SMALL SCHOOL FOOTBALL CAPSULES
CLASS 3A SOUTHERN LEAGUE
BOULDER CITY
• COACH: Alex Kazel, second year
• 2008 RECORD: 5-5 (1-2 3A Southern)
• RETURNING STARTERS: Five offense, four defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: RB/LB Devin Combs (Sr.); C/DE Bleu Huxford (Jr.); TE/LB Preston Swasey (Sr.); LB/RB Steven Kaposta (Sr.); OG/DE Tate Boyster (Sr.); QB/DB Ryan Washburn (Sr.)
• OUTLOOK: Kazel said the Eagles had a strong training camp and are building on last season.
Boulder City is loaded with veterans on the line of scrimmage, which Kazel said should be a strength.
He is looking for Kaposta, who had 99 tackles and 91/2 sacks last season, to be a leader.
MOAPA VALLEY
• COACH: Brent Lewis, eighth year
• 2008 RECORD: 10-2 (3-0 3A Southern)
• RETURNING STARTERS: Five offense, seven defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: MLB/FB Jake Pearce (Sr.); C/DE Cameron Lim (Sr.); OL/DT Colby Powell (Sr.); WR/RB/DB Matt Newton (Sr.); QB Kelan Weiss (Jr.); WR Dillon Gordon (Sr.); WR Casen Lewis (Jr.); RB Zach Staley (Jr.); DE Luke Leavitt (Sr.); LB Alex Huerta (Sr.)
• OUTLOOK: The Pirates are gunning for a third straight 3A state championship, which would be their first string of three straight titles since winning 1A crowns from 1966 to 1968.
Though a veteran group returns, particularly on defense, Moapa Valley must find a way to replace running back/defensive back Brad Weiss.
VIRGIN VALLEY
• COACH: Kirk Hafen, 19th year
• 2008 RECORD: 9-3 (2-1 3A Southern)
• RETURNING STARTERS: One offense, one defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: FB/MLB Zach Horlacher (Sr.); OT/DT Matt Devore (Jr.); DE Kayden Linge (Sr.)
• OUTLOOK: The Bulldogs are as inexperienced as just about any other 3A team in the state, with only one senior returning with a full season of varsity experience.
That player, Horlacher, will move from tight end to fullback and also will play middle linebacker.
CLASS 2A SOUTHERN LEAGUE
AGASSI PREP
• COACH: Colt Goodman, third year
• 2008 RECORD: 1-7 (1-6 2A Southern)
• RETURNING STARTERS: Three offense, four defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: RB/SS DeVonn Porter (Jr.); TE/DL Curtis Watson (So.); FS/WR LeShawn Sims (Jr.); ILB/RB KeAndre Albert (So.); CB/WR Dennis Mitchell (Jr.)
• OUTLOOK: The Stars are young and lack depth, but will try to capitalize on their speed and talent.
Goodman said Porter will carry the load offensively, but the team's line play -- its seven linemen average roughly 245 pounds -- will be key.
CALVARY CHAPEL
• COACH: Cliff Frazier, second year
• 2008 RECORD: 3-6 (2-5 2A Southern)
• RETURNING STARTERS: Seven offense, seven defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: QB/OLB Cody Taylor (Jr.); CB/WR Cody Moreno (Jr.); OT/DE Bryan McKenzie (Sr.); RB/OLB Justin Cox (Sr.); WR/LB Luke Bilbao (Jr.); DT/OT Steven Shigley (So.); NG/OL Ethan Davis (Sr.); WR/CB Denzel Morris (Sr.)
• OUTLOOK: The Lions got off to a 3-2 start in their first season at the 11-man level last year before losing their final four games.
The mobile Taylor leads a veteran group of returning players. Frazier said he has a hard-working squad that used the summer to continue learning the spread offense he installed last year.
MOUNTAIN VIEW
• COACH: Ray LeBoeuf, fourth year
• 2008 RECORD: 5-7 (4-3 2A Southern)
• RETURNING STARTERS: Five offense, five defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: RB/WR/CB Cortland LeBoeuf (Sr.); WR/CB/LB Karl Benjamin (Sr.); WR/CB Justyn Anderson (Jr.); RB/CB Mark Allen (Jr.); WR/CB Trevor Van Kempen (So.); LB/OL Steven Abdelsayed (Sr.)
