The
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) football team will not participate in the Sollenberger Classic in August, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
The format of the game, which previously pitted the defending large-school state champions from Arizona and Nevada, has been changed by officials at the Arizona Interscholastic Association to include a team from Colorado. In addition, a small-school game is being added to the schedule.
Two-time defending Nevada 4A state champion Gorman was expected to take on Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.), the defending Arizona 5A Division II champion. Chaparral features senior-to-be quarterback Connor Brewer, who has given a verbal commitment to Texas, and the Firebirds are expected to be nationally ranked.
Instead, the Sun reported that Chaparral is expected to meet Mullen (Denver) at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Gorman lost to nationally-ranked Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 24-17 in last year's Sollenberger Classic. The Gaels return several starters for the 2011 season and will likely be a part of the Xcellent 25 national rankings, meaning a game against Chaparral would have been an early-season showdown between two of the best teams in the country.
"We were disappointed because it was such a competitive game last year," Gorman coach Tony Sanchez told the Las Vegas Sun. "It was a great representation of the classic and what it is supposed to be about. The idea of getting to compete against a quality team is something we were excited about."
Gorman will still have two out-of-state powerhouses on its schedule. The Gaels will host Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) on Aug. 26 and welcome Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) to the Vegas valley on Oct. 1.
"I'm glad we did load up our schedule," Sanchez told the Sun.
The small-school game at the Sollenberger Classic is expected to involve
Truckee (Calif.) against a team from Arizona, according to the Sun. Truckee has won two straight Nevada 3A state titles.
"The irony in all this is that there is a California team representing Nevada in Arizona," Eddie Bonine, the executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, told the Sun.
CHURCHFIELD RETURNS TO PALO VERDEPaul Churchfield returned as the baseball coach at
Palo Verde (Las Vegas), the school's athletic administrator told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday.
William Keairnes told the newspaper that he would not comment on whether Churchfield will coach the rest of the season, but said, "He's back Tuesday and we'll move forward."
Churchfield had not coached since March 17, when Clark County School District detectives received a police report for an alleged physical altercation between Churchfield and a player. According to the Review-Journal, CCSD investigator Loren Johnson said the case against Churchfield remains open, but should be resolved soon.
"I don't think it's going to take much longer," Johnson told the Review-Journal. "It's being looked into and will be resolved in a timely manner."
Churchfield's attorney, Joel Mann, told the Review-Journal he is confident his client will coach the rest of the season. Palo Verde (4-4, 2-1 Northwest League) played at Shadow Ridge (Las Vegas) on Wednesday.
Churchfield guided the Panthers to the Sunset Region playoffs in each of his first five seasons.
"Paul is excited to get back to coaching, doing what he loves," Mann told the Review-Journal. "He's excited the administration saw he was fit to remain as coach."
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.
