DON McDERMOTT MORE COLUMNS Advertisement

Beatty and Tonopah football fans ought to love the 2007 season. The Hornets are at home for seven of their nine games, while the Muckers have to travel out of Tonopah only four times during their 10-game campaign.

Nevada Class A Central Division Beatty, with Gus Sullivan back for his second season as coach, opens at home Aug. 24 against Laughlin, a 1-A South Division team. The following week, Las Vegas Calvary Chapel, a playoff team in 2006, will visit Beatty.

Other home games are Sept. 14, vs. Lone Pine, Calif.; Sept. 22, vs. Big Pine, Calif.; Oct. 12, vs. Round Mountain; Oct. 19 vs. Tonopah, and Oct. 26, vs. Spring Mountain. The road games are Sept. 28 at Henderson International School and Oct. 5 at Indian Springs.

Tonopah is at home Aug. 24 against Diamond Ranch Academy of Hurricane, Utah; it's a Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame game, which means THS pays $500 into the NIAA 'Hall' fund.

The Muckers, coached by Curt McElroy, have won the last three Central Division titles, and in a 10-2 run last season, they advanced to the state title game, bowing to Pahranagat Valley Alamo, now riding a 24-game unbeaten streak.

Home games this fall are Sept. 7, vs. Carlin; Sept. 14, vs. Wells; Sept. 21, vs. Virginia City; Sept. 28, vs. Spring Mountain; Oct. 5, vs. Round Mountain. Away games are Sept. 1, at Las Vegas Mountain View Christian; Oct. 13, at Beaver Dam, Utah; Oct. 19, at Beatty, and Oct. 25, at Indian Springs.

That Virginia City game, incidentally, has been dubbed the Mucker Bowl, since both schools have that nickname. Virginia City, a perennial 1-A basketball power for decades, has resurrected football after a lengthy absence.

While the Hornets and Muckers get to enjoy home cooking all fall, the Pahrump Valley football team may set a Nevada Class 3-A school record for travel. The Trojans have an intrasquad scrimmage from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the PVHS field. That's the last time they will be home until Sept. 14.

The Trojans open next Friday at Phoenix, Ariz., Christian; that's a 704-mile round trip. On Aug. 31, they are in San Diego, Calif., to battle Torrey Pines. Rack up another 600 miles riding a bus. Pahrump Valley will play Sept. 7 in Chino, Calif., against Don Lugo, and at Yucca Valley, Calif., Sept. 21. Those two trips will put another 1,200 miles on the odometer. Other travels will take coach Brian Hug's team to Overton Moapa Valley (252 miles) Oct. 19, and to Boulder City Oct. 25 (170 miles).

That's 3,000 miles (give or take a few clicks) for the Trojans -- and their fans -- to contemplate.

Only three games -- vs. Spring Creek Sept. 14, vs. Mesquite Virgin Valley Oct. 5, and Las Vegas Faith Lutheran, Oct. 12 -- will be at home. That's a good news-bad news situation; PVHS fans will have those three opportunities to see their favorites to play at home.

But ... it also delays a much needed construction project to replace the stadium bleachers until after the season has ended.

The bottom line: Get out and root for the Trojans, whenever and wherever you can, fans. Phoenix, San Diego, Chino, Yucca Valley, Overton and Boulder City are in hostile territory.