• OUTLOOK: The Saints return a bevy of skill-position talent to surround junior quarterback T.J. Engel.
Ray LeBoeuf said the two biggest questions facing his team are whether the offensive line can make up for the loss of three starters, and whether the defense can make up for the losses of Billy Paddack (134 tackles in 2008), Dylan Martin (11 sacks), Raymond Velarde (three interceptions) and Nate Swingle (94 tackles).
THE MEADOWS
• COACH: Frank DeSantis, ninth year
• 2008 RECORD: 11-2 (6-1 2A Southern)
• RETURNING STARTERS: Six offense, nine defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: TE/DE/K/P Dylan Lee (Sr.); WR/KR Austin Brown (Jr.); OG/NG Andrew Duddlesten (Sr.); DE Heath Gould (Sr.); LB Josh Ramist (Sr.); QB Garrett Gosse (So.)
• OUTLOOK: The Mustangs return a veteran group from their first 2A state title team since 2001.
However, they must replace their two biggest offensive weapons from 2008. Pat Kenny graduated after rushing for 22 touchdowns, and Gerard Martinez transferred to Cimarron-Memorial after throwing for 33 TDs as a freshman.
CLASS 1A SOUTHERN LEAGUE
HENDERSON INTERNATIONAL
• COACH: Brett Price, second year
• 2008 RECORD: 2-1
• RETURNING STARTERS: Seven offense, five defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: RB/DE Jay Sutorious (So.); FB/LB Charles Pachas (So.); WR/DE Keenan Gladd-Brown (So.); OL/DL Cole Fouch (So.); QB Logan Christie (So.); OL Cal Rivera (So.)
• OUTLOOK: Though the Wolverines played only three varsity games last season on an independent schedule, going 2-1, they were 7-1 against a mix of varsity and junior varsity competition.
INDIAN SPRINGS
• COACH: Sope Faga
• 2008 RECORD: 5-5 (3-3 1A Southern)
• RETURNING STARTERS: Three offense, three defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: OL/DL Brandon Pierce (Jr.); QB/LB Adam Reinke (Jr.); RB/DB Junior Baker (Jr.)
• OUTLOOK: After losing nine seniors to graduation, the Thunderbirds have no seniors on the roster for 2009, Faga said. Still, he's optimistic about the young group if players can step up at the line of scrimmage.
SPRING MOUNTAIN
• COACH: Aaron Masden, second year
• 2008 RECORD: 3-6 (2-4 1A Southern)
• TOP PLAYERS: RB/S James Maestas; RB/S/LB DeAndre Hampton; TE/DE Marquise Lewis
• OUTLOOK: Because all Eagles players are in the Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services program, Spring Mountain never has returning players.
Masden said he has a team "more physical than in years' past" that he compared to the Eagles' last playoff team in 2005, when he served as an assistant.
INDEPENDENTS
LAUGHLIN
• COACH: Jason Leonard, fourth year
• 2008 RECORD: 6-2
• RETURNING STARTERS: Four offense, four defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: QB/RB/LB/S Jimmy Minnear (So.); QB/RB/S Corey Cook (Sr.); FB/TE/WR Christian Wood (So.); NG Michael Johnson (Sr.); WR/S Andre Prosise (Jr.)
• OUTLOOK: Again playing an independent schedule, the Cougars appear loaded in the backfield.
Among the returnees is Cook, who rushed for 1,197 yards and 22 touchdowns and threw for 498 yards and eight TDs last season.
SANDY VALLEY
• COACH: John Craddock, third year
• 2008 RECORD: 0-8 (0-6 1A Southern League)
• RETURNING STARTERS: Seven offense, seven defense.
• TOP PLAYERS: MLB/SE Patrick Hartung (Sr.); TE/LB Nathan Plaza (Jr.); TE/DL Chasen Young (Jr.); DL/FB Randal Spencer (So.); C/NG Brandon Hughes (So.); RB/S Austin Shupe (Sr.); SS/QB Ryan Hagan (So.)
• OUTLOOK: After a winless 2008 campaign, the undermanned Sidewinders have shifted to an independent schedule including a mix of varsity and junior varsity teams.
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