dave VanMeter, Don Filmore, Kurt Dix, Steve Atkinson, Clyde Miller, Jim Lufrano, Frankie Gonzales, Kerry Huffman and Charles Bliss. 

COACH

Anne Smith: Anne Smith was a successful high school basketball coach, leading her Fallon teams to a 101-14 conference record and 164-52 overall record with four state and eight regional tournament appearances. Smith led the Lady Wave to state championship wins over Lowry in 2017 and 2018 before completing the rare three-peat with a 45-42 win over Moapa Valley in 2019 in Las Vegas. 

CONTRIBUTOR

Orval Fowler Jr.: Orval “Sonny” Fowler Jr. supported the Greenwave youth and high school wrestling boosters from 1973 until his death in 2020. Other contributions included donating cattle for the rodeo team and providing a practice space for the young cowboys and cowgirls. Additionally, he drove a bus in high school to help out. Fowler was described as an avid Greenwave fan, rarely missing a football or baseball game or wrestling tournament.

Kenneth Norcutt: Kenneth Norcutt was a four-year member of the Fallon High School Rodeo Club from 1960 to 1963, specializing in bull riding. In his senior year, he placed third at the Nevada State Finals but won the bull-riding event at the National Championship High School Rodeo against approximately 60 top bull riders from 22 states and compiled 331 points to earn the title of “The Top National Bull Rider.”

ATHLETE

Thomas Diaz Jr. (2005): Thomas Diaz Jr. was the 2005 Nevada state wrestling champion at 152 pounds and compiled a high school record of 126-30. Diaz was honored as the 2005 Northern Nevada wrestler of the year (middle weights) and was a first-team all-state honoree.

Elizabeth (Liz) Lewis (2005): Elizabeth (Liz) Lewis was a four-sport athlete, lettering in volleyball, softball, soccer and basketball. She earned all-conference and all-state accolades in basketball during her junior and senior seasons and was named the Lahontan Valley News’ Female Athlete of the Year in 2005.

Rileigh Ricken (2014): Rileigh Ricken helped the Lady Wave win three state softball championships and set school records for most home runs in a game, season and career. Ricken earned numerous individual accolades including First Team All-Region, First Team All-State and League MVP in 2013 and 2014.

Ali Tedford (2015): Ali (Tedford) Connors lettered in volleyball, basketball and softball. She led Fallon to three state softball championships and received multiple all-state and all-league honors in all three sports, including First Team All-State in basketball and softball in 2015. Also in 2015, she recorded 76 hits and 19 doubles in softball, ranking among the top in Class 3A. 

TEAM 

1943 Football

Under Wes Goodner, the Fallon Greenwave football team finished the 1943 season undefeated (7-0), capped off with a narrow win over Yerington to advance to the state championship game against Lincoln. The state game, unfortunately, wasn’t played.

With only one division in the Silver State at the time, Fallon knocked off Reno and Douglas to open the season, beating the Huskies by 16-12 after trailing by a touchdown at halftime and blowing out the Tigers, 39-7. Fallon beat Reno again in convincing fashion, 25-0, along with wins over Lovelock and Hawthorne before facing Yerington. 

First-team all-Western Conference honors went to Leonard Allen, Junior Kito, Johnny Brite, Sheldon Homer and Tom Jolly. Ken Fox and Clifford Carr were named to the third team. Allen was also named captain of the honorary squad, and Jolly and Allen were both elected co-captains for the team.

Although there was no contested state game, the Fallon Rotary Club presented the team with a state championship cup along with a gold football for each member of the team. 

Team members included head coach Wes Goodner, assistant coaches Lloyd White, Ralph Bell and Orrin Freeman, and players John Robertson, Sheldon Homer, Kenneth Fox, Tom Jolly, Robert Johnson, Clifford Carr, Tom Weaver, Bill Kegans, Jerry Wilson, Wesley Melendy, Lyle Volk, Jack Ricard, Franklin Souza, Bob Woodward, William Stuart, Floyd HIttle, Robert Johnson Jr., Ray Swindlehurt, Junior Kito, John Brite, Robert Childers, Leonard Allen, Robert Madsen, Geno Steve and Bill Marsh.

1959 Girls Basketball

Decades before Title IX was passed, competition in girls sports was limited. Girls interscholastic basketball was discouraged in the 1930s, but schools slowly fielded teams with win and loss records determining the district champion. 

Not until 1949, though, did Fallon form a team, which played eight to nine games per season with no playoffs. After Fallon finished undefeated in 1953 and 1954, the ladies completed another undefeated season five years later. The 1959 team, which finished 12-0, would be the last time a girls basketball squad would set foot in the gym until Title IX was passed in 1972 as Churchill County High School discontinued interscholastic girls basketball for 13 years. 

The 1959 team included Susan Summerbell, Nancy Sanders, Penny Rigsbee, Madeline Mort, Janice Pritchard, Mary Bentley, Joanne Pritchard, Patsy deBraga, Patsy Filson, Rita Hansen, Michelle Mackedon, Karen York, Betty Mort, Sharon Wray, Midge Downs and Jackie Uithoven.

1966 Boys Basketball

Under Hall of Fame coach Wint King, the Greenwave boys basketball team won the AA state championship, the first title in nine years, after falling to Manogue in the regional tournament.

