High school football is as much about Sam Rudder as it is the head coach or star quarterback or lead cheerleader. It's as much about the 75-year-old retired Air Force sergeant as it is the small boy running along the sideline dreaming of one day playing for the home team.

That's what is so special about the game that inspires so many communities across the country each fall, about what those lights in the distance symbolize on Friday nights, whether you're driving across the desert or along the coast, whether you live in a small town or big city, whether you root for the Wildcats or Dragons or Lions or Tigers or Bears or fill-in-your-nickname-of-choice-here.

When you see the sky light up miles away, you know there is a field out there somewhere where the magic and pageantry and simplicity of high school sports is displayed in its most thrilling form.

There is nothing like it because you know everyone is involved, that it's more about the entire experience than 48 minutes of play.

"People still wait all week and get all excited for just that one night," Rudder said. "It's still a very big deal to them."

Rudder was working Friday night, his job to run the scoreboard at Las Vegas High while the Wildcats opened defense of their state championship by defeating a steadily improving and yet still outmatched third-year Del Sol program, 40-12.

He arrived here in 1970 after being stationed in the Netherlands, asked some of the locals what time of year it usually snowed, received several curious looks and even more smirks, called his wife and said, "This is the place."

From 1972 to 1996, he wore stripes for the Southern Nevada Officials Association, worked two state title games, worked when the area fielded just eight high school teams and there weren't 300,000 residents.

"Now there are over 30 schools and probably 1.5 million people and the quality of high school player is so much better," said Rudder, who still works as a prep track official and who actually once supervised the crew that worked the Las Vegas-Del Sol game.

The skill might be different but, thank goodness, the atmosphere never changes. It's as if you can sense prep football season approaching. Feel it. Smell it. Touch it. Taste it. The music blaring before kickoff. Mothers selling tickets. Fathers hawking merchandise and programs. Students working the snack bar. The marching band at halftime. The fundraising raffles. Players running through banners. Parents wearing jerseys with their sons' names and numbers on them. Fans wearing motivational T-shirts.

My favorite on the season's opening night came from the Las Vegas side. It read:

STRIVE FOR SUCCESS

EXCEPT NO LESS

NO EXCUSES

You have to believe the Wildcats will do their best to ACCEPT the challenge.

There also exists that weekly chance an underdog will rise above its inferior skill to defeat the heavy favorite. That's where the magic comes in, although it never appeared for Del Sol.

The Dragons can finally field a team that includes upperclassmen with the physical ability to line up and not get abused each snap, a stage all new schools eagerly wait for upon first forming a program.

But even a sloppy and mistake-prone Las Vegas side was good enough to win comfortably this night. The Wildcats showed both the positive signs of a team that has advanced to the Sunrise Region final six straight years and the negative ones of losing 19 seniors who competed in three state championships.

The school colors might be red and black, but you would have sworn someone added yellow this week. Flags were thrown everywhere against Las Vegas, nullifying touchdowns and sending a message that vast improvement is needed.

Still, there are far worse fates than being led by a three-year starter at quarterback.

"I think we had some first-game jitters," said senior O'Ryan Bradley, in command while throwing for three touchdowns and running for a fourth. "Not everyone is going to play their best the first week, but it was good to win. Playing varsity football is so exciting, especially to have the chance at starting three years. It's a great experience."

For everyone involved, including people such as Sam Rudder. He still loves it as much as ever.

"Oh, yes," he said. "I have a lot of good memories and met and worked with a lot of good people. This is my home away from home."

Out there in the distance on Friday night, when the sky lights up and you know the magic and pageantry and simplicity has returned for another year. There is nothing like it.

Ed Graney's column is published Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. He can be reached at 383-4618 or egraney@reviewjournal.com.