Sports & Outdoors
Sierra Sun | Friday, September 26, 2014 | 17
North Tahoe High football program — canceled in its 40th season — was once the pride of the community, when the Lakers dominated behind a legendary coach and talented players.
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GLORY DAYS
Charlie Soule
By Bill Jensen
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COURTESY PHOTO
Fullback and linebacker Mike Czyz, a 1981 North Tahoe grad, was recruited by University of Nevada after starring during the height of the Lakers’ glory days. Along with his brother Tommy, he now owns Czyz’s Appliance in Truckee, Incline and Reno.
decision was the culmination of a long downward spiral of dwindling enrollment. “That’s just what it boils down to — we don’t have the numbers,” explained longtime Laker coach Scott Everist in late August. “We’ve been struggling for years. We had some kids in the spring and it looked like we had enough, but they’re just not ready to go, and we don’t have Out of little North Lake Tahoe, enough. It’s just a tough Ken Dalton and his staff built situation.” a juggernaut. In three seasons he The “situation” was took them to the top of the hill. It was a great thing for the North Tahoe dramatically different community. in North Allan Walker Tahoe’s early Former Sierra Sun and Tahoe World sportswriter years. When the But in the autumn of school first opened its doors 2014, that’s not the case. to the North Lake Tahoe For North Tahoe students, community in 1974, the Saturday afternoons are local economy was robust, now reserved for soccer, especially in home construccross-country or lacrosse. tion, and there was a signifiAfter 40 years the football cantly larger middle-class program was cancelled this population. Hundreds of fall when only eight players teenagers living in Tahoe showed up for the first day City, Kings Beach and the of practice. The doleful West Shore were now able
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Former North Tahoe player and owner/chef of the Soule Domaine
Special to the Sun
he football field at North Tahoe High School still looks pretty much the same as it did when the school first opened 40 years ago, neatly tucked behind the campus and nestled up against the forest. There is now an all-weather track that didn’t exist in 1974, but the field, the stands, the goalposts and scoreboard have weathered the four decades well and seem ready to welcome the tumultuous arrival of players, fans and cheerleaders for a Saturday afternoon kickoff in the Sierra.
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I got to play at a good time. If I saw Ken Dalton today, I’d still call him coach. I have a lot of love for that man.
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COURTESY PATTY DALTON
Legendary high school football coach Ken Dalton coaches up his North Tahoe players on the sidelines in this 1975 photo. Dalton went on to coach at McQueen High in Reno. to forgo the long commute to Truckee and start a new chapter in their lives — much closer to home. Athletics proved to be a big part of that transition, and the fledgling school had almost immediate success, particularity in football. In only its second year of existence, the Lakers beat their former teammates from
Truckee 7-6, and a year later in 1976, North Tahoe was crowned Pioneer League champions. From 1976 through 1981, North Tahoe had a string of phenomenal success, including four consecutive Pioneer League championships, two Northern California CIF “AA” Championships and for good measure, six
straight wins over arch-rival Truckee. In a very short span, a winning tradition and atmosphere had been established, which prevailed for several years. North Tahoe went on to win a Nevada 2A state title in 1986 under coach Dave Brolliar, and from 1989 through 2001 the Lakers won 91 games under head coach Bill Freeman before the decline in enrollment started to take its inevitable toll.
THE DALTON YEARS The architects of North Tahoe’s early success was the combine of head coach Ken Dalton, defensive coordinator John “J.D.” Deschler and assistant Shayne Wallace. All three were former collegiate players: Dalton and Wallace were teammates at Cal Poly, and Deschler played at L.A. State and USC. Dalton took the Laker’s head coaching job following a stint with Archbishop Mitty in San Jose and Deschler came from Tamalpais High in Marin. For Wallace, North Tahoe was his first coaching opportunity. Figuratively and literally, they formed quite a team. “Out of little North Lake Tahoe, Ken Dalton and his staff built a juggernaut,” said former Sierra Sun and Tahoe World sportswriter Allan Walker. “In three seasons he took them to the top of the hill. It was a great thing for the North Tahoe community. Saturday game days in Tahoe City were electric. It was really a fun time to be covering the program.”
GLORY DAYS, 19
TRUCKEE VOLLEYBALL
Wolverines defeat Fernley on the road in straight sets Staff report The Truckee volleyball team improved to 3-0 in league play after sweeping past host Fernley, 25-9, 2514, 25-16, on Tuesday. Junior Anais Fay was
named Player of the Match for the Wolverines. She finished with nine kills, two service aces, two blocks and seven digs. Maia Dvoracek tallied a team-high 11 kills, 20 assists and two aces, while
Taylor Stephens posted eight kills and 10 digs, Shelby Gendreau had 16 assists, Maya Williams had six digs, Katherine Englert had five digs, and Madison Haley had three kills. The Wolverines have had
a tough go of late due to unhealthy air quality caused by the King Fire, which has caused two home matches to be rescheduled. Nevertheless, Truckee remains near the top of the Northern Division
I-A standings with its 3-0 mark. Elko and Lowry are tied for first with 4-0 league records. The Wolverines are scheduled to host Elko on Friday at 6 p.m. and Spring Creek on Saturday at 10
a.m. Truckee Athletic Director Pat Mooney said both matches were on as scheduled as of Thursday. The status of the matches could change if the poor air quality persists.