Saturday, October 18, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

THE 'BONE' GAME: Wildcats thump Rams

No. 1 Las Vegas posts 41-6 victory over longtime rivals

By TIM GUESMAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Las Vegas High's Eric Jordan (15) eludes defenders on a first-quarter scoring run. He had 141 yards rushing in the period and finished with 215 and three touchdowns. Photo by Ralph Fountain.

Las Vegas High defensive back Stanley Copeland said it was no problem getting fired up Friday to play visiting Rancho for Sir Herkimer's Bone, the symbol of the area's longest-standing rivalry.

"It is a bone, but it's like it's our school spirit," said Copeland, a senior. "It's like Rancho came to our house to take that away. You wouldn't let that happen if a robber came to your house, right?"

The top-ranked Wildcats had all the answers as sophomore Eric Jordan rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns to power them to a 41-6 victory.

Jordan scored on runs of 45, 40 and 3 yards to help Las Vegas build a 21-6 lead early in the second quarter.

"My offensive line was wonderful," said Jordan, who had 141 rushing yards in the first quarter. "I love those guys."

Even more impressive was the defensive front of the Wildcats (8-0, 4-0 Northeast Division). It helped limit Rancho to minus-18 yards offense in the first half and 33 for the game.

"With our defense, it's an ego thing," said Copeland, who had a 49-yard punt return and converted 5 of 6 extra-point attempts. "Even though we are friends with some of those guys, once the game starts, it's like we hate them. The line of scrimmage becomes a line of pain."

The only highlight for Rancho (4-4, 1-3) came in the first quarter when Tramaine Stephens returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to cut the Wildcats lead to 7-6. But the Rams had only eight plays for positive yardage in the half.

Las Vegas quarterback Chris Gifford suffered a right leg injury when he was sacked with 2:01 left in the second quarter. He did not return.

• Palo Verde 21, Centennial 14 -- At Palo Verde, Tyree Walton scored on a 1-yard plunge up the middle with 5:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, lifting the third-ranked Panthers over the Bulldogs.

Walton sparked the Palo Verde offense, logging 125 yards on 17 carries and setting up the winning touchdown with a 48-yard run.

The Panthers (8-0, 3-0 Northwest) never trailed. Mike Smith caught an 18-yard pass from Jarrell Harrison to cap a nine-play, 73-yard drive that made the score 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

Centennial's Wykean Johnson (15 carries, 79 yards) tied it at 7 with a 3-yard run minutes later, but Palo Verde took a 14-7 lead into halftime when Harrison connected with Smith again for a 4-yard pass with 1:24 left in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs (4-4, 1-2) battled back, tying the score at 14 when Aaron Prado found Prentyce Albright open near the end zone for a 30-yard pass early in the third quarter.

But Walton's touchdown completed a 54-yard drive, and the Palo Verde defense went to work, stopping a late Centennial rally that ended at the Panthers' 29-yard-line.

-- Jeff Wollard

• Basic 28, Green Valley 14 -- At Green Valley, Donny Eredia scored the tiebreaking touchdown on a 55-yard fumble return in the third quarter, leading the seventh-ranked Wolves (6-2, 1-2) past the Gators (1-7, 0-4).

Basic trailed 14-6 before scoring 22 consecutive points in the second half. The Wolves' defense scored two touchdowns, forced four turnovers and allowed just 63 rushing yards and 236 total yards.

A.J. Montano gave Basic a 6-0 lead with a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter. He added a 3-yard TD run in the fourth quarter for the final margin.

His brother, Chris Montano, led the Wolves' offense, completing 10 of 22 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. He also had 74 yards on 16 carries.

Green Valley quarterback Lance Patonai completed 13 of 29 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown but threw three interceptions. He also had a 6-yard touchdown run.

DeShawn Henderson caught five passes for 69 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown from Chris Montano in the third quarter.

-- Jim Godfrey

• Sierra Vista 24, Bonanza 14 -- At Bonanza, Matthew Sands-Ai's 24-yard field goal broke a 14-14 tie with 11:52 to play as the Lions scored 24 consecutive points in the final three quarters to defeat the Bengals.

Bonanza (3-5, 2-2 Southwest) bolted to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on Brent Parry's 1-yard run and a 16-yard TD pass to Glen Gavin.

Sierra Vista (3-5, 2-2) started its comeback when Jacob Whittaker ran 1 yard for a TD in the second quarter. Steven Hill's 3-yard TD run in the third tied it at 14.

After Sands-Ai's field goal, Chet Whitley gave the Lions a 24-14 lead on a 57-yard pass from Whittaker with 9:17 remaining.

Hill sparked the Lions by rushing for 144 yards on 33 carries, and Whitley had five catches for 161 yards.

Nigel Moore led the Bengals with 71 yards on 10 carries.

-- Keith Freeman

• Desert Pines 36, Eldorado 20 -- At Desert Pines, Steve Golden rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Webster threw for 132 yards and two scores as the Jaguars (6-2, 4-0 Northeast) topped the Sundevils (2-6, 1-2).

Desert Pines needed barely 3 1/2 minutes to take a 14-0 lead, with Golden breaking loose for a 60-yard scoring run on the second play and Webster throwing a 60-yard TD pass to Mike Washington.

Golden also had touchdown runs of 73 and 85 yards nullified because of penalties.

Webster was 6-for-9 passing, with Jonathan Stoldorf catching three for 63 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown. Stoldorf added a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and Washington made two interceptions.