Fallon defeated White Pine, 63-46, in the state finale at the Las Vegas Convention Center. After building leads of 8-0 and 12-4 in the first half, the Greenwave led the Bobcats by 14 points at halftime, but White Pine, which upset Manogue the night before, scored 12-straight points in the third quarter to lead by one. 

Guards John Beeghly and Deon Skinner helped propel the green and white to retake the lead for good, leading by 10 early in the last quarter. 

Skinner, who hit eight free throws in the fourth quarter, poured in game-high 25 points and was named the MVP of the AA All-Tournament Team by the media. Beeghly was also named to the tournament team. Center Earl Doege was instrumental in the paint, scoring 14 points.

In the 65-60 regional championship loss to Manogue one week earlier, Fallon led in the first game before the Miners took over to win their first regional title in school history. According to the Nevada State Journal, Manogue’s press and fast-break play were the difference in defeating Fallon for the second time during the season. Both teams split during the regular season.

The team included coach King, managers Dave Erquiaga and Garry Dudley, and players Deon Skinner, John Beeghly, Dave Kalousek, Bob Jones, Larry Eyre, Earl Doege, Charlie Hall, Jack Beach, Rusty Andreason and Pete Summerbell.

1974 Girls Track

The first-ever Fallon girls sport to win an NIAA-sanctioned state title, the Lady Wave track and field team stood atop the podium 50 years ago. 

Under Hall of Fame coach George Hucke and behind Sheree Ford Jensen’s four individual titles, Fallon knocked off defending AA state champion Mineral County by winning the championship over the Serpents, 37-32, in 1974. 

Jensen, who was named the outstanding girl athlete for the meet, set new marks in the 440 at 1 minute, 2.2 seconds, beating her previous record in 1973 by one second. She also won the 50-yard dash in 6.4 seconds to tie the state record, along with the 100 in 11.9 and 800 in 2:36.

Along with Jensen’s state-meet record performance, Ellen Townsend completed the 1-2 punch by winning the softball throw by less than a foot and placing second in the shot put, adding eight points to the team total. Between the two of them, they accounted for 28 of the team’s 37 points. 

Additionally, Terry Bleazard Richarson (880-yard run), Stepanie Wilson Tibaduiza (shot put), Trudy Dodge Dahl (high jump) and Grace Shepard Kemp (440) each finished third. Fallon scored one point on a fourth-place finish in a relay.

It wasn’t the first time the Lady Wave had the upper hand. Fallon defeated Mineral County twice during the regular season, including a narrow, one-point victory at the Yerington Relays in late April. 

The team included Brenda Townsend Yeager, Kathy Triguero Lauby, Linda Shepard Cunrod, Stormie Mullaly, Deena Vasquez McKenzie, Pam Taylor Hucke, Janie Solaegui, Tracy Harrigan Price, Shelly deBraga, Tena Hagen, Marie Erb and Ava Case. 

1975 Girls Track

A year after winning the school’s first girls NIAA state title, the Lady Wave track and field team did it again, tying with rival Mineral County with 35 points in Elko. 

Going into the final event of the meet, Fallon trailed Mineral County and the best it could finish was a tie. But there was a catch in the 880-yard medley relay: the Serpents could not place in the first heat and Fallon had to win the event. 

Batton exchange issues plagued Mineral County as it finished near last in its heat, leaving an opportunity for Fallon to repeat as state champs as long as they won its heat and beat Elko for the best time. With the team of Faye Tanksley (220-yard leg), Brenda Townsend Yeager (110), Kathy Triguerio Lauby (110) and Grace Shepherd Kemp (440), Fallon easily won its heat, which was the slower of the two, and bested Elko’s time, 1:58.6 to 1:59.1.

Earlier in the meet, Ellen Townsend won both the discus and shot put titles. She set the state and meet record in the discus at 109 feet, 6.5 inches, and broke the meet record in the shot put with a mark of 37-9. The 1975 state meet was the first time that discus was included as an event.

Standout performances at the state meet also included Tanksley taking third in the 100, Dawn and Stormie Mullaly finishing third and fourth in the one-mile, Sheree Ford Jensen taking first in the 440 and second in the 880, Grace Shepard Kemp taking second in the 440,  and both Fallon and Elko tying in the 440 relay. 

Also on the team were coaches George Hucke and Sandy Rozelle Spaulding, and athletes Stephanie Wilson Tibaduiza, Karla Kent, Janie Solaegui, Julie Eye Gilmore, Becky Garrison Cromwell, Kristie Hallmark Turley, Becky Paul Matthews, Tricia MacDiarmid, Shelly deBraga, Ava Case, Rita Jernigan Nemeth, Danna Kirn Spencer and Debbie Parker.

COACH

Bill Archer

An assistant and third-base coach for almost a decade, Bill Archer stamped his name into the record books with a pair of state softball championships of his own when he succeeded a longtime Greenwave Hall of Fame coach.

After assisting Phil Pinder from 2004 to 2012, which included back-to-back state titles when Fallon entered the 3A, and Pinder’s last with the Greenwave, Archer continued the softball program’s success with state titles in 2014 and 2015. His teams also won a pair of Northern 3A regional championships and finished second at state in 2013. 

After Fallon lost to cross-valley rival Fernley, 14-13, in the 2013 state championship, the Lady Wave came back with vengeance to win back-to-back titles for the second time in school history. Fallon defeated Fernley in the “if” game in both state championships: 4-1 in 2014 and 7-5 in 2015.

