Sunday, November 30, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
STATE FOOTBALL SEMIFINALS: A day of tears, cheers
Las Vegas pays tribute to fallen player, then soars to 41-7 win over Palo Verde
By DAMON SEITERS
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Palo Verde High School football players place roses in a basket after Saturday's state Class 4A semifinal playoff game at Las Vegas High. The roses were for the mother of Edward Gomez, the Las Vegas High defensive back who died after suffering injuries in a playoff game Nov. 21. Las Vegas won Saturday's game 41-7.
Photo by John Locher.
Wildcats players cheer after Las Vegas defeated Palo Verde 41-7 to advance to the 4A state championship game Saturday in Reno.
Photo by John Locher.
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Las Vegas High's football team held a ceremony before Saturday's game against Palo Verde to honor teammate Edward Gomez, who died Nov. 23. But the biggest tribute to their fallen friend was the way the team played.
The Wildcats dominated from the start on the way to a 41-7 victory over the Panthers in the Class 4A state semifinals at Las Vegas.
"To get this win is a feeling that you can't really explain, it's something you have to experience," said senior Jacob Robertson, who had been friends with Gomez since eighth grade. "The game was dedicated to Ed, and I think we all played like Ed wanted us to play."
Las Vegas (13-0) will play Reno (8-5) in the state championship game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at UNR's Mackay Stadium.
Gomez collapsed on the sideline during Las Vegas' victory over Desert Pines in the Sunrise Regional title game on Nov. 21, and died two days later at University Medical Center. The Clark County coroner's office said the cause of death was blunt head trauma.
Las Vegas carried the emotion of the pregame ceremony onto the field, and struck quickly. The Wildcats pinned Palo Verde at its 5 with a punt. On the Panthers' second play, Jarrell Harrison fumbled near the 7. The ball bounced forward and was scooped up by Stanley Copeland, who returned it 14 yards for a TD, and a 6-0 lead.
"I know I came out with a lot of emotion, I wanted to really cry," Robertson said. "But it all comes down to focusing and being determined about what you want and the goals that you have."
Copeland, who started as a sophomore on Las Vegas' 2001 state championship team, recovered another first-half fumble, had an interception, and forced a fumble that ended a Palo Verde drive in the second half.
"We told the kids, `He's been here before, follow him and he'll show you what to do,' " Las Vegas coach Kris Cinkovich said. "And he did. We asked our kids to follow his lead, and his lead was quite good."
Palo Verde appeared to be moving the ball well on its next possession, but Tyree Walton fumbled at the Las Vegas 16 at the end of a 31-yard run, and Copeland recovered again. In all, Palo Verde fumbled six times, losing five of them. The Panthers also were intercepted twice.
Las Vegas quarterback Jeremy Craddock hooked up with Christian Vidal on an 85-yard TD pass with 9:19 to go in the half, and Jamal Lomax's two-point conversion run made it 14-0 at the break.
Palo Verde cut the lead in half on a 95-yard TD run by Marc Evans with 6:27 to go in the third quarter, but Las Vegas answered with a 60-yard scoring drive, capped by Robertson's 2-yard run. The Panthers wouldn't threaten again.
"We've played some good people throughout the year, and we've been behind more than several times," Cinkovich said. "Everybody knows not to panic. That says a lot about our kids' character, but I think that's already evident."
Lomax had a 22-yard TD run, and Craddock and Vidal hooked up again, this time on a 30-yard TD pass that made it 35-7 at the end of the third quarter. Sophomore Tyler Morris added a 14-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.
Lomax finished with 145 yards rushing, and Robertson added 106, for his third consecutive 100-yard game.
"These young men are aged beyond their years," Cinkovich said. "They get it done. They're winners, and they're going to have to win one more time. We're going to try like hell to do it."
