Highlights from Week 2 of high school football
Week 2 of the high school football season is in the books, and like any week there were upsets, key wins and big individual performances. Here are some of the highlights.
WHAT WE LEARNED
1. It’s a whole lot more fun to win than it is to lose. Just ask Rancho coach Tom Pletsch. Or even better, ask senior running back Robert Howard, who had never experienced a varsity victory until Friday night. Howard rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns as the Rams beat Valley 34-14 to snap a 30-game losing streak.
2. Bishop Gorman’s offense is really, really good. So we probably already knew that, but the Gaels rolled into Utah and defeated Bingham, 38-20. That’s a Bingham team that features several top college recruits on the defensive side of the ball, and hadn’t allowed a point in its first two games.
3. Basic looks like it’s for real. The Wolves returned a ton of players from a team that advanced to the Sunrise Region title game last season. But Basic was just 1-3 in the Southeast League before last season before going on its playoff run. The Wolves opened the season with a 31-23 road win over traditional power Palo Verde, and look like a real threat in the Southeast.
UPSET OF THE WEEK
Liberty 76, Mililani (Hawaii) 53 — No, that score isn’t a typo. But the Patriots got a ridiculous performance from Ethan Dedeaux, who scored seven touchdowns in this defense-optional affair. Liberty opened the season by getting blown out by another Hawaiian squad, losing 43-16 to St. Louis High in Honolulu.
Mililani was supposed to be even better, and came into the game ranked No. 24 in the nation by USA Today. But Dedeaux topped 100 yards in both rushing and receiving, caught two TD passes, rushed for four scores and had a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Dedeaux, had TD receptions of 46 and 66 yards, TD runs of 12, 15, 25 and 26 yards and the 91-yard kickoff return. Wow.
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES
PASSING
Ronnie Broadhead, Las Vegas – 15-21 passing, 275 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Jamaal Evans, Centennial – 9-14 passing, 240 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT
Jack Berkley, The Meadows – 9-11 passing, 205 yards, 3 TDs
RUSHING
Tyree Riley, Cimarron-Memorial – 36 carries, 243 yards
Justice Jackson, Foothill – 36 carries, 228 yards, 4 TDs
Austin Warhop, Green Valley – 33 carries, 208 yards, 3 TDs
Naim Geeslin, Legacy – 17 carries, 190 yards, 2 TDs
RECEIVING
Savon Scarver, Centennial – 3 catches, 99 yards, 2 TDs
Zeivaun Ned, Agassi Prep – 3 catches, 93 yards
Hanoi Rabago, Las Vegas – 4 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD
QUOTABLE
“This is the first time in history we beat an out-of-state team. That is huge. It’s mind boggling.”
— Liberty’s Dedeaux after his team’s 76-53 upset of Mililani (Hawaii)
“It’s very overwhelming that we finally won. It’s been so long, and we’ve gone four years without a win. It finally happened, and it’s just the best feeling I’ve felt in a while.”
— Rancho running back Robert Howard after the Rams snapped a 30-game losing streak with a 34-14 victory over Valley. It was Rancho’s first win since Oct. 4, 2011.
“This is the first time we have ever beaten Palo Verde. We knew this was going to be a physical game, but we felt like we had a good enough team to be able to stand up to them. And we did.”
— Basic coach Jeff Cahill after his team’s 31-23 victory over No. 5 Palo Verde
“We were the hammer and not the nail this time.”
— Green Valley running back Austin Warhop after rushing for 208 yards in a 38-34 win over Las Vegas. The Gators rushed for 327 yards.
HOW THEY FARED
A look at how the top 10 teams in the Southern Nevada Football Coaches Poll fared in Week 2.
1. Bishop Gorman (2-0) beat Bingham (Utah), 38-20. Next: at Bellevue (Wash), Friday.
2. Centennial (2-0) beat Shadow Ridge, 47-18. Next: at No. 5 Palo Verde, Thursday.
3. Desert Pines (2-0) beat Mojave, 41-6. Next: at No. 10 Moapa Valley, Friday.
4. Liberty (1-1) beat Mililani (Hawaii) 76-53. Next: at No. 2 Centennial, Friday, Sept. 18.
5. Palo Verde (1-1) lost to No. 8 Basic, 31-23. Next: vs. No. 2 Centennial, Thursday.
6. Legacy (0-2) lost to No. 7 Arbor View, 52-27. Next: vs. Coronado, Friday.
7. Arbor View (1-1) beat No. 6 Legacy, 52-27. Next: at No. 8 Green Valley, Friday.
8. Basic (1-0) beat No. 5 Palo Verde, 31-23. Next: vs. Desert Oasis, Friday.
8. Green Valley (1-1) beat Las Vegas, 38-34. Next: vs. No. 7 Arbor View, Friday.
10. Moapa Valley (1-1) lost to Hurricane (Utah), 17-14. Next: vs. No. 3 Desert Pines, Friday.
For complete coverage of all of the games from Week 2, visit nevadapreps.com.