As a head coach, Archer’s three teams each finished with 26 wins as he concluded his short stint with a 79-33 overall record. During his three years as the head coach, several players garnered all-state recognition and/or are mentioned in the NIAA record book, including his daughter Kaysee Archer, Rileigh Ricken, Ali Tedford and Megan McCormick.

ATHLETE

Neal Workman (1981)

A two-sport athlete, Neal Workman excelled on the wrestling mat, winning a pair of regional and state championships. 

Workman placed second in the 1978 state wrestling tournament before winning his first title the following year. In 1980, he captured the Northern AAA league wrestling title at 157 pounds and then followed with an all-state performance on the gridiron in the fall, his final year. 

A fullback and linebacker, he was named to the all-league and all-state football teams after rushing 603 yards. He was also named Offensive Player of the Week twice during his junior season.

In his final season on the mat, he won the Randy Couch Memorial Tournament followed by regional and state wrestling titles in the 168-pound division. 

His wrestling success didn’t stop in high school. He wrestled alongside his brother, Wade Workman, at Lassen College before signing for Boise State. Workman was the Golden Valley Conference and North Central Regionals wrestling champ at 158 pounds while at Lassen College in 1983. The following year, he finished third in the Boise Invitational. 

Judianna Murray (1983)

A standout athlete in the early 1980s, Judianna Murray competed in five sports in her career and was named the school’s Co-Female Athlete of the Year. 

Murray ran cross country and competed on the volleyball court in the fall before transitioning to basketball in the winter. In the spring, she ran long distance in track for two years and then traded running shoes for cleats, leading Fallon to a regional softball championship during her senior year. 

After running cross country for two seasons, Murray finished her fall career in the gym and was named the volleyball team captain during her final year. After her basketball season, Murray ran the 880-yard and one- and two-mile races during the track season as a freshman and softball. On the diamond, she and Kelly Frost, a 2023 Greenwave Hall of Fame inductee, commanded the infield, turning eye-popping double plays against league foes. 

Off the field, Murray was the class valedictorian and winner of several scholarships as she attended the University of Dallas before going into the Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel with full military honors. 

Cody Olson (1983)

Before his senior year in California, Cody Olson was an outstanding wrestler for the Greenwave, winning state his junior year as Fallon finished second to Chaparral in the AAA tournament. 

Olson finished second in the regional tournament in 1983 when he was upset by Carson before coming back to win the state title in the 170-pound division. Olson, who was unbeaten until the zone tournament when he came up short against Carson’s Gary Stratton, was the Greenwave’s only state champion when he decisioned Western’s Lou Anderson. The North had only three state champions after Reed sent two to the top of the podium in Las Vegas.  

Olson was named Outstanding Upper Weight Wrestling in the Northern AAA after finishing with a 35-3 record. According to Fallon coach Dave Peters, Olson started wrestling at a “little-league” age and attended wrestling camps every summer. After the season, he won the Bella Vista Invitational title in the 180-pound division and finished second in the Western Junior USA wrestling tournament in Eugene, Oregon. 

Olson finished second in the state during his sophomore year (1982) before winning a World Junior Olympic wrestling championship the following summer in San Diego.

Olson ended his high school career in California before winning a Big Ten title while wrestling at Nebraska.

Mark Mansfield (1984)

A successful lower-weight wrestler, Mark Mansfield saved his best for last when he won the state championship during his senior year after taking second in the regional tournament. 

Mansfield was one of only three Greenwave wrestlers returning with experience from the team’s second-place finish at the 1983 AAA state tournament in Las Vegas. After falling to Sparks’ Wes Fehr in the zone championship, he came back the following weekend to capture the state title with an 11-4 win over Bonanza’s Torris Heckard after falling behind (2-0) early in the final. Mansfield’s and three Sparks wrestlers were the only state-title winners from the North. 

As a junior in the 101-pound division, Mansfield was one of two Greenwave wrestlers to finish first at zone before he took third at state in 1983. He decisioned Carson’s Bob Johnson, 7-2, in Las Vegas as the Greenwave finished second in the AAA state tournament behind Chaparral. He followed up by qualifying for the Western Regionals in Meridian, Idaho, three months later.

Mansfield continued his wrestling career at Lassen and Arizona State. In 1985, he won the 134-pound division in the North Central Regional Wrestling Tournament as Lassen took first. He finished second in the open division freestyle at the Far Western open tournament in San Francisco in 1986. 

He completed medical school and opened his own practice in Idaho

Richie Hooten (1987)

A three-sport athlete who shined brightest on the baseball field, Richie Hooten’s pitching was the highlight in the spring for the Greenwave. 

Hooten played football and basketball, earning a varsity letter in the former, before racking up several awards on the diamond. Hooten was voted the team’s MVP and Northern Nevada AA All-Conference player of the year as a pitcher. 

During his senior campaign, he took an undefeated record into the state tournament, pitching with an injured index finger. Hooten struck out eight in a 6-5 loss to Boulder City in the AA state championship in Fallon. 

He finished with 27 consecutive scoreless innings and was the winning pitcher in both doubleheader games four times. 

After high school, he attended Lassen College and North Idaho College his second year when he tied for the nation lead in saves at the junior college level. Hooten received a full-ride baseball scholarship to the University of Nevada. 

Kara Kelly-Borgognone (1992)

A force in the batter’s box and pitcher’s circle, Kara Kelly led Fallon to a 47-17 record during her last two years, including appearances in the regional tournament.

