Small-School Football Capsules

CLASS 3A SOUTHERN LEAGUE

BOULDER CITY

■ Coach: Alex Kazel, third year

■ 2009 record: 7-5 (0-2 3A Southern)

■ Returning starters: Six offense, four defense

■ Top players: C/DE Bleu Huxford (Sr.); CB/WR Jack LaMarca (Sr.); OT/DL Kyle Erickson (Sr.); RB/LB Frankie Badgely (Jr.); G/DL Billy Rotroff (Jr.); NT James Morgan (Sr.); WR/LB Joe Woodbury (Sr.); OT Cameron Thompson (Sr.)

■ Outlook: The Eagles believe they have plenty to build on after breaking through with a 10-7 win at Virgin Valley in a 3A Southern League playoff game to reach the state semifinals last year.

Boulder City must replace arguably its top player in linebacker Steven Kaposta, but a solid core returns. Huxford will anchor the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball after taking second-team 3A all-state honors at defensive end last season.

Kazel said senior Matt Combs and junior Thomas Shelley are battling for the starting quarterback job, though both will see playing time in the spread offense.

MOAPA VALLEY

■ Coach: Brent Lewis, ninth year

■ 2009 record: 7-4 (2-0 3A Southern)

■ Returning starters: Five offense, six defense

■ Top players: QB/OLB Kelan Weiss (Sr.); WR/S Hayden Cooper (Sr.); WR/CB Casen Lewis (Sr.); RB/ILB Zach Waite (Sr.); DT/FB Haydn Waite (Sr.); ILB Taylor Schwartz (Jr.); G Lane Stringham (Jr.)

■ Outlook: It was business as usual for the Pirates last season until the 3A state title game, where they were rolled 27-0 by Truckee in Reno. The loss was a surprising thud to end the season, snapping a six-game winning streak and preventing Moapa Valley from capturing three straight state titles for the first time since the 1960s.

The Pirates have plenty of ammunition to try to get back there, led by Weiss, a second-team 3A all-state pick who passed for 1,582 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.

But the biggest question facing Moapa Valley is on the line of scrimmage, where no starters return on either side of the ball.

It also will be tough for Moapa Valley to replace the versatile Matt Newton, last year's 3A Southern League Most Valuable Player, and Jake Pearce, the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

VIRGIN VALLEY

■ Coach: Kirk Hafen, 20th year

■ 2009 record: 3-7 (1-1 3A Southern)

■ Returning starters: Eight offense, eight defense

■ Top players: RB/LB Richard Vidal (Sr.); OT/DT Matt Devore (Sr.); OL/DT Blake Leavitt (Sr.); QB/DB Daniel Gleave (Sr.); QB/LB Humberto Urias (Jr.); CB/WR Brandon Cohen (Sr.)

■ Outlook: The Bulldogs will be looking to bounce back from a 3-7 season after they had gone a combined 31-8 in the three years prior.

It will help having back a more experienced group. Last year, only one senior returned with a full season of varsity experience.

Much of Virgin Valley's plans will be geared around Vidal, who rushed for 629 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. Hafen said Gleave and Urias, last year's starter, are in a battle for the starting quarterback spot.

CLASS 2A SOUTHERN LEAGUE

AGASSI PREP

■ Coach: Colt Goodman, fourth year

■ 2009 record: 3-5 (2-5 2A Southern)

■ Returning starters: Nine offense, nine defense

■ Top players: RB/SS DeVonn Porter (Sr.); WR/FS LeShaun Sims (Sr.); QB/CB Terrell Kemp (Jr.); G/DL Jamal Holmes (Jr.); NT/OT Adrian Huling (Jr.)

■ Outlook: Depth and eligibility have been hurdles for the Stars in recent years, but Goodman is confident they can compete with an experienced core returning.

Agassi Prep's top player, perhaps on both sides of the ball, is Porter, a college prospect whose 2009 season was cut short because of a right leg injury in the fourth game.

The Stars entered that game 3-0, including two league victories, and Goodman hopes a healthy Porter can carry Agassi Prep into the postseason.

Goodman said the 6-foot-4-inch, 310-pound Huling will be counted on to be a force on the interior of both lines.

CALVARY CHAPEL

■ Coach: Cliff Frazier, third year

■ 2009 record: 3-5 (3-4 2A Southern)

■ Returning starters: Three offense, three defense

■ Top players: QB/LB Cody Taylor (Sr.); WR/S Cody Moreno (Sr.); OT/DT Steven Shigley (Jr.); G/NT Dominic Mejorada (Sr.); C Shelby Clark (So.)

■ Outlook: The Lions have only six seniors, but Frazier hopes Taylor can provide leadership as a third-year starter.

Calvary Chapel started 0-3 last season before finishing 3-2, including a season-ending upset of Lincoln County. Frazier hopes this year's group can show similar improvement.

LAUGHLIN

■ Coach: Jason Leonard, fifth year

■ 2009 record: 7-2

■ Returning starters: Four offense, four defense

■ Top players: QB/FS Andre Prosise (Sr.); DT/OT JaQuan Lakes (So.); RB/LB Colton Hill (So.); OT/LB Kris Suhr (Sr.); RB/LB Jimmy Minnear (Jr.); RB/OLB Tyler Morrison (Sr.)

