Las Vegas standouts eager for first taste of 4A semifinals

Las Vegas High is no stranger to the state football semifinals, but today’s game is uncharted territory for seniors Emir Lopez, Reggie Bullock and Alanzi Langstaff.

The Wildcats (12-1) play Palo Verde (13-0) at 1 p.m. today at Arbor View, with the winner advancing to next week’s Class 4A state championship.

Lopez and Bullock had only one postseason victory between them before transferring to Las Vegas this year from Sierra Vista and Western, respectively.

Langstaff missed almost all of his junior season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first half of the first game.

“I’ve never been past (the first round), and helping the team out means a lot,” said Lopez, who has passed for 2,551 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. “We’re not stopping here. We’ve got one goal, and that’s to win state.”

Langstaff, a 6-foot-4-inch defensive lineman, said it was difficult to be on the sidelines when the Wildcats lost 34-20 to McQueen in last year’s semis.

“It was hard going up to Reno and watch my team lose to McQueen,” Langstaff said. “I felt like I could have helped out a little bit. It’s good to be back this year.”

Langstaff could play a big role today as the Wildcats try to control a Palo Verde team averaging 299 rushing yards.

“He’s really stepped up for us, because he’s actually played very little varsity football in his days here,” Las Vegas coach Chris Faircloth said. “He’s made a huge impact the last few weeks, and he’s going to have to make a huge impact this week to have any success against these guys.”

Bullock, a running back, and Lopez have been the Wildcats’ top offensive weapons, with Bullock rushing for 1,544 yards and 22 touchdowns.

“It’s a lot of passion and heart going into this week,” Bullock said. “Every senior every year on every football team just plans on getting to the goal, which is state.”

To get there, the Wildcats will have to beat a Palo Verde team that dominated Bishop Gorman 50-14 in last week’s Sunset Region final.

Las Vegas, meanwhile, rallied for three touchdowns in the final 4:29 to edge Del Sol 35-28 in the Sunrise final.

“How we played in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter, we need to play like that the whole game against Palo,” Langstaff said. “We don’t need to come out behind against Palo, because they will run up the score on you.”

Las Vegas has played in four of the last five state title games, winning in 2005 and 2006. The Wildcats also have won six straight Sunrise Region titles. Lopez said that tradition helps to motivate him.

“I didn’t want to be a part of the team that was a down year for Vegas,” he said. “It’s got so much tradition and history, you want to be a part of that and you want to set yourself apart from all the teams in the past and be recognized as something great.”

Langstaff said the team has become a traditional power for a reason.

“It means the coaches are doing something right,” he said. “It means the kids have bought in. You just don’t come here every year and not do something right. Evidently somewhere along the line, someone is doing something right.”