Winter sports kick off around Nye County this week

Winter sports are beginning this week for students throughout the Nye County area.

This will be the first season for winter sports since the 2019-20 season. Students were unable to participate in the 2020-21 season due to the coronavirus.

In Beatty, the Lady Hornets start their season on Friday, Dec. 3, when they travel to Sandy Valley to take on the Sidewinders. This is their second season under head coach Travis Barron.

In their 2019-20 season, the Hornets finished with a record of 7-8, good enough for a second-place finish in their 1A South division. Beatty was defeated in the first round of the regional tournament by Owyhee High School.

The Beatty boys basketball team will be headed by their second-year head coach, Miguel Mendoza. In his first year, Mendoza led the team to a 7-10 record and unfortunately missed the playoffs. They open their season on Dec. 3 against Sandy Valley following the girls basketball game.

The Pahrump Valley Trojans girls basketball team got the party started with their season opener on Tuesday night when they hosted the Sierra Vista Mountain Lions. This is their 18th season under head coach Bob Hopkins.

In their last season, the Trojans’ girls team made it to the 3A southern regional championship game, ultimately losing to the Moapa Valley Pirates. In the first round of the state tournament, they played Fernley High School in a tough game, but came up just short. They’ll be looking to improve on their season outcome and get further in the state playoffs.

The Pahrump Valley Trojans boys basketball team will be kicking off their season under newly appointed head coach David Wilson on Dec. 8 when they host the Somerset Sky Pointe Eagles.

The Trojan boys team hasn’t had a winning season since the 2007-08 season, something that Wilson is hoping to turn around.

Pahrump Valley’s wrestling team will also be starting their season this weekend when they participate in the Diamondback Duals meet on Friday, Dec. 4. In the 2019-20 season, the Trojans’ wrestling team finished in sixth place at the 3A Southern regional championships.

In Tonopah, the Muckers’ girls basketball team will open their season with the 3-day WREC tournament being held in northern Nevada. Their first game will be on Thursday, Dec. 2 against Wells. They will be headed by Jill Katzenbach for the sixth season.

Katzenbach led the team to a 16-11 overall record, finishing fourth in the 1A Central division. The Muckers’ playoff run was cut short when they lost in the first round to the eventual state champions from Virginia City.

The boys basketball team for Tonopah will be participating in the same WREC tournament in northern Nevada and will open their season on Thursday, Dec. 2 against Wells High School. Their head coach, Adam Siri, is heading into his fourth season as the Muckers’ coach.

Please visit the individual schools’ websites for more information regarding game schedules.