After Fallon lost both games in the playoffs in 1991, the Lady Wave returned the following spring behind Kelly’s 95-inning performance when she posted a 1.40 earned-run average and struck out 95, including a 19-strikeout game against Sparks. Kelly did damage with the bat, too, finishing with a .402 batting average, 11 doubles and 38 RBIs, which broke the school record.  

A two-time all league selection, Kelly found more success in college when she played for Columbia College (Missouri) and ranked 14th in the NAIA for lowest ERA. 

Kelly pursued a career in law enforcement, which lasted 11 years until she was killed in a traffic accident in Spanish Springs while responding to a bomb threat call.

Jeff Peterson (1995)

Fresh off Fallon’s move to the 4A, the state’s largest classification, Jeff Peterson led the Greenwave in football, basketball and track. 

Peterson set multiple records on the gridiron during his senior season when he quarterbacked and punted. Peterson set the school’s career passing and both the single-game and single-season yards and touchdown records. He was named to the conference’s first-team and all-state team as a punter while picking up all-conference, second team honors as a quarterback.

On the court, Peterson was the team’s MVP as a sophomore after leading the team in scoring and rebounding to go with his all-state honorable mention and all-conference first-team honors. During his junior and senior years, he was named the team MVP again and was recognized on the all-conference first team. After his final basket, Peterson broke the school’s career scoring record. 

In track, he lettered all four years, competing in the long and triple jumps, and hurdles. Peterson qualified for the state meet in the 110-meter hurdles and finished sixth during his senior year.

After serving his two-year mission in Portugal and West Africa, Peterson walked on the BYU football team as a safety, playing two years for the Cougars, before getting his law degree from the University of Houston.

Jake Johnston (2010)

A three-sport athlete, Jake Johnston broke the school’s high jump record in the middle of winning a pair of regional titles in the Silver State’s largest classification. 

During his junior season, he cleared the high-jump bar at 6 feet, 5.25 inches at the Yerington Invitational, breaking a 26-year-old record that he broke again in the regional meet when he leaped 6-6 to win the event. His mark at 6-4 placed him in third at the state meet.

Johnston, who was also on the 4×400-meter relay team that broke the school record in 2010, followed up with another regional title in the high jump before finishing fifth at state. Johnson’s jumping success followed on the runway where he finished as the second-best tripler jumper in school history behind Olympian Aarik Wilson.

On the basketball court, Johnston was lethal from long range. Playing for Corey Williams, he hit several buzzer-beaters and his 2009 team won its first tournament (regular season) in two decades. Johnston’s game-high 19 points helped Fallon defeat Carson to win the Lions Club Capital Classic.

Johnston, who also played one year of football, attended Utah State University and now owns two State Farm offices in Northern Nevada. Recently, he was recognized as being in the top 1 percent of financial advisors worldwide. 

Tyson Ernst (2013)

A two-sport athlete, Ernst helped lead the Greenwave to their first boys track and field state title in more than 25 years. 

Ernst was a first-team all-league running back and team MVP after finishing with 992 yards on 128 carries. He played in the last Sertoma Classic all-star football game, scoring the winning touchdown. 

But track is where Ernst found the most success. Ernst won the state title in the long jump and 4×100-meter relay as a junior in 2011 when the Greenwave also captured the boys team title, Fallon’s first year in the realigned Class 3A. The following year, Ernst completed the rare feat of winning the gold in all four events, the most allowed. He captured the state title in the long jump for the second year in a row followed by the triple jump, and 100- and 200-meter dash.

Ernst continued his athletic career at Montana State-Northern, playing football for two years before moving back to Fallon to work for the city.

Morgan Dirickson (2014)

One of the best quarterbacks in Greenwave history, Morgan Dirickson led Fallon to the state championship game for the first time in four decades while breaking multiple school and 3A state records.

Dirickson, who started at quarterback during his sophomore season, helped Fallon make the playoffs — and win a game — for the first time in 33 years. His game continued to grow the last two years as Fallon finished third behind Dirickson’s 1,794 passing yards and 20 touchdowns.

A team captain who passed for 2,314 yards and 32 touchdowns during his senior year, he led Fallon to its first state championship game in 35 years and was named the NIAA All-state and Offensive Player of the Year and NIAA Northern Offensive Player of the Year. After the season, Dirickson ranked in the top-five in five individual 3A state categories, including third in career passing yards (4,976), first in career touchdown passes (56) and single-game touchdown passes (seven).

On the diamond with Morgan as a pitcher, Fallon finished second in league and third in the state tournament during his sophomore season. The Greenwave followed with a league title a year later, Dirickson’s last with the baseball team.

Dirickson played football at Montana State-Northern for one season before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force.

TEAM

1953 Girls Basketball and 1954 Girls Basketball: After 1932, Nevada began to discourage girls’ interscholastic basketball and three years later, there were only a handful of schools with teams. Slowly, win/loss records became important and district championships were awarded despite no playoffs. After World War II slowed the progress of girls sports, momentum picked up and in 1949, a new team was formed in Fallon as the girls competed in eight to nine games. The 1953 and 1954 girls basketball teams amassed a 16-1 record with 10 players competing in both seasons, including Kathleen Hughes, Jean Peter, JoEllen Osgood, Margaret Oats, Anita Wooward, Della Bianchi, Martha McCarthy, Mary Ann Moser, Marilyn Joan Wright and Mary Cornu.