Eldorado's Brandon Godfrey completed 19 of 31 passes for 204 yards, including a 25-yard TD to Cody Cunningham to open the second quarter.

-- Sam Waller

• Valley 35, Chaparral 6 -- At Chaparral, Adrian Shields rushed for 120 yards on 10 carries, and Major Gray had touchdown runs of 4 and 2 yards as the Vikings romped past the Cowboys (2-6, 0-4 Northeast).

Matt Christman and Marcus Cotton each added a 1-yard scoring run for Valley (3-5, 2-2), which rushed for 285 yards.

Trailing 21-6 midway through the fourth quarter, Chaparral had first-and-goal at the Vikings' 8 before Michael Barnes intercepted a Brad Woodward pass at the goal line.

Valley then drove 84 yards on six plays, ending with Cotton's TD.

Sylvester Stephenson returned Woodward's next pass 25 yards for the Vikings' final score.

-- Arnold Knightly

• Cheyenne 51, Mojave 20 -- At Cheyenne, David Peeples had 181 yards rushing, including first-half touchdowns of 58 and 77 yards, to propel the Desert Shields (4-4, 2-2 Northwest) past the Rattlers (1-7, 0-3).

The teams combined for 37 first-quarter points, with Cheyenne taking a 23-14 lead and pushed it to 31-14 by halftime.

Peeples' 58-yard run ended the first quarter and his 77-yarder was the only scoring of the second quarter. He began the second half with a 65-yard kickoff return to the Mojave 15, setting up Quinton Carter's 1-yard plunge for a 38-14 lead.

Carter also threw a 28-yard TD pass to Ray Garvin, Devin Brooks (80 yards, 11 carries) scored on a 1-yard run and Jarell Holman (61 yards, four carries) had an 11-yard TD run for the Desert Shields.

The Rattlers were led by Robert Hill, who carried 33 times for 179 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

-- John Cranton

• Cimarron-Memorial 61, Silverado 22 -- At Silverado, the fifth-ranked Spartans scored 28 points off six Skyhawks turnovers to earn the victory.

Silverado scored first, but the turnovers enabled Cimarron (6-2) to reel off 48 consecutive points.

The Spartans scored two defensive touchdowns, with Andrew Smith returning an interception 64 yards in the second quarter and Roberto Bautista running back a fumble 46 yards in the third.

Cimarron recovered three fumbles and intercepted Silverado quarterback Nick McCombs three times.

The Spartans' Chad Monrreal caught three passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, and Juan Ramirez ran for two TDs.

McCombs threw two touchdown passes to Spencer Armstrong for Silverado (3-5).

-- Adam Hill

• Durango 49, Clark 20 -- At Clark, quarterback Emilio Gonzales accounted for three touchdowns, leading the Trailblazers (2-5, 1-3 Southwest) past the Chargers (0-8, 0-4).

Kyle McFadden and Alejandro Bravo added rushing touchdowns for Durango, which also got defensive TDs from Anthony Rodriguez and Thomas Ott.

Gonzales threw TD passes of 22 and 9 yards to Ryan Bird and also had a 2-yard scoring run.

O'Brian Vera led Clark with 12 receptions for 225 yards and three touchdowns. He scored on passes of 79, 89 and 10 yards from Theron Young.

-- Steve Jones

• Boulder City 42, Shadow Ridge 40 -- At Shadow Ridge, the Eagles (3-4) stopped the Mustangs' 2-point conversion attempt in the second overtime to clinch the victory.

In the second overtime, Boulder City's Adam Sasarita scored on a 10-yard run, and his 2-point conversion run made it 42-34.

Berkeley then scored on a 4-yard run to make it 42-40, but his pass on the 2-point try fell incomplete.

Running back Mitchell Barlow ran for 264 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles compiled 448 rushing yards.

Ricky Snodgrass ran for 258 yards and four touchdowns to lead Shadow Ridge (1-7). Mustangs quarterback Chris Berkeley passed for 149 yards and a touchdown.

-- Jordan Talbot

• Moapa Valley 47, Liberty 0 -- At Overton, Zach Davis scored three touchdowns and kicked a pair of field goals as the Pirates (7-0) routed the Patriots (0-7).

Davis scored on a 34-yard pass, a 50-yard interception return and a 14-yard run. He kicked field goals of 25 and 58 yards.

Cameron Wilson ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns for Moapa Valley.

The Pirates intercepted five passes, returning two for scores.

• Faith Lutheran 12, White Pine 6 -- At Ely, Brett Perry scored on a 10-yard run in overtime as the Crusaders defeated the Bobcats.

The Crusaders took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter when Cameron Done threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Josh Washington. The point-after kick was blocked.

White Pine's Justin Locke tied the game in the fourth quarter with a 15-yard TD run. A conversion run failed.

• Spring Mountain 36, Calvary Chapel 34 -- At Spring Mountain, Delvonte Gibbs rushed for 151 yards on 13 carries as the Golden Eagles defeated the Lions.

Gibbs also threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns, completing 8 of 14 passes.

Calvary Chapel's Travis Tuls ran for 222 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. His second TD pulled the Lions within two with 26 seconds left, but he was stopped on the 2-point conversion run.

• Needles (Calif.) 13, The Meadows 7 -- At The Meadows, Ryan Peake scored on a 9-yard run in overtime, lifting Needles to victory.

The Meadows scored in the first quarter when Jordan Kelley hit Greg Maggorie with a 9-yard TD pass. Needles tied it in the third quarter, recovering a fumble in the end zone.