Nevada football teams gun for Bishop Gorman

The high school football season officially kicked off last weekend and gets underway in earnest Friday. With that in mind, here are a few of the biggest questions of the preseason in Nevada:

1. Can an in-state team beat No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)?
To steal a line from that dazzling wordsmith, Justin Bieber, never say never.

The Gaels (0-1) opened the season with a 24-17 setback against Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) in the Sollenberger Classic and host Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.) Saturday. They will also travel to De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) in late September to meet the Northern California powerhouse.

But when it comes to teams from Nevada, the Gaels appear to be a step above right now.

Last season, Gorman outscored its 14 in-state opponents 750-121 and the Gaels are loaded once again. Second-year coach Tony Sanchez has an elite running back (junior Shaquille Powell), a massive offensive line, a stout defense that features two Pacific-10 Conference verbals in defensive end Jalen Grimble (USC) and safety Evan Zeger (Washington), and a talented young quarterback (sophomore Jarrett Solomon). No other team in the state can match that kind of overall talent level.

Still, games aren't won on paper and Gorman could see a couple speed bumps on the road to its second straight 4A state title and third in the last four years. Third-ranked Palo Verde (Las Vegas) is the early favorite to be Gorman's opposition in the Sunset Region final and its double-wing offense is always difficult to prepare for.

The Panthers gave Gorman its best game last year, losing 38-28 in the Sunset Region semifinals. Since the Sunset Region final is also one of the state semifinals this season, Gorman's only other test would come in the title game against the winner of the matchup between the Sunrise Region and Northern Region champions.

2. How has realignment affected the 4A Northern Region?
In a word: dramatically.

Elko, Churchill County (Fallon), South Tahoe (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) and Wooster (Reno) all moved down to 3A — Wooster became independent in football and will play a 3A schedule — leaving 11 teams in the large-school class and only one league, which is now stacked from top to bottom with few soft spots in the schedule.

Bishop Manogue (Reno) has a tough three-week stretch when it faces Douglas (Minden), Reno and Carson (Carson City), and the Miners get Reed (Sparks) and McQueen (Reno) back-to-back following a bye week. Speaking of McQueen, the Lancers face a daunting five-week run starting Sept. 17 against Reed, Douglas, Spanish Springs (Sparks), Galena (Reno) and Manogue. Ouch.

Carson, Manogue, McQueen and defending region champion Reed are the preseason favorites, although Spanish Springs and Douglas, with its 23 seniors returning, could be sleepers. And with eight of the 11 teams making the playoffs, the head-to-head matchups in the second division of the standings will take on added meaning, much like the relegation battles in soccer's English Premier League.

"Everybody is going to get a bit of a wake-up call," North Valleys (Reno) coach Ty Gregg told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "Everyone kind of had two or three games on the schedule (previously) that the players just felt wasn't that big of a game. I don't think anyone is really, truly ready for the gauntlet (sic) they're going to run through this year."

3. Will Las Vegas regain the Sunrise Region title?
The Wildcats saw their string of six straight region crowns halted in 2009 when Las Vegas was upset 27-20 by Foothill (Henderson) in the opening round of the playoffs. But seventh-year coach Chris Faircloth's squad might have more talent at the skill positions than any team in the state not named Bishop Gorman.

Junior quarterback Hasaan Henderson returns after throwing for 1,805 yards and 20 TDs with just four interceptions. Junior running back Farrell Victor (889 yards rushing, eight TDs; 34 catches, 334 yards and 4 TDs) was a first-team All-Northeast League pick and senior WR Marquan Major, one of the top college prospects in the state, is back after being hampered by a collarbone injury for much of last season.

Still, Las Vegas will face plenty of competition for the title from Southeast League opposition. Del Sol (Las Vegas) is the defending region champion and has reached the region championship game four years in a row. The Dragons lost the state's leading rusher, Dezerick Reed, along with two-way standout Evan Weinstock, but the cupboard isn't bare for seventh-year coach Preston Goroff. Junior RB Chris Marshall is a potential game-breaker and senior QB Troy Miller is drawing interest from a handful of FBS schools.

Basic (Henderson) won the Southeast League in 2008 and reached the region title game last year, losing to Del Sol 20-19. The Wolves have 32 letterwinners returning and should be strong defensively once again. Liberty (Henderson) made the playoffs for the first time in school history last season and the Patriots could be even stronger with a solid running game led by RB Ty Byrd (876 yards, 7 TDs) and a defense that features first-team All-Southeast selection Sam Tai at defensive end.

There's also Foothill, which brings back its quarterback (Parker Riggin), leading rusher (Connor Afoa) and two of its top three receivers (Kyle Keplinger and Darius Gates), along with Silverado (Las Vegas).

Only four teams from the Southeast League make the playoffs.

4. What about the small schools?
No. 2 Truckee (Calif.) is behind only Bishop Gorman in the MaxPreps state rankings and the Wolverines are certainly the favorite in the 3A Northern Region.

Senior QB Ben Bolton (2,085 yards, 28 TDs) returns, as does one of his favorite targets in TE James DePew. However, Truckee's road to a second straight 3A state championship got a little tougher thanks to realignment.

Down south, Moapa Valley (Overton) is looking for its third state title in the last four years, not to mention a bit of revenge for the 27-0 pasting the Pirates received from Truckee in the state title game. Boulder City and Virgin Valley (Mesquite) also figure to be improved.

In 2A, Meadows (Las Vegas) seeks its third straight 2A state title and the Mustangs should be in the mix thanks largely to junior QB Garrett Gossc (2,300 yards, 35 TDs, 8 INTs). As usual, Battle Mountain, Pershing County (Lovelock) and Yerington should battle it out up north.

GORMAN NAMES NEW BASEBALL COACH
Bishop Gorman didn't have to look far to find its new baseball coach.

Nick Day, who served as an assistant for the Gaels the last two years, was introduced by the school on Thursday. Day replaces Chris Sheff, who departed in July to become the coach and athletic director at the College of Southern Nevada.

The Gaels have won five consecutive Nevada 4A state championships and are a fixture in the MaxPreps national rankings. Day is certainly no stranger to success.

As a player, Day was part of the Green Valley (Henderson) dynasty in the mid-1990s, winning four straight state titles under legendary coach Rodger Fairless. The outfielder was named Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year as a senior in 1996 and he was a 15th-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Day attended Stanford before finishing his career at Brigham Young. He was selected in the 20th round of the 2000 draft by the San Diego Padres and played two seasons in the minor leagues.

Day, who served as Gorman's junior varsity coach, spent the past two seasons picking Sheff's brain regarding in-game decision making. Day was also an assistant on Gorman's American Legion team, which reached the Western Regional final this summer.

"One reason I got hired was because Fairless and Sheff were two of the most successful coaches we've ever had in Vegas," Day told Nevadapreps.com. "I saw their similarities, what they do differently, and I can take their styles and make my own."

David Schoen works at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and is a former Associate Sports Editor and Turn2 columnist for the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune. You can reach him at ByDavid1@aol.com.