Green Valley quarterback relishes opportunity to impress recruiters

Green Valley’s Christian Lopez entered the football season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the state, but has drawn lukewarm interest from recruiters.

He will have one more opportunity to show off his skills.

Lopez is one of three quarterbacks for the Sunrise Region team in the West Charleston Lions Club Charity All-Star Football Game. The 44th edition of the game kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Bishop Gorman and features several of the top seniors from the region.

“This is a last chance for me to prove what I can really do,” Lopez said. “I think I can use this as a valuable tool to get into college.”

Lopez was a second-team all-state selection as a junior when he threw for 3,455 yards — the No. 2 single-season total in state history, according to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association record book — along with 34 touchdowns. His numbers dipped to 1,579 yards and 13 TDs this season as Green Valley (7-3) nearly produced two 1,000-yard rushers.

Lopez is generously listed at 6 feet 2 inches by Green Valley and lacks ideal size. Lopez said coaches’ criticism of him ranged from not showing enough touch on his throws to not staying in the pocket long enough.

Lopez was being recruited by Eastern Washington, but the Football Championship Subdivision school received an oral commitment from another quarterback. He is still hearing from Montana State and NAIA powerhouse Southern Oregon and said he expects to draw interest from UNLV after Tony Sanchez is officially named the Rebels’ coach.

Lopez said he was planning to work with Gorman quarterbacks coach Ron O’Dell in the offseason.

“I think coaches look at this game as where people stand with a lot of the talent on the field,” Lopez said. “With the players that are out here, I expect to put up big numbers.”

This is the second year the West Charleston Lions Club game is being played in December after 42 years as a summer fixture. The Sunrise Region is riding a three-game winning streak.

Admission to the game is $10 for adults and $5 for students.

■ TWO WILDCATS COMMIT — Las Vegas High senior football players Jacob Littlefield and Elias Miller made oral commitments to Air Force and Weber State, respectively.

Littlefield, a 6-foot, 205-pound linebacker, was the Northeast League Most Valuable Player on defense and led the Wildcats with 83 tackles.

Miller, a one-time Brigham Young commit, is a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. The 6-1, 190-pound running back rushed for 296 yards and two scores and caught 15 passes for 153 yards and four TDs in only six games.

■ BROADUS IN ALL-AMERICA GAME — Bishop Gorman senior wide receiver Cordell Broadus was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game, which takes place Jan. 2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and will be televised by ESPN.

Broadus, the son of famed rapper Snoop Dogg, had 39 receptions for 602 yards and 11 touchdowns in his only season with the Gaels after transferring from Diamond Bar, Calif.

■ RECENT COMMITMENTS — Desert Oasis senior A.J. Landis to Colorado Mesa for baseball.

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.