Highlights from Week 11 of high school football in southern Nevada
Here’s a look at what happened during Week 11 of the high school football season.
What we learned
1. Horns down equals a red cape.
Sierra Vista’s football team took the field Friday by running through a sign that simply said “Horns Down.” It didn’t go unnoticed by visiting Legacy.
The Longhorns had plenty of ups on their way to a 49-21 rout of the Mountain Lions in a Sunset Region quarterfinal.
Though star running back Aubrey Washington was held to “just” 103 yards on 14 carries, others picked up the slack. Davick Clark caught three passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, and Legacy’s defense scored three times. Kenneth Holbert and Ja’Vontay Hill each returned a fumble for a touchdown, and teammate Amere Foster scored on an interception return as Legacy found pay dirt three times in just more than a six-minute span of the fourth quarter.
Legacy will see red again next week, but likely no Horns Down signs. The Longhorns visit rival Arbor View for a second Battle of the Bulls this season.
2. Canyon Springs is coming to score, not to fight.
After plenty of speculation about how heated a rematch between Canyon Springs and Basic might get, the Pioneers put Friday’s game on ice early.
Erasing the memory of their Sept. 15 meeting that had more than 30 penalties, four ejections and ended with a postgame brawl that finally was broken up when Clark County School District police used pepper spray, the Pioneers scored four first-half touchdowns and rolled to a 41-0 win over the Wolves in a Sunrise Region quarterfinal.
Canyon Springs senior DiaMante Burton threw for 186 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 68 yards and a score as the Pioneers racked up 418 yards of total offense.
It was the Pioneers’ first playoff win since 2013.
3. Desert Pines isn’t just about defense.
Michael Lofton had just 48 rushes for 315 yards and four rushing touchdowns during the regular season. With his team’s starting quarterback — Tyler Williamson — out for Friday’s playoff opener, Lofton simply took over.
The sophomore rushed for 233 yards and five touchdowns on 24 carries Friday as the Jaguars won their seventh straight game, a 54-12 rout of visiting Del Sol in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs.
Lofton’s explosive night gives the team with arguably one of Class 3A’s best defenses an extra jolt on offense. Since a 51-0 loss to Class 4A powerhouse Arbor View on Sept. 1, the Jaguars have allowed only 25 points.
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Upset of the week
Sunrise Mountain 30, Moapa Valley 28 — Sunrise Mountain’s playoff history consisted of two losses in which the Miners had scored a combined 14 points before rallying to knock off the Pirates in Overton in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs. Moapa Valley played in seven state title games between 2008 and 2015 and has won 16 state championships.
The Miners, who fell behind 14-0 midway through the second quarter, rallied by racking up 421 yards of total offense, including 269 passing yards from junior quarterback Tyree Hayes.
The first of two Hayes TD passes to Te’andre Love, a 62-yard scoring strike, gave Sunrise Mountain the lead for good late in the third quarter. The duo hooked up again on a 55-yard TD pass to begin the fourth quarter, and the Miners held on.
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Standout performances
Passing
Sagan Gronauer, Faith Lutheran — 18-23 passing, 299 yards, 5 TDs
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bishop Gorman — 10-13 passing, 297 yards, 4 TDs
Tyree Hayes, Sunrise Mountain — 12-27 passing, 269 yards, 2 TDs
Koy Riggin, Foothill — 20-30 passing, 218 yards, 3 TDs
Zach Matlock, Las Vegas — 11-22 passing, 198 yards, 1 TD
DiaMante Burton, Canyon Springs — 12-19 passing, 186 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing
Michael Lofton, Desert Pines — 24 carries, 233 yards, 5 TDs
Trayvon Ward, Sunrise Mountain — 23 carries, 139 yards, 2 TDs
Deago Stubbs, Arbor View — 4 carries, 119 yards, 3 TDs
Taariq Flowers, Del Sol — 30 carries, 105 yards, 2 TDs
Aubrey Washington, Legacy — 14 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD
Preston Higbee, Pahranagat Valley — 9 carries, 101 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving
Brevin Jordan, Bishop Gorman — 4 catches, 161 yards, 2 TDs
Te’andre Love, Sunrise Mountain — 6 catches, 150 yards, 2 TDs
Dalton Kincaid, Faith Lutheran — 7 catches, 110 yards, 2 TDs
Kevin McCray, Sierra Vista — 4 catches, 108 yards
Davick Clark, Legacy — 3 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD
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Quotable
“We always felt like we were cursed, from not making it to the second round of the playoffs. We finally did it. We wanted to show everybody that we are good. We don’t have to be ‘thugs.’ We don’t have to be nothing. We are really good on the field.”
— Canyon Springs senior quarterback DiaMante Burton on his team’s 41-0 win over Basic in a rematch of the Sept. 15 game that was declared a double forfeit after the teams fought at the conclusion of the game.
