Reno peaks for 4A finale

Adam Candee

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2003 | 10:06 a.m.

Bickering, battered and seemingly beaten, the Reno High football team sat at 2-5 with just two games left to prove it even belonged in the region playoffs.

Consider six consecutive wins -- including four in the postseason -- to be acceptable proof that the Huskies belong in Saturday's 4A State Championship against undefeated Las Vegas at the University of Nevada-Reno's Mackay Stadium.

"We know we are facing, by far and away, the best opponent we've seen this season," Reno coach Dan Avansino said.

Avansino may be overlooking the beast within, the one that nearly kept the Northern champion Huskies out of the playoffs. Beset with injuries and struggling with what Avansino termed "internal problems," Reno appeared ready to succumb to those pressures.

It's funny what desperation can do to a team, though. Faced with the end of their season if they lost again, the Huskies became the team Avansino expected they could be.

"The fact that we weren't being successful with the talent we had, we realized that we had to change something," Avansino said.

True, the return from injury of quarterback John Wallace and the emergence of California transfer running back Conor Martin helped, but Avansino credits a change in outlook as the key factor in the turnaround.

"The change has been between our ears -- our mental approach, our attitude," Avansino said. "We did have some internal problems early in the season. Those things are still working themselves out, though they are not nearly what they were."

Avansino did not elaborate on the nature of the internal trouble his team faced, and he said that he still is not sure when it may crop up again.

The Huskies are a different team on the field as well. Martin has rushed for 801 yards and nine touchdowns in Reno's four playoff wins. Those victories included a 23-14 win against defending state champion McQueen in the opening round and a 34-14 rout of overwhelming favorite Douglas in the Northern Region title game.

Reno eliminated Desert Pines, 15-6, Saturday at home to reach the final. The small margin of victory is typical for Reno.

"We're not like the classic Northern team that's been dominant," Avansino said. "We're not a McQueen, not a Wooster."

Las Vegas coach Kris Cinkovich said his film study shows that the Huskies keep their game plan simple. Avansino feels that he will need to come up with something special in order to combat the dominating Las Vegas line.

"We know we have a pretty formidable task in front of us," Avansino said. "Just the sheer size of their offensive line is menacing enough."