Saturday, October 09, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

BREAKTHROUGH VICTORY: Eldorado ends skid vs. Vegas

No. 7 Sundevils top No. 4 Wildcats 28-21 after losing last four meetings

By DAMON SEITERS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Eldorado's DaVell Jackson catches an 8-yard touchdown pass over Las Vegas' Michael Williams in the second quarter Friday. Photo by Ralph Fountain.

For Brandon Godfrey and his Eldorado teammates, the wait is finally over.

The Sundevils had lost four consecutive games to Las Vegas over the last three seasons, but the drought ended Friday night with a 28-21 road victory over the fourth-ranked Wildcats (5-2, 1-1 Northeast Division).

"We've lost to Vegas every year I've been at Eldorado," Godfrey said. "Just to beat them finally my senior year, there's nothing like it."

Seventh-ranked Eldorado (5-2, 2-0) trailed 21-20 entering the fourth quarter, but the Las Vegas lead didn't last long. On the first play of the final period, Godfrey hit receiver DaVell Jackson with a 65-yard touchdown pass to put the Sundevils up 26-20 with 11:46 to play. Godfrey added a 2-point conversion pass to Josh Creveling for the final margin.

"Earlier in the season, I wasn't hitting him on the deep passes," Godfrey said of Jackson. "We're finally starting to get that cohesiveness together. He's my No. 1 receiver and everybody knows it. Everybody knows I'm going to throw it to him, but they can't stop it."

Eldorado forced Las Vegas to punt on its final two possessions, the final time with 3:27 to play. The Sundevils were able to run out the clock, largely because of a 31-yard run by Marcus Newson on third-and-3 with 1:54 to go.

"Newson ran the ball hard at the end," Eldorado coach Frank DeSantis said. "As little as he is, he fought, and the line did a great job at the end."

Eldorado jumped to a 14-0 lead, scoring on its first two possessions. Newson had a 1-yard TD run with seven minutes left in the first quarter, and Godfrey added a 2-yard sneak with 39.8 seconds left in the period.

Las Vegas answered with a pair of long touchdown runs by Eric Jordan. Jordan had a 43-yard TD run with 9:54 in the half to cut the deficit to 14-6. He added a 48-yarder and a 2-point conversion with 1:48 left before halftime to tie the game.

But Eldorado quickly struck again. Godfrey had a 16-yard run on fourth-and-2 from the 33, and a personal-foul penalty on Las Vegas moved the ball to the 8-yard line. Godfrey then hit Jackson with a fade pass in the corner of the end zone for the score.

Godfrey lobbed the ball, and the 6-foot-2-inch Jackson outjumped Michael Williams to catch it. Jackson finished with seven catches for 122 yards.

"Jackson made some plays," DeSantis said. "He's our playmaker; Jordan's their playmaker."

Jordan finished with a 268 yards on 32 carries, including a 1-yard TD run with 40.6 seconds to go in the third quarter to put Las Vegas up 21-20.

Godfrey completed 12 of 20 passes for 169 yards, and Newson ran for 110 yards on 26 carries.

Eldorado's two losses came to top-ranked Palo Verde and second-ranked Foothill. Foothill needed a field goal as time expired, and Palo Verde scored with 1:09 to play to win it. But there were no late heroics for Las Vegas.

"We're finally learning how to pull off the tight ones, especially against the good teams," Godfrey said.

Said DeSantis: "We closed one out against a quality team, and maybe that will get us over the hump."