1963 Football: Coached by Dick Andraeson, the 1963 football team defeated Carson City, 7-6, to win the school’s third state championship. Exactly 20 years after Fallon last won the state title.  On Oct. 25, 1943, the Greenwave’s defense stymied the Senators in the first half before Carson City took a 6-0 lead going into the fourth quarter. Ron Shane intercepted a pass and with five minutes, 36 seconds left, Jim Killer tied the game with a 9-yard touchdown run. Vernon Dixon’s extra-point kick split the uprights to give Fallon a 7-6 lead. With less than 3 minutes left in the game, the Greenwave defense flexed its defense once more when Trent Kroll recovered a fumble with three minutes to go as Fallon captured the AA state championship.

CONTRIBUTOR

Larry Barker: Larry Barker has been the Voice of the Greenwave for almost three decades, and for a short, five-year span in the 1990s, he broadcast Lowry High School (Winnemucca) athletic events on KWNA radio. Barker, who currently broadcasts play-by-play for the Greenwave football, basketball, baseball and softball teams, was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2022. When Barker first came to the Lahontan Valley, he worked as a radio announcer until KVLV converted to automation. Since arriving in Fallon, Barker has broadcast 15 state championship games with his first being the 1988 softball title game. He also called the school’s first basketball sweep when Fallon won the girls and boys state titles in 2019 in Las Vegas.

John Huckaby: Golf instruction was non-existent in Fallon almost 60 years ago. That didn’t stop John Huckaby, who spent hours in the library learning about golf and then applied that knowledge on his family’s property on Harrigan Road. He measured and built his own driving range and spent many hours practicing before being hired by the high school to coach the Greenwave. An owner of Huck Salt, Huckaby infused his self-learned ways onto the youth and even coached his sons’ baseball teams for a decade, eventually becoming the president of the Fallon Youth Baseball organization. His contributions to youth sports led to creating the junior golf program that ran from 1985-2020.

Paul Orong: A fixture in Northern Nevada as a track coach for more than a quarter century, Paul Orong brought zeal to his coaching as he did assemble other like-minded individuals to begin the Greenwave Hall of Fame (GHOF) with its first induction in 2017. When Orong first arrived in Fallon in the 1990s, he was surprised to learn CCHS did not have a Hall of Fame. With the dedication of Orong and a number of former Fallon coaches, athletes and contributors from several generations, the GHOF welcomed its first class six years ago. Orong served as the GHOF’s first president. Orong coached the girls track team with Steve Heck, who guided the boys. In addition to track, Orong coached at every level of Greenwave football and also coached in the Fallon Youth Football League.

Jim and Georgeanne Ritter: Jim and Georgeanne Ritter were well known in the wrestling community before both passed away two years apart between 2020 and 2022. Both became involved in youth wrestling when their son, Mickey, a 2023 Greenwave Hall of Fame inductee, competed in several tournaments before winning state with the Greenwave and competing at California State University-Bakersfield. Jim was named by USA Wrestling as the “Person of the Year” in 2006 for his commitment. His wife became the first woman to serve as the state director in Nevada for USA Wrestling, and she held the seat for 19 years.  Their grandson, Carson Melendy, became Fallon’s first freshman since 2016 to win a state wrestling title when he took home the crown earlier this year.

John Short: John Short’s second home was on the softball field.  After his daughter, 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Rachel Casey Payne, starred for the Greenwave in the 1980s, Short became a top assistant coach for the Fallon softball program before transitioning to helping Oasis Academy. While with Fallon, Short assisted Phil Pinder, a 2018 Greenwave Hall of Fame inductee, to back-to-back 3A state titles in 2011 and 2012. He helped guide the Bighorns to a 1A softball championship in 2021. Outside of the team setting, Short could be found on the diamond, guiding Fallon’s youth in becoming better ball players. One of his most recent protegees, Lydia Bergman, broke the school’s single-season home-run record twice during her career before breaking the career record in March 2023.

ATHLETE

Kelly Smith Frost (1983): Kelly Smith Frost was a three-sport athlete and shined brightest on the softball diamond before being named the school’s Female Co-Athlete of the Year in 1983. Frost came onto the scene as a sophomore, making varsity in volleyball, basketball and softball. She garnered multiple accolades including the Most Dedicated Player award in softball as a sophomore and in her junior year, she was named the Most Valuable Player during the basketball season. She was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year in softball after picking up AAA First Team honors as a shortstop when Fallon won the regional title and finished second in state. As a senior, she was named the MVP in all three sports. Frost became a four-year letter winner when she played softball at Nevada.

Pete Leavitt (1961): Pete Leavitt competed in three sports for the Greenwave. He was the quarterback of the football team, played point guard in the winter and pitched during the spring when Fallon won the state title in 1958, his freshman season. After high school, Leavitt shined on the baseball field where he played for Nevada, including a performance when struck out 22 in a one-hitter, to go along with five years of playing semi-pro ball for the Fallon Merchants at the old North Maine Street ballpark. In 2012, Fallon Mayor Ken Tedford recalled Leavitt’s performance, comparing him to Cy Young winner and ex-San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum. Leavitt and the Merchants were the talk of the town during the baseball season, playing the Reno Silver Sox minor league team and San Francisco rookie prospects.

