Wildcats don’t need stats in rout

From the category of strange-but-true statistics comes this beauty: Las Vegas' football team managed less than 150 yards of total offense on Friday night and won.

In a rout.

The host Wildcats capitalized on five turnovers and a handful of special-teams mistakes by Coronado to cruise to a 43-0 homecoming victory.

"We kind of felt that we had an advantage in the special-teams phases tonight, and it showed," Las Vegas coach James Thurman said. "We kind of challenged them, told them the more physical team would win. Our kids are scrappy, hardworking east-side kids."

Quarterback Zach Matlock accounted for two touchdowns for the ninth-ranked Wildcats (4-1), who finished with only 149 total yards, including 27 yards rushing as a team.

Elijah Hicks added 44 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

Las Vegas' average starting field position was Coronado's 39-yard line. The Wildcats began six of their 10 drives in plus territory, along with another one at midfield.

"We gave the offense short fields all night," Thurman said. "If you don't have to go 80 (yards) and you only have to go 20 (yards), we'll take it."

No. 10 Coronado (2-3) got the game's first break when a punt on the opening drive hit a Las Vegas player and DaQu'an Davis recovered at the Wildcats' 34-yard line. But two plays later, Josh Perez scooped up a fumble and went 81 yards for a touchdown to put Las Vegas up 7-0 early in the first quarter.

Coronado's next possession ended with a bad snap on a punt that gave Las Vegas the ball at the Cougars' 13. Matlock then hit Hanoi Rabago for an 11-yard touchdown that gave the Wildcats a 14-0 advantage.

Another poor punt snap sailed out of the end zone for a safety to push Las Vegas' lead to 16-0 late in the first quarter.

Zacharry Loveland returned an interception 49 yards for a score, giving the Wildcats a 23-0 lead less than three minutes in the second quarter. Coronado punter Adolfo Sandoval couldn't handle a low snap on his team's next drive and was dropped for a 10-yard loss, leading to Hicks' 27-yard touchdown run to make it 30-0 midway through the second quarter.

Coronado finished with 96 yards of offense. Running back Jordan Patterson had 64 yards on 14 carries to lead the Cougars.

"They're a good football team, and that double-wing offense is kind of an equalizer," Thurman said. "You never really know where you're going to stand when all that stuff starts happening. The kids did what they were supposed to do. They were disciplined. They were physical. I think we beat them up a little bit."

Matlock capped an eight-play, 53-yard drive before halftime with a 4-yard touchdown run that made it 37-0. The sophomore, who connected with DiQuan Brown for a 32-yard gain during the drive, absorbed a big hit at the goal line from three Coronado defenders to score.

Ricardo Ortega added two short field goals in the second half for Las Vegas, which gets a bye next week before opening Northeast League play on Oct. 16 against Canyon Springs.

"We're playing pretty good football," Thurman said. "A couple turnovers we've got to eliminate but there's always room to get better."

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.