■ Outlook: After two years of playing an independent Class 1A schedule, the Cougars finally have become an official 2A member and will be making the switch to 11-man football this season.

The idea of playing for a playoff spot has players and coaches energized, Leonard said.

Laughlin will have to start by replacing Corey Cook, who led all Southern Nevada eight-man players in rushing with 1,758 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, as well as Christian Kruse (693 rushing yards, 12 TDs).

Enter Prosise, a second-year starter at quarterback who ran for 360 yards and eight touchdowns and passed for 274 yards and three scores as a junior.

MOUNTAIN VIEW

■ Coach: Ray LeBoeuf, fifth year

■ 2009 record: 9-3 (6-1 2A Southern)

■ Returning starters: Eight offense, eight defense

■ Top players: QB/LB T.J. Engel (Sr.); WR/LB Trevor Van Kempen (Jr.); RB/LB Elijah Armstrong (So.); OL/DL Henry Santos (Jr.); C/DL Taylor Williams (Sr.); WR/S Justyn Anderson (Sr.); MLB Joshua Killam (Jr.); RB Jacob Duldulao (Fr.)

■ Outlook: The Saints continued to rise on the 2A landscape in their second year at the 11-man level last season, setting a school record for single-season wins and reaching the state semifinals.

Mountain View returns several playmakers from that team but will have to replace the biggest one in Cortland LeBoeuf, who rushed for 1,711 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Coach LeBoeuf said he is concerned with trying to replace the team's top two tacklers from a year ago, too.

Still, plenty of talent is coming back defensively, including Armstrong, who made 86 tackles as a freshman.

Offensively, Mountain View will be geared around Engel, who was a threat passing (1,559 yards, 22 TDs) and rushing (585 yards, 11 TDs) in his first season as a starter.

THE MEADOWS

■ Coach: Frank DeSantis, 10th year

■ 2009 record: 11-1 (7-0 2A Southern)

■ Returning starters: Five offense, five defense

■ Top players: QB Garrett Gosse (Jr.); WR/DB/KR Austin Brown (Sr.); WR/DB Max Newman (Jr.); C/DL Yanieve Etiel (Sr.); WR/DB Richard Lee (Jr.); RB Chase Marrs (So.); RB Torrey Mayes (Jr.)

■ Outlook: The Mustangs return the 2A state Offensive Player of the Year, Gosse, to a team that aims for a third straight state title.

However, the backbone of the past two title teams was the play of both lines, and most of those players are gone. The Meadows returns only one starter from last season's offensive line.

Still, the Mustangs are expected to compete thanks to a talented group of skill-position players led by Gosse, who threw for 2,300 yards and 35 TDs with only eight interceptions in his first season as a starter.

The Meadows also will rely heavily on Brown, a playmaker on both sides of the ball. Brown caught 37 passes for 694 yards and 15 touchdowns last season and picked off seven passes.

CLASS 1A SOUTHERN LEAGUE

INDIAN SPRINGS

■ Coach: Sope Faga, 17th year

■ 2009 record: 2-6 (1-5 1A Southern)

■ Returning starters: Seven offense, seven defense

■ Top players: QB/ILB Adam Reinke (Sr.); WR/CB Xavier Pena (Jr.); C/DT Brandon Pierce (Sr.); RB Devin Jackson (So.); LB/FB Josh Swisher (Sr.); DE/OL Junior Faga (Fr.)

■ Outlook: If any team looks poised to challenge Pahranagat Valley for the 1A Southern League throne, it's Indian Springs.

The Thunderbirds return seven starters on both sides of the ball, including the reigning league Most Valuable Player in Reinke.

As a junior, Reinke passed for 1,479 yards and 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions and led Indian Springs in rushing with 401 yards and eight TDs. He also had two TD receptions and was the team's leading tackler with 48 stops.

The Thunderbirds were 2-2 last season before injuries mounted, and they lost their last four games to miss the playoffs.

In addition to returning playmakers Pena and Jackson, Indian Springs also adds Swisher, a transfer from Georgia, and could have an impact freshman in Faga.

SPRING MOUNTAIN

■ Coach: Aaron Masden, third year

■ 2009 record: 7-4 (4-2 1A Southern)

■ Top players: RB/OLB Alistair Houpe; OL/DL David Reynoso; C/NT Daquan Billingsley; QB/S Malcom Brown; RB/LB Matthew Trapp; OL/DL Ruben Banegas; RB/LB Anthony Taylor

■ Outlook: The Eagles never have returning players, but Masden believes the identity of his program has improved with a breakthrough season last year in which the team reached the postseason for the first time since 2005.

Spring Mountain always has a new roster because its players are in the Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services program and typically spend an average of six months at the youth camp.

Masden said his defense is ahead of his offense early, but he likes his chances to have an effective power running game.

INDEPENDENT

SANDY VALLEY

■ Coach: Harlan Aranaydo, first year

■ 2009 record: 1-4

■ Returning starters: Unavailable

■ Top players: Unavailable

■ Outlook: The Sidewinders will look to build momentum after beating Lund last season for their first win since 2006.