Site search
sponsored by
News
Sports
Some Miner fans have said the 2009 Nevada Union football team has had a weak schedule. Others say this is the best Miner team to play under the Friday night lights at Hooper Stadium.
Prior to kickoff last Friday night, the navy-and-gold faithful shared some of their opinions about the best NU football team, moments from the season and standout players.
C.L. Crowson, who lives in Grass Valley and has been attending all the Nevada Union games for the past 25 years, says he has been “in the huddle for the last 10 seasons.”
While in that huddle, during halftime of the Elk Grove game, Crowson heard a Miner tell his teammates, “No one is going to beat us, don't let up.”
From that point on, Crowson said, “the team really came together.” He said NU's 2005 section champions were a very good team, but you cannot classify what team is the best of all time until the season is over.
“If this year's team wins the section, I will say this is the best team of all time,” Crowson said. “Dave Humphers is the reason we have this program. He is the man.”
He also said quarterback Broughan Jantz is the standout player of the year.
Ken Smith, a 1985 graduate of Nevada Union, has attended Miner games for the last 30 years. And he agrees that Jantz has been the season's standout Miner. Jantz's ability to escape the pass rush provided him with his favorite moment of the '09 season, so far.
“I remember Broughan Jantz dropping back to pass, he looked trapped, but scrambled free and passed the ball to Duncan Chapple for an 80 yard touchdown.”
Smith's choice for the top NU team of all time was the 1993 Miners, who won the school's first section championship.
Orson Hansen of Nevada City, a 1958 graduate of Nevada Union who saw his first Miner game in '54, remembers a punt return against Napa two weeks ago as a top play of the season.
“There was a block at the 40-yard line and it was a complete wipeout of a Napa kid,” Hansen said of a block thrown by lineman Luca Fistarol.
“I couldn't name the best team of all time. There have been teams that didn't have as much talent but they worked harder, played harder and they overachieved. Those are the best teams.”
Many more Miner fans shared their thoughts, including the following:
– Lydia Crossman of Penn Valley will remember the “Ice cream and cake” dance performed by the Miner cheerleaders.
— Alex Bevan of Grass Valley, has enjoyed watching her team blow out opponents, and her favorite Miner is tight end/defensive end Daniel Pettinatto.
— Les Nicholson graduated from Nevada Union in 1966, resides in Chicago Park, loves NU football and feels that since Humphers has been here all the teams are good.
— Mike Dickson of Penn Valley has attended all but the Roseville game this season (NU's lone loss) and feels linebacker Eric Neiderberger is the standout player of the year. He also said that the turning point for the boys was the Rocklin game.
“The kids battled back at Rocklin,” Dickson said, “It showed they had a fighting spirit and the rest of the season proved it.”
— Craig Reuter of Rough and Ready said this year's standout player is Pettinatto and his fondest memory took place against Napa.
“We scored four or five times in the first four minutes of the game,” Reuter said, also noting that the 2005 Miners were the best of all time.
— Samantha Kalb of Nevada City attended her first NU game in 2006. She has been to many game this year, but you would never known it because she's always wearing the Miner mascot costume. Neiderberger, she said, is her standout player.
— Bryan Ammon, who is the horn blower at Hooper Stadium, graduated from NU in 1966 and has not missed a game since 1989. His top play was the touchdown run by lineman Conner Klauer and says Neiderberger is the team's MVP.
— Rob Noxon of Penn Valley has attended games for the last 10 seasons, says the 2005 team was the best and points to Pettinatto as his standout player of the season.
— Marty Sawin of Penn Valley, who has been coming to Miner games for 24 years, said, “the 2001 team was the best.” His standout player this season is Jantz.
Nevada Union fans have had plenty to cheer about over the years, something that might often be taken for granted with such a sustained level of success.
Most high schools don't have programs. They have teams.
Most don't have multiple section championships, or even one for that matter.
Most aren't blessed with several players worthy of being considered the team's MVP.
And most don't have as much to debate about, when determining the greatest home teams of all time.