“All I needed was a second chance. I’m a senior. I can’t go home.”
— Mojave receiver John Harper, who caught the game-winning touchdown with 58 seconds left in the Rattlers’ 12-10 victory over visiting Chaparral. Harper dropped a pass earlier in the drive.
“We are going to go in with nothing but respect for Gorman, just like every team we go against. But we know we have the potential to beat them, and we just going to go out there and give it our all and hopefully come out with a win. We are going to approaching like we do every week. We aren’t scared of anybody.”
— Faith Lutheran senior John Thomson, who had seven tackles and two sacks in his team’s 42-6 rout of Durango. The Crusaders will meet top-ranked Bishop Gorman in the Sunset Region semifinals on Thursday.
“My message to them in the locker room was ‘I don’t want to be done coaching you guys. I want to practice on Monday. I care about you guys too much and I’m not ready to stop coaching you.’ ”
— Legacy coach John Isola on what he told his team before its 49-21 win at Sierra Vista.
“I thought we played really well, for the first round of the playoffs. I think we rushed for more yards than we have all year, and I can’t say enough about the effort defensively, they’re just playing lights out right now.”
— Bishop Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez, whose team had 606 yards of total offense and surrendered just 76 total yards in a 59-0 win over Palo Verde on Friday.
“We have an abundance of talent at certain positions, like running back. When our guys are given an opportunity, they step up.”
— Desert Pines coach Tico Rodriguez, after sophomore running back Michael Lofton exploded for 233 yards and five touchdowns in the Jaguars’ 54-12 win over Del Sol.
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How they fared
A look at how the teams in the Review-Journal rankings fared in Week 11.
Class 4A
1. Bishop Gorman (9-2) beat Palo Verde, 59-0. Next: vs. No. 5 Faith Lutheran, Thursday
2. Liberty (9-1) beat Eldorado, 49-0. Next: vs. No. 7 Foothill, Thursday
3. Arbor View (9-0) beat Spring Valley, 56-12. Next: vs. No. 6 Legacy, Thursday
4. Green Valley (9-1) beat Valley, 53-25. Next: at No. 8 Canyon Springs, Thursday
5. Faith Lutheran (6-3) beat No. 10 Durango, 42-6. Next: at No. 1 Bishop Gorman, Thursday
6. Legacy (7-3) beat No. 9 Sierra Vista, 49-21. Next: at No. 3 Arbor View, Thursday
7. Foothill (8-2) beat Las Vegas, 42-14. Next: at No. 2 Liberty, Thursday
8. Canyon Springs (7-4) beat Basic, 41-0. Next: vs. No. 4 Green Valley, Thursday
9. Sierra Vista (6-3) lost to No. 6 Legacy, 42-14. Next: Season complete.
10. Durango (6-4) lost to No. 5 Faith Lutheran, 42-6. Next: Season complete.
Class 3A
1. Desert Pines (7-2) beat Del Sol, 54-12. Next: vs. Sunrise Mountain, Thursday
2. Mojave (8-2) beat No. 5 Chaparral, 12-10. Next: at No. 3 Virgin Valley, Thursday
3. Virgin Valley (7-3) beat Pahrump Valley, 43-34. Next: vs. No. 2 Mojave, Thursday
4. Moapa Valley (6-3) lost to Sunrise Mountain, 30-28. Next: Season complete.
5. Chaparral (7-2) lost to No. 2 Mojave, 12-10. Next: Season complete
Class 2A
1. Needles (10-0) beat No. 4 Democracy Prep, 42-0. Next: vs. Battle Mountain, Saturday, Nov. 11
2. Lincoln County (8-3) beat No. 3 Lake Mead, 34-20. Next: at Pershing County, Saturday, Nov. 11
3. Lake Mead (6-3) lost to No. 2 Lincoln County, 34-20. Next: Season complete
4. Democracy Prep (4-5) lost to No. 1 Needles, 42-0. Next: Season complete
5. The Meadows (3-6) was idle. Next: Season complete.
Class 1A
1. Pahranagat Valley (10-0) beat No. 4 Tonopah, 44-0. Next: vs. Whittell or Wells, Friday, Nov. 10
2. Spring Mountain (7-2) beat No. 3 Beatty, 60-6. Next: at Whittell or Virginia City, Friday, Nov. 10
3. Beatty (5-3) lost to No. 2 Spring Mountain, 60-6. Next: Season complete
4. Tonopah (5-6) lost to No. 1 Pahranagat Valley, 44-0. Next: Season complete
5. Indian Springs (1-6) was idle. Next: Season complete.
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Video coverage
See the following stories for some of the RJ’s video coverage from Week 11.
No pepper spray, this time, as Canyon Springs rolls Basic
