Highlights from Week 4 of high school football
Here’s a look at what happened during Week 4 of the high school football season.
WHAT WE LEARNED
1. Liberty is more than just Ethan Dedeaux and more than just an offensive squad. Dedeaux went down with an ankle injury on Liberty’s first possession of the third quarter, but the Patriots didn’t miss a beat, tacking on two touchdowns and handing third-ranked Centennial its first loss, 27-7.
Dedeaux, who had six TDs in a 76-53 win over Mililani (Hawaii) in Liberty’s last game, did have five catches for 116 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half. But the story of the game was Liberty’s defense, as the Patriots put intense pressure on Centennial quarterback Jamaal Evans all night, and the Bulldogs never got going.
2. Biaggio Ali Walsh might be Bishop Gorman’s best offensive player. Quarterback Tate Martell and receiver Tyjon Lindsey are returning all-state players who have grabbed most of the hype from national media and recruiting pundits. But Ali Walsh, the grandson of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, just keeps churning out big games for the Gaels.
Martell completed just 9 of 24 passes with two interceptions on Friday, and Lindsey had just two catches for 41 yards. But Ali Walsh rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns in Gorman’s 52-13 win over Long Beach Poly (Calif.).
3. Basic’s defense might be pretty good. The Wolves are known for their offense, but put up a second consecutive shutout in dismantling Bonanza, 60-0. While no one is going to confuse the Bengals for a state-title contender, they had been moving the ball well, and averaged 30 points in their first three games.
Running back DeShawn Williams (147.3 rushing yards per game) and receiver R.J. McCarter (121 receiving yards per game) were among the area’s leaders through three weeks, but neither did anything against Basic. Williams managed just 50 yards on 15 carries, and McCarter had two catches for 16 yards.
UPSET OF THE WEEK
Silverado 13, Palo Verde 7 — This one wasn’t a thing of beauty offensively for the Skyhawks, who managed just 173 yards of offense. But they did enough on defense to knock off the seventh-ranked Panthers in overtime.
Senior defensive back Jeramiah Pritchard had a key play in overtime, batting down a potential TD pass in the end zone on third down. Quarterback Micah Weber was just 4-for-15 passing, but his 10-yard TD strike to Devion Clayton in overtime proved to be the difference for first-year head coach Randall Cunningham and the Skyhawks.
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES
Passing
Kenyon Oblad, Liberty — 19-30 passing, 281 yards, 1 TD
Tabor Maxwell, Pahranagat Valley — 11-26 passing, 243 yards, 5 TDs
Gregory Castenada, Western — 18-41 passing, 178 yards, 1 TD
Tate Martell, Bishop Gorman — 9-24 passing, 166 yards, 1 TD
T.J. Milk, Pahrump Valley — 8-9 passing, 160 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing
Biaggio Ali Walsh, Bishop Gorman — 14 carries, 211 yards, 3 TDs
Naim Geeslin, Legacy — 10 carries, 204 yards, 3 TDs
Tyree Riley, Cimarron-Memorial — 37 carries, 194 yards, 1 TD
Jared Regan, Lake Mead — 15 carries, 172 yards, 3 TDs
Ty’shun McClinton, Desert Oasis — 18 carries, 168 yards, 4 TDs
Christian Marshall, Faith Lutheran — 30 carries, 160 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving
Shawn Wadsworth, Pahranagat Valley — 7 catches, 166 yards, 3 TDs
Devlin Dillon, Pahrump Valley — 7 catches, 133 yards, 2 TDs
Ethan Dedeaux, Liberty — 5 catches, 116 yards, 1 TD
Andrew Dunn, Sierra Vista — 4 catches, 91 yards, 1 TD
Darion Acohido, Liberty — 6 catches, 89 yards
QUOTABLE
“We didn’t get what I wanted to do as the captain of the defense. I wanted to get that goose egg, zero. I’m pretty proud of how we did this game. We played pretty well.”
— Liberty linebacker Ka’imi Batoon after his team harassed Centennial quarterback Jamaal Evans all night in a 27-7 win over the third-ranked Bulldogs.
“Isaiah has been with me two years now. I’m just accustomed to him making spectacular plays. I really think he’s the best playmaker in the city.”
– Desert Pines coach Tico Rodriguez on running back Isaiah Morris, who scored on runs of 16 and 37 yards, had a 29-yard TD reception and returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score in a 60-13 win over Chapaarral.
“I thought I overthrew it. But Devion, with his great speed, caught up to the ball and made an awesome catch.”
— Silverado quarterback Micah Weber on his 10-yard touchdown pass to Devion Clayton that gave the Skyhawks a 13-7 overtime win over No. 7 Palo Verde.
“Our O-line is the heart and soul of our offense. They give it all they got on every single play. They have a lot of heart. That is really our strength.”
— Coronado quarterback Landen Rowland, who passed for 134 yards in a 30-13 win over Canyon Springs.
“Our defense, that’s how we work every day at practice; we want to win. We’ve never won a division title, so that’s what we’re searching for.”
— Mojave senior Elijah Smoot after the Rattlers beat Sierra Vista 8-6 to move to 2-0 in the Sunset League.
HOW THEY FARED
A look at how the top 10 teams in the Southern Nevada Football Coaches Poll fared in Week 4.
1. Bishop Gorman (4-0) beat Long Beach Poly (Calif.), 52-13. Next: vs. Servite (Calif.), Friday.
2. Liberty (2-1) beat No. 3 Centennial, 27-7. Next: at Coronado, Friday.
3. Centennial (3-1) lost to No. 2 Liberty, 27-7. Next: at Canyon Springs, Friday.
4. Desert Pines (4-0) beat Chaparral, 60-13. Next: vs. Boulder City, Friday.
5. Basic (3-0) beat Bonanza, 60-0. Next: at Arbor View, Friday.
6. Arbor View (3-1) beat Shadow Ridge, 52-14. Next: vs. Basic, Friday.
7. Palo Verde (1-3) lost to Silverado, 13-7 in overtime. Next: at No. 8 Green Valley, Friday.
8. Green Valley (1-2) was idle. Next: vs. No. 7 Palo Verde, Friday.
9. Foothill (2-1) beat Durango, 47-7. Next: vs. Shadow Ridge, Friday.
10. Las Vegas (2-1) beat Cimarron-Memorial, 37-19. Next: at Rancho, Friday.
For complete coverage of all of the games from Week 4, visit nevadapreps.com.