Contact Sports Writer Scott P. Hopper via e-mail at sphopper@theunion.com or by phone at 477-4231.
Prior to kickoff last Friday night, the navy-and-gold faithful shared some of their opinions about the best NU football team, moments from the season and standout players.
C.L. Crowson, who lives in Grass Valley and has been attending all the Nevada Union games for the past 25 years, says he has been “in the huddle for the last 10 seasons.”
While in that huddle, during halftime of the Elk Grove game, Crowson heard a Miner tell his teammates, “No one is going to beat us, don't let up.”
From that point on, Crowson said, “the team really came together.” He said NU's 2005 section champions were a very good team, but you cannot classify what team is the best of all time until the season is over.
“If this year's team wins the section, I will say this is the best team of all time,” Crowson said. “Dave Humphers is the reason we have this program. He is the man.”
He also said quarterback Broughan Jantz is the standout player of the year.
Ken Smith, a 1985 graduate of Nevada Union, has attended Miner games for the last 30 years. And he agrees that Jantz has been the season's standout Miner. Jantz's ability to escape the pass rush provided him with his favorite moment of the '09 season, so far.
“I remember Broughan Jantz dropping back to pass, he looked trapped, but scrambled free and passed the ball to Duncan Chapple for an 80 yard touchdown.”
Smith's choice for the top NU team of all time was the 1993 Miners, who won the school's first section championship.
Orson Hansen of Nevada City, a 1958 graduate of Nevada Union who saw his first Miner game in '54, remembers a punt return against Napa two weeks ago as a top play of the season.
“There was a block at the 40-yard line and it was a complete wipeout of a Napa kid,” Hansen said of a block thrown by lineman Luca Fistarol.
“I couldn't name the best team of all time. There have been teams that didn't have as much talent but they worked harder, played harder and they overachieved. Those are the best teams.”
Many more Miner fans shared their thoughts, including the following:
– Lydia Crossman of Penn Valley will remember the “Ice cream and cake” dance performed by the Miner cheerleaders.
— Alex Bevan of Grass Valley, has enjoyed watching her team blow out opponents, and her favorite Miner is tight end/defensive end Daniel Pettinatto.
— Les Nicholson graduated from Nevada Union in 1966, resides in Chicago Park, loves NU football and feels that since Humphers has been here all the teams are good.
— Mike Dickson of Penn Valley has attended all but the Roseville game this season (NU's lone loss) and feels linebacker Eric Neiderberger is the standout player of the year. He also said that the turning point for the boys was the Rocklin game.
“The kids battled back at Rocklin,” Dickson said, “It showed they had a fighting spirit and the rest of the season proved it.”
— Craig Reuter of Rough and Ready said this year's standout player is Pettinatto and his fondest memory took place against Napa.
“We scored four or five times in the first four minutes of the game,” Reuter said, also noting that the 2005 Miners were the best of all time.
— Samantha Kalb of Nevada City attended her first NU game in 2006. She has been to many game this year, but you would never known it because she's always wearing the Miner mascot costume. Neiderberger, she said, is her standout player.
— Bryan Ammon, who is the horn blower at Hooper Stadium, graduated from NU in 1966 and has not missed a game since 1989. His top play was the touchdown run by lineman Conner Klauer and says Neiderberger is the team's MVP.
— Rob Noxon of Penn Valley has attended games for the last 10 seasons, says the 2005 team was the best and points to Pettinatto as his standout player of the season.
— Marty Sawin of Penn Valley, who has been coming to Miner games for 24 years, said, “the 2001 team was the best.” His standout player this season is Jantz.
Nevada Union fans have had plenty to cheer about over the years, something that might often be taken for granted with such a sustained level of success.
Most high schools don't have programs. They have teams.
Most don't have multiple section championships, or even one for that matter.
Most aren't blessed with several players worthy of being considered the team's MVP.
And most don't have as much to debate about, when determining the greatest home teams of all time.
Contact Sports Writer Scott P. Hopper via e-mail at sphopper@theunion.com or by phone at 477-4231.