Mickey Ritter (1991): Mickey Ritter, whose parents are Jim and Georgeanne, finished 145-16 in his four years and captured two state championships before wrestling for Cal State Bakersfield in the Pacific 10 conference. After losing no more than six duals in each of his first three high-school seasons, Ritter went undefeated as a senior in 44 matches, taking the state championship at 152 pounds. Prior to high school, Ritter was also a regional and national freestyle champion, and after his time with the Greenwave, he placed in the top-six of the Pac-10 wrestling championships in each of his four seasons. Like high school, he saved his best for last, finishing first in the 158-pound division as the Roadrunners won the conference title, and he finished third in the NCAA Division I National Championships.

Dan Shaw (2000): The oldest of the Shaw brothers, Dan dominated the mat in the late 1990s. A four-year letterman for the Greenwave, Shaw finished his senior year with a 37-4 record and 20 pins to win the state championship at 130 pounds in the 4A for the second year in a row. As a junior, he won the Reno Tournament of Champions – billed as one of the toughest wrestling tournaments in the country – and received All-American honors. Shaw was successful in college, winning the 2005 NAIA regional while competing at Montana State University-Northern. Since then, Shaw has coached the Churchill County Middle School wrestling program since 2013 and also assists the high school program, which won its first state team title in school history in 2016.

Glenn Shaw (2002): Like his older brother, Glenn saved his best for last to win the 152-pound division state title his senior year along with a second-place finish at the World of Wrestling Championships. Shaw was also a four-year letterman, winning the regional title as a junior before falling short in the state final. He’s the current record holder for most takedowns in a season with 241. Shaw’s success continued into college when he became the 2006 California Community College champion at 165 pounds after finishing undefeated (26-0) to receive All-American recognition. After his success at the two-year school level in the Golden State, Shaw moved to Saint Charles, Missouri to help Lindenwood University win the 2008 NAIA Wrestling National Championships.

Team

1975 Girls Golf: Coached by Mark Winans, the Lady Wave finished 8-1 and sent six golfers to the AA state tournament. During the championship, Fallon finished with a team score of 578 compared to 615 by Lowry, which handed Fallon its only loss during the season. During the season, Fallon defeated Lowry, Yerington, Carson and Douglas, facing off against Lowry and Douglas in the state AA championship. Ellen Townsend led Fallon with a 48-stroke performance followed by Patty Regan shooting a 49. Sue Homer scored a 51, Vicki Dimmitt shot a 54 and Kim Bugg and Jeannette Fallis rounded out the team scoring. A popular sport on campus, the team also included Peggy Berney, Annette Gosnell, Lynette Lee, Becky Paul, Janie Solaegui and Terry Solaegui. 

Contributor

Churchill County Museum Research Team (Yvonne Sutherland, Nancy Stewart, Bunny Corkill and Dave Lumos): A daunting task of collecting information on Fallon sports several years ago, this research team unearthed decades of sports information to help start the Greenwave Hall of Fame, which inducted its first class in 2017. For 1957 grad Dave Lumos, 1971 grad Yvonne Arciniega Sutherland, 1959 grad Nancy Sanders Stewart and museum research specialist Bunny Corkill, it was as if the past had been rediscovered and a portal unlocked to the original glory days. The team presented research, dating back to the origins of Fallon athletics more than a century ago, to the Hall of Fame four years ago.

Fred Olson: Over a two-decade span, Olson led the Fallon band during his time, which included the Greenwave marching band, concert band and pep band. Under his guidance, the Greenwave band program grew from 20 students to more than 100 students in a short span. The Greenwave marching band performed during the Shrine East-West game and participated in the Disneyland Parade.

Coach

Earl Wilkins: Known as the “Father of Greenwave Wrestling,” Wilkins established wrestling at the high school in the early 1970s, coaching Fallon until 1980 when he became an assistant under Dan Peeters. Under Wilkins’ leadership, the Greenwave posted winning records in league competition and produced several exceptional wrestlers, including Guy Reilly, Ross Aguiar and Randy Kirby. After his passing, the Earl Wilkins Memorial Tournament was born and has been labeled as the region’s kickoff to the wrestling season in early December.

Athlete

Margaret Oats Davis (1956): Before the days of Title IX, only basketball was recognized as a sports activity available to the girls. Davis was an outstanding member of the 1953 and 1954 basketball teams, which finished undefeated. She contributed to the success of the 1955 and 1956 teams and served for four years with the Girls’ Athletic Association, including stints as vice president and president. A four-year letter winner, Davis was also a member of the Tri-S, an organization that exemplified school spirit in service, sportsmanship and spirit. Davis participated for four years in the high school band and served as president of the executive committee. 

Charles Hall (1968): Known as the “Mr. Basketball King” in the region, Hall was a force on the court, leading Fallon to a Northern AA championship under Wint King. He was an all-state selection after leading Fallon in rebounding for two seasons. He also played football and baseball, and was on the receiving end of the game-winning touchdown pass from Jack Beach in the state championship against Boulder City. Hall continued his career at Montana Western where he averaged 15 points and 14 rebounds per game before being inducted into his college’s athletics Hall of Fame. Hall was also drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 16th round of the 1972 NBA Draft.

Joe de Braga (1978): A late bloomer, de Braga didn’t begin playing the sport that would carry him into college until his junior year of high school. After shining in the rodeo arena where he won a state championship in team roping and setting school records in long and high jumps, de Braga focused on basketball during his last two years. Taking advantage of his 6-foot-7 frame, he played center for the Greenwave and earned a scholarship to Western Montana College. De Braga returned home, sort of, when he joined the Nevada Wolf Pack and played two seasons for Sonny Allen. He was the first forward off the bench for the 1981-1982 Pack when he played 300 minutes.  

