Beatty ends Tonopah’s dreams of state

Last Tuesday, Beatty destroyed the Lady Muckers dreams’ of reaching the State Championship this year. Tonopah lost in four, 25-7,25-17,17-25, and 25-15 against the Hornets in a fierce battle in which both teams played their hearts out on the court.

Beatty ended a Tonopah four-year streak of state tournament appearances started by the Muckers Coach Judi Boni and ending last year with Muckers Coach Harvey Gonzalez.

The Muckers (7-10 overall, 5-5 Division IV Southern) fell to a Beatty team (10-3, 7-3) that was not going to lose.

According to Hornets Coach Dale Lerbakken, Beatty was up for the game. It was on their home turf and they were determined to win.

“The girls came into the game very confident, and knew that moving to the ball was our downfall in the games we lost to Sandy Valley,” he said. “They executed the games awesomely. Every girl on the floor contributed and, as we know, the fewer mistakes made, the easier to win.”

The Hornets coach said he could tell before the game that his girls didn’t need too much to get them going.

“I didn’t tell them much before the game as I knew where they were heading,” Lerbakken said. “I just sensed that they came to play. If we play like we did last night, Sandy Valley will go down. I’m glad we both travel to Alamo, although I wish it were at a closer distance, like Las Vegas, so we wouldn’t have so much bus time.”

For the Hornets, It was a great team effort, and the plan is to continue on to state.

The coach said Alexia Gil, the Gamboa sisters, Maggie Cathcart, Denise Gonzales, Dalia Mejia, and Claudia Granados were all equally effective both offensively and defensively.

Muckers Coach Chuck Fox said his girls did their best and although they did not go to state, he feels his team still had fun.

“With everything else going on in each of their lives, the last thing I want was for them to come to practice and not have fun. I want them to enjoy the time playing the game, laugh, and whatever happens. I never want them to be down for too long,” the coach said.

The Muckers didn’t get over the loss to Indian Springs (25-19, 25-13, 24-26 and 25-22), where they played hard against the Thunderbirds (9-5, 7-3) last Thursday.

The Hornets play at Pahranagat Valley against Sandy Valley on Saturday at 1:45 p.m.

The Lady Trojans fell to Boulder City in three on Tuesday and ended their season.

The Beatty Hornets football team is also in the playoffs, their game is at 1 p.m. at Spring Mountain today. A win today will put them in the state tourney and the Hornets will play the number one northern team.