NOTES: Coaches say forfeiting games with top schools wrong move
Four high school football teams in Washington state have made news in recent weeks for forfeiting games rather than taking the field against a private Catholic school that features college and NFL-sized players.
Why? The Wildcats are too big, and schools are worried about player safety. According to CBS News, Archbishop Murphy has six players who weigh at least 250 pounds, including three over 300.
That begs the question: Would Southern Nevada teams forfeit a game against a powerhouse such as Bishop Gorman before stepping onto the field?
“What are you teaching your kids as far as the bigger picture of sports and athletics?” said Liberty coach Rich Muraco, whose team is ranked No. 23 in the nation and has finished as the state runner-up to Gorman in two of the past four seasons. “It’s not necessarily about winning. It’s overcoming adversity and going through the process of getting better more than the end result.
“If safety was the main concern, I can see that. But you hope the state organization would look out for the safety of schools and players. And then move teams up or down.”
One Washington school that has forfeited — Granite Falls — said its players decided as a team not to play, even though its athletic director and coach would have gone through with the matchup.
Archbishop Murphy now hasn’t played since Sept. 16. That won’t change this week, either, as Cedar Park Christian School became the latest school to announce its forfeiture on Monday in a game that was supposed to be Archbishop’s homecoming.
In Las Vegas, Spring Valley coach Marcus Teal, whose team is coming off a 69-13 home loss to Gorman last week, said he wouldn’t want the type of kids who are so willing to accept defeat before even going out.
“I would really ask those kids to turn in their gear,” Teal said. “I don’t ever want to go into a game feeling defeated before you get out there and can see what can happen. You try to instill a competitive nature in kids. And stand up to those things. It may seem like you’re outmanned or outnumbered, but you can still go out there and measure up.”
If anything, Southern Nevada coaches agree that Gorman has brought a lot of exposure to the area by winning the past two mythical national championships. And that the success continues to push other teams to get better.
Many pointed to the improvement of recent Southern Nevada powerhouses, such as Arbor View, Centennial and Liberty.
“I have friends back East, and they’ll ask me, ‘Do you play Gorman this year?’” Desert Oasis coach Mike Ovens said. “So the notoriety behind them and the mystique is awesome. It puts us on the map footballwise.
“They’re the No. 1 team in the country year after year after year. For us, we’re going to play them. You can’t run or hide from it. It’s our biggest game. You hope every kid wants to play. To them, it’s like their Super Bowl.”
While Durango’s Matt Gerber said Gorman has an obvious advantage over public schools in Southern Nevada and that some intervention from the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association might be beneficial, the fifth-year coach never would step off the field completely.
“Every time my kids go against Gorman, they’re excited,” he said. “You might play against kids who are going to the NFL, and you’re going to be on film that goes out to a lot of colleges. Make the most of it.
“You always want to compete to see where you’re at against the best. And they’re the best. If you’re not willing to step up and play the best, I don’t know what your reasoning is. It pushes everyone to try and get better.”
RECENT COMMITMENTS
■ Coronado senior Marissa Kopp to Calumet College of Saint Joseph (Indiana) for softball.
■ Shadow Ridge senior Tomi Simmons to McPherson College (Kansas) for women’s soccer.
Contact reporter Ashton Ferguson at aferguson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430. Follow him on Twitter: @af_ferguson