Jeff Peel (1983): A decorated wrestler with the Greenwave, Peel was named the Most Valuable Wrestler during his senior year when Fallon won the AAA Northern Region title. Wrestling with cracked ribs, he placed second in the state championship tournament in Las Vegas and was recognized with the most pins during the season. On the gridiron, Peel was outstanding at running back and linebacker, earning Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player of the Year during the 1982 season. He was also named the Most Outstanding Athlete of his graduating class. Peel ended his time as a Greenwave by representing the school in the annual Sertoma Classic, a football all-star game played at Mackay Stadium.

Megan Roze (1992): A three-sport star who was also the first girl Block F president, Roze’s love was on the track where she competed for four years that yielded multiple regional and state championships. During her senior year, she won three state titles in the 400, 200 and long jump, breaking the school record in the first two. In volleyball, Roze was a first-team selection for the conference during her junior season and helped Fallon upset favorite McQueen on its way to a second-place finish in the regional tournament during her senior year. In basketball, she led Fallon to a second-place finish at state during her freshman year and was an all-league selection as a senior, scoring a game-high 27 points. Roze earned multiple All-American honors when competing for Ricks College’s track and field team. 

Trevor de Braga (2008): Competing in the state’s largest class, de Braga starred in football, wrestling and baseball, earning regional and state recognition. He was an all-league running back, linebacker and punter during the fall and an all-league third baseman during his last two seasons on the diamond. But the wrestling mat is where de Braga shined the brightest. De Braga won three regional titles and one state crown, placing second twice. He was named the 4A’s Middleweight Wrestler of the Year and helped guide Fallon to two back-to-back team regional championships and three academic state team championships from 2005-2007. De Braga continued his career in football and wrestling at Sioux Falls before transferring to Colorado Mesa where he played at Colorado Mesa alongside his brother, Trent.

TEAM

1923 football: Noble Waite led Fallon’s football program to the first of eight of the school’s football championships, including a trio in the 1970s and a pair last decade. With four returning lettermen and seven with experience, Waite had his work cut out with 20 players new to the program. In their first game of the season, on Oct. 6, Fallon posted a 102-0 victory over Gardnerville with the team looking like “all gold and a mile wide,” according to the school’s yearbook. Fallon tied Lovelock, 7-7, before defeating Sparks, 17-0, and Reno, 7-0. After shutting out Gardnerville, 60-0, Fallon defeated Sparks, 14-0, and Carson, 13-0, to win the school’s first state title.

1929 football: No football team was as dominant as Fallon at the end of the 1920s. Fallon finished the season with a 7-0-1 record, including a 12-0 victory over Las Vegas to win the state championship. Fallon’s defense was staunch, allowing only seven points in a 12-point win over Yerington and six in a 30-point opening-season victory over Virginia City. Fallon’s lone non-win came in a 0-0 tie against Lovelock in the third game of the season. The two-headed monster of Harry Bradley and Kirn Bradley led the way for the running game, and Harvey Hill was known to break free for 75-plus-yard gains. Wendell Beeghly was the team’s quarterback and Whitey Lawson coached the green and white, using a variation of Notre Dame’s shift.

1957-58 baseball: Coached by the late Elmo Dericco and late Ron Engel, these two baseball teams captured the school’s first baseball state championship in 1957 after back-to-back seasons of finishing second. With a 10-0 record during league play under Dericco, who was assisted by Ed Arcniega, Fallon swept Henderson High School in a best-of-three series during a decade when there was no classification to separate schools based on size. Ten of the 19 players continued the following season under Engel to win the 1958 state championship, which also defeated Henderson. Most of the state champion players were also on Fallon’s first-ever Little League team, which was formed earlier in the decade. 

1974 gymnastics: Coached by University of Nevada and Greenwave Hall of Famer Bert Serrano, the Fallon gymnastics team, which included several recognized all-around gymnasts, won the Nevada Class III championship. Lisa Sexton was named the first all-around gymnast as she competed in free exercise, balance beam, uneven parallel bars and vault before competing at the University of Nevada. Kathi Whitney, who was named No. 2 all-around, specialized on balance beam and free exercise, and she returned in 1978 to coach the final gymnastics club. Linda Daniels was named the No. 3 all-around and she specialized on uneven parallel bars, vault and beam. Becky Paul, a No. 4 all-around, specialized on uneven parallel bars and vault, while Becky Garrison was an honorable mention who specialized on balance beam.

1977-78 baseball: The 1970s was one of the best decades in Greenwave athletics for winning state championships. The Fallon baseball team led the school with four of its 11 NIAA state championships and ended the decade with back-to-back AA titles over Elko and Boulder City, respectively. In 1977, Jack Beach’s Greenwave defeated Elko in the third and final game of the series, 8-3, to win their third title of the decade. The 1978 team, also coached by Beach, knocked off Elko in the regional championship, 1-0, on a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the final inning. The Greenwave scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the last inning of Game 3 to defeat Boulder City, 3-2, to win the program’s eighth state title. 

CONTRIBUTOR

Don Barrenchea: One of the early voices of the Greenwave, Barrenchea was the school’s public address announcer for the football team for 32 years and the baseball team during the 1970s when the Greenwave played at the North Maine Street ballpark. On the radio, he was the color commentator for the football team’s away games from 1973-1999. Barrenchea, who played football, basketball and baseball at Fallon, also coached the American Legion baseball teams during the summer of the 1960s with his team winning the state championship in 1964. He was also the Kiwanis Club President for two years at South Lake Tahoe and two years in Fallon. 

