Highlights from Week 6 of high school football
Here’s a look at what happened during Week 6 of the high school football season.
WHAT WE LEARNED
1. Bishop Gorman put on a fantastic show Friday night on national television. The Gaels probably won’t be challenged again until late in the postseason (if then), but Friday’s 25-24 triple-overtime victory over St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) had enough suspense for an entire season.
Both teams feature bunches of talented skill players who are being recruited by some of the nation’s top college programs. But it was the defenses that truly stood out. Each team was limited to one touchdown in regulation. Gorman finished with 308 yards, but averaged just 4.5 yards per play and 3.5 yards per rush. The Raiders had 222 yards, with an average of 4.3 yards per play and 2.1 yards per rush.
Those numbers are more impressive when you consider the offensive weapons that were held in check. The quarterbacks have committed to Florida and Ohio State, the running backs to California and Illinois and each team has a receiver headed to Ohio State.
No defensive player was better than Gorman safety Bubba Bolden, who intercepted two passes and blocked a potential game-winning field goal in the second overtime to keep the Gaels alive.
2. The “Hammer Game” is back, and that’s a great thing for high school football fans. Though Virgin Valley and Moapa Valley continued to play for the “Victory Hammer” in recent seasons, the once-heated rivalry had cooled a bit thanks to Moapa Valley’s dominance. The Pirates won the last four meetings by a combined score of 169-48.
But the Bulldogs are off to a great start this season, and the “Hammer Game” is relevant again after Virgin Valley’s 14-7 win on Friday. The Bulldogs are 5-1 this season, and won the rivalry game for the first time since 2007. I’m already looking forward to next year’s game.
3. Next week’s Arbor View-Centennial game lost a little of its luster. That matchup has been the defacto Northwest League championship game in recent years. But Legacy has emerged as a legitimate contender in one of the state’s toughest leagues.
The Longhorns improved to 5-0 on Friday after a 27-20 win at Centennial. The Bulldogs had no answer for Legacy’s running game, and Samuel Turner finished with 305 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. Legacy also picked off Centennial quarterback Jamaal Evans three times and limited explosive receiver Savon Scarver to four touches.
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UPSET OF THE WEEK
Basic 27, Silverado 17 — The seventh-ranked Skyhawks entered the game with a defense that had allowed just 32 points in four games. And things played pretty true to form in the first half, as Silverado led 17-7. But 10th-ranked Basic opened things up in the second half, and Aaron McAllister threw three touchdown passes to lead the Wolves to the win.
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STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
Passing
Kenyon Oblad, Liberty — 22-33 passing, 332 yards, 6 TDs
Sagan Gronauer, Faith Lutheran — 9-16 passing, 242 yards, 3 TDs
Matthew LaBonte, Cheyenne — 11-17 passing, 222 yards, 3 TDs
Cody Thornock, Lincoln County — 4-5 passing, 215 yards, 2 TDs
Santiago Vialpando, Chaparral — 12-20 passing, 212 yards, TD
Rushing
Samuel Turner, Legacy — 33 carries, 305 yards, 2 TDs
Taariq Flowers, Del Sol — 19 carries, 290 yards, 3 TDs
Jonathan Schofield, Palo Verde — 29 carries, 226 yards, TD
Elijah Hicks, Las Vegas — 33 carries, 178 yards, 2 TDs
Alhaji-Ibrahim Kamara, Durango — 32 carries, 164 yards, TD
Receiving
Elijah Kothe, Faith Lutheran — 6 catches, 162 yards, 3 TDs
Kentrell Petite, Chaparral — 7 catches, 151 yards
Landon Smith, Lincoln County — 2 catches, 130 yards, 2 TDs
Briggs Huxford, Boulder City — 6 catches, 125 yards, TD
Mason DeCunzo, Spring Valley — 3 catches, 112 yards, TD
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QUOTABLE
“That was the last play, and it was to win the ballgame, so I just told my teammates I’m going to do the best I can to jump over the pile and block it.”
— Bishop Gorman senior Bubba Bolden on his blocked field goal in the second overtime that kept the Gaels alive. They went on to top St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) 25-24 in three overtimes.
“It starts with our big boys up front, and that’s what we do. We didn’t do good our first half, but we came out running in the second half. I just thank my O-line for doing this.”
— Legacy running back Samuel Turner after he rushed for 305 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Centennial.
“They came in and they stopped us in the first half, but we executed so well in the second half that they couldn’t hold us. They got tired in the fourth and we just ran them into the dirt. They couldn’t hold our receivers and we took advantage of it.”
— Basic quarterback Aaron McAllister after he threw three second-half TD passes in a 27-17 win over Silverado.
“Nothing we’ve done up until now really means anything. This is what really matters.”
— Liberty coach Rich Muraco after the Patriots beat Green Valley 49-13 for their first Southeast League win.
“Green grass, I’m just going to run as hard as I ca. I’m not going to stop until I get a touchdown.”
— Arbor View fullback Andrew Wagner after he rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries in a 45-6 win over Shadow Ridge.
“We feel that we have a team that’s a little bit better than we’ve had the past couple of years. We’ve had a schedule that’s helped us out a little bit as well, but we’re winning games we probably wouldn’t have won last year. A game like this, I don’t think we win that last year. We’re finding ways to win, but we still got a long way to go.”
— Durango coach Matt Gerber after the Trailblazers edged Bonanza 21-20 to improve to 4-0. The Trailblazers entered the season with a 16-game losing streak.
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HOW THEY FARED
A look at how the top 10 teams in the Southern Nevada Football Coaches Poll fared in Week 6.
1. Bishop Gorman (6-0) beat St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) 25-24 in 3OT. Next: at Spring Valley, Friday.
2. Liberty (4-1) beat No. 8 Green Valley, 49-13. Next: at Foothill, Friday.
3. Arbor View (4-1) beat No. 9 Shadow Ridge, 45-6. Next: at No. 5 Centennial, Friday.
4. Desert Pines (5-1) beat Mojave, 20-0. Next: vs. Cheyenne, Friday.
5. Centennial (2-3) lost to No. 6 Legacy, 27-20. Next: vs. No. 3 Arbor View, Friday.
6. Legacy (5-0) beat No. 5 Centennial, 27-20. Next: at Faith Lutheran, Friday.
7. Silverado (4-1) lost to No. 10 Basic, 27-17. Next: at No. 8 Green Valley, Friday.
8. Green Valley (3-2) lost to No. 2 Liberty, 49-13. Next: vs. No. 7 Silverado, Friday.
9. Shadow Ridge (3-1) lost to No. 3 Arbor View, 45-6. Next: vs. Cimarron-Memorial, Friday.
10. Basic (4-1) beat No. 7 Silverado, 27-17. Next: at Coronado, Friday.
10. Canyon Springs (5-1) beat Valley, 41-6. Next: at No. 10 Las Vegas, Friday.
10. Las Vegas (4-1) beat Chaparral, 34-27. Next: vs. No. 10 Canyon Springs, Friday.
For complete coverage of all of the games from Week 6, visit nevadapreps.com.