William (Bill) Deal: After moving to Fallon in 1953, Deal taught at Oats Park School before switching into the insurance and real estate business. Outside the office, though, Deal was actively involved in the community, becoming an avid booster for Churchill County High School and University of Nevada athletics. Deal, who was the Nevada boxing team’s manager, also founded the Fallon Little League Football Program and organized the first-ever Fallon football awards banquet. Deal could be seen working the chain crew at all the home football games before retiring and moving to Arizona. He died last November.

Jade Corkill: The Fallon native attended Churchill County High School but finished his education at home because of the rodeo competition interfering with his school schedule. Competing as an independent, Corkill won three state rodeo titles as a team and calf roper before competing at Feather River. He was named to the Wrangler High School All-star Rodeo team in 2005 before turning to the professional circuit when he was named the PRCA Rookie of the Year in 2006. Corkill has won four world titles in team roping (heeling) with his most recent coming in 2016 under the Elite Rodeo Association.

COACH

George Hucke: A teacher of history and physical education, Hucke began coaching in 1973 when he helmed the junior varsity football team for 10 years. He assisted Earl Wilkens with his wrestling team for nine years when Fallon produced several outstanding wrestlers. Hucke got his big break in the spring with the girls track and field program when he led the Lady Wave to back-to-back state championships – the first-ever girls sports NIAA titles for Fallon after Title IX was passed in 1972 and prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex. Hucke had one of the largest teams in girls track with 75 students competing as Fallon won state in 1974 and 1975, and was the runner-up in 1976. His 1983 team finished second in the regional meet before he retired from coaching.

ATHLETE

Kirk Aguiar (1977): Aguiar was named an all-state guard on the 1976 state championship football team under Tony Klenakis and followed with a state wrestling title in the winter. Aguiar, who was named the Co-most Outstanding Athlete of the Year with Brett Sorensen in 1977, also competed in the pole vault where he finished second in the state. In 1975 as a sophomore, Aguiar finished fourth in pole vault at state and followed up with a third-place finish as a junior. He finished second in state at 177 pounds in wrestling as a junior before winning it all as a senior. Aguiar continued his wrestling career at Linfield College (McMinnville, Ore.) when in 1978 he won the Pacific Northwest NAIA Conference Tournament. 

Amanda Camacho (2003): One of the best athletes in her decade, Camacho collected 10 varsity letters, including four with the Hall of Fame-inducted volleyball team during its back-to-back state championship run in 1999 and 2000. Camacho lettered three times in basketball and softball, garnering most of her accolades on the diamond. She was named a first-team, all-league outfielder during her last two seasons with the Greenwave, who competed in the 4A. Camacho helped run the floor during the basketball season under Chelle Dalager as the Lady Wave punched their only ticket to the 4A state tournament in 2003. Camacho, who was a co-valedictorian, attended Lassen Community College and was a two-year starter on the softball team, earning all-league recognition as a sophomore. 

Rachel Casey Payne (1992): One of the best softball players in school history, Payne holds career records in games played (99), at-bats (322), strikeouts (41), on-base (176) and innings played (651) during the 1989-1992 seasons when Fallon competed in the 4A. She garnered many awards during her time with the Greenwave, including being named a first-team, all-state first baseman and leading the team in many offensive categories. Payne continued her softball career at Columbia (Missouri) College, playing in the NAIA College World Series from 1993-1996. She ended her career being named to the all-conference team for both athletics and academics, and she’s also a member of the .300 batting average club.

Mike Evans (1952): Competing in football, basketball and baseball, Evans was one letter shy of sweeping. Nevertheless, Evans, who won four varsity letters each in football and basketball, was named to the all-state second-team for football in 1950 and 1951. He was named to the basketball all-state team in 1950.

Earl Doege (1967): A first-team, all-state selection in basketball for two years, Doege led the Greenwave to the regional and state championships in 1966 and regional championship in 1967. Doege was also a first-team, all-state defender on the football field, guiding Fallon to a regional championship in 1966 and 1967. In 1968, Doege, who lettered in track, was named a Pepsi Cola High School All American Honorable Mention. In college, Doege was awarded a full-ride basketball scholarship but changed it the next year to compete in football where he was named an all-conference defensive end at Montana Western. 

Dale Jensen (1966): Jensen played in four sports and earned seven varsity letters, including four with the baseball team. He helped the Greenwave win the state baseball championship in 1966 and was named an all-state catcher. On the football field, Jensen was an all-state running back defensive linebacker during Fallon’s Northern AA championship season. The Block F president during his senior year, Jensen gave back to the community after he graduated and served in the military, donating 25 years of service to youth baseball and softball and earning the Optimist Club Distinguished Service Award.

John Kitts (1982): Kitts earned seven varsity letters, including three in football and a pair each in basketball and baseball. Football, though, is where Kitts found the most success when he started for three years and was named a first-team, all-conference center during his last two years and a first-team, all-state center and second-team, all-state defensive tackle during his senior season. He was one of four Nevadans to be named a Carnation All-American, which included future NFL player David Wyman, and he was selected to the 1980’s Northern Nevada All-Decade team before winning the school’s athlete of the year award in 1982. Kitts was also an all-conference and all-state baseball selection when Fallon moved up to the state’s highest division (AAA).