Highlights from Week 9 of high school football
Here’s a look at what happened during Week 9 of the high school football season.
WHAT WE LEARNED
1. Records can be deceiving.
Liberty entered Friday’s game against Green Valley with a 1-4 record, but the Patriots are no 1-4 kind of team. Those losses included one to national power IMG Academy (Florida) and two because of a fight against Desert Pines that caused both teams to forfeit that game and their next contest.
So the Patriots’ 45-19 home win over Green Valley should come as now surprise.
Liberty showed that it will lean heavily on its run game this season with the state’s all-time leading passer, Kenyon Oblad, now suiting up at UNLV. Zyrus Fiaseu rushed for 235 yards and four TDs on 22 carries against the Gators.
2. Micah Bowens may be the next big thing at quarterback for Bishop Gorman.
Bowens came into the season with some recruiting hype but little production on his resume after backing up Dorian Thompson-Robinson last season.
Bowens hadn’t exactly wowed in the team’s first five games, but he was spectacular on Friday, completing 12 of 15 passes for 300 yards and three scores in a 62-7 dismantling of Sierra Vista.
Those numbers compare favorably to the team’s previous four standout starters: Thompson-Robinson, Tate Martell, Randall Cunningham II and Anu Solomon.
3. The top seeds in Class 3A have been decided.
Moapa Valley will get the No. 1 seed in the Sunrise League, and Pahrump Valley locked up the Sunset League title with its 66-0 win over Western on Friday.
It’s the first league title for Pahrump since 2005.
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UPSET OF THE WEEK
Sunrise Mountain 28, Virgin Valley 18 — The Bulldogs entered the game ranked No. 3 among Class 3A schools, and they still held a shot at claiming the Sunrise League’s top playoff seed.
They left the game out of the playoffs.
Sunrise Mountain, which had only two wins entering the game, knocked off Virgin Valley (7-2), eliminating the Bulldogs from playoff contention. Evan a win over No. 1 Moapa Valley (8-1, 3-0 Sunrise) next week can’t save Virgin Valley.
The Miners, on the other hand, clinched a spot in the postseason. They are tied with Boulder City for second in the league at 2-1. Those teams face off in the regular-season finale next week, and both hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bulldogs.
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STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
Passing
Colton Tenney, Centennial — 7-12 passing, 360 yards, 4 TDs
Micah Bowens, Bishop Gorman – 12-15 passing, 300 yards, 3 TDs
Da’Juan Brown, Spring Mountain — 7-9 passing, 261 yards, 3 TDs
Ja’Shawn Scroggins, Las Vegas — 15-19 passing, 189 yards, 1 TD
Sagan Gronauer, Faith Lutheran — 11-16 passing, 177 yards, 2 TDs
My’Quel Johnson, Clark — 17-26 passing, 169 yards
Rushing
Christian Vaughn, Desert Oasis — 38 carries, 249 yards, 3 TDs
Zyrus Fiaseu, Liberty — 22 carries, 235 yards, 4 TDs
Markell Turner, Del Sol — 31 carries, 213 yards, 3 TDs
Jordan Norwood, Cimarron-Memorial — 31 carries, 206 yards, 1 TD
Amod Cianelli, Bishop Gorman — 8 carries, 172 yards, 3 TDs
Jacob Mendez, Silverado — 16 carries, 163 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving
Malik Powell, Spring Mountain — 5 catches, 246 yards, 3 TDs
Gerick Robinson, Centennial — 3 catches, 157 yards, 2 TDs
Donovan Smith, Bishop Gorman — 5 catches, 137 yards, 2 TDs
Keionte Scott, Democracy Prep — 5 catches, 134 yards, 2 TDs
Michael Jackson, Durango — 5 catches, 129 yards, 2 TDs
Rome Odunze, Bishop Gorman — 5 catches, 125 yards, 1 TD
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QUOTABLE
“It’s fun to just be able to throw short passes and have these guys break it. That’s stuff that we work on in practice, and that’s part of the game plan. And having them be able to make big plays really helps us move the ball and move the chains.”
— Centennial quarterback Colton Tenney, who completed four TD passes of 54 or more yards in a 34-0 road win over Palo Verde.
“The feeling of our team, the vibe we got from our team, just the environment we have, it’s just great. Going on, you’ll see what we have in store for you guys. And that’s how it’ll be.”
— Liberty running back Zyrus Fiaseu after rushing for 235 yards and four TDs in a 45-19 win over Green Valley.
“When I got to midfield, I thought ‘This is not happening.’ I was so worried I was going to be pulled down from behind.”
— Faith Lutheran quarterback Sagan Gronauer on his 82-yard touchdown run in a 41-8 road win over Shadow Ridge.
“I was kind of nervous coming into the game. I didn’t want to mess up. But, I trusted my offensive line and the rest of my teammates.”
— Del Sol’s Markell Turner, who moved from receiver to running back and rushed for 213 yards in a 46-6 victory over Valley.
“We’ve got to be perfect. Everybody’s doubting. Everybody thinks this year, because we lost a few games, that we’re not going to be the same.”
— Bishop Gorman quarterback Micah Bowens follow his team’s 62-7 home win over Sierra Vista.
“When I lined up, my whole sideline helped me out. I’ve got to give it to my teammates. They helped me out. (Joshua Rose) said it’s the one-on-one matchup you want and you’re going to get it. I looked over and played my defense right. All of my other teammates were in the right spot, and we just played it right.”
— Cheyenne cornerback Joshua Robinson, who returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown to help seal a 29-20 home win over Democracy Prep.
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HOW THEY FARED
A look at how the teams in the Nevada Preps rankings fared in Week 9.
Class 4A
1. Bishop Gorman (4-3) vs. beat No. 10 Sierra Vista, 62-7. Next: at Durango, Friday.
2. Arbor View (7-1) was idle. Next: vs. Shadow Ridge, Thursday.
3. Liberty (2-4) beat Green Valley, 45-19. Next: at No. 4 Foothill, Friday.
4. Foothill (7-0) beat Coronado, 35-7. Next: vs. No. 3 Liberty, Friday.
5. Desert Pines (5-2) beat Legacy, 15-8. Next: vs. Las Vegas, Friday.
6. Faith Lutheran (4-4) beat Shadow Ridge, 41-8. Next: vs. No. 7 Palo Verde, Friday.
7. Palo Verde (5-2) lost to No. 9 Centennial, 34-0. Next: at No. 6 Faith Lutheran, Friday.
8. Canyon Springs (4-3) beat Mojave, 44-28. Next: vs. Eldorado, Friday.
9. Centennial (5-3) beat No. 7 Palo Verde, 34-0. Next: vs. Bonanza, Friday.
10. Sierra Vista (4-4) lost to No. 1 Bishop Gorman, 62-7. Next: vs. Durango, Thursday, Oct. 25.
Class 3A
1. Moapa Valley (8-1) beat Clark, 14-0. Next: at No. 3 Virgin Valley, Friday.
2. Boulder City (5-3) beat Rancho, 62-0. Next: at Sunrise Mountain, Friday.
3. Virgin Valley (7-2) lost to Sunrise Mountain, 28-18. Next: vs. No. 1 Moapa Valley, Friday.
4. Pahrump Valley (5-3) beat Western, 66-0. Next: at Valley, Friday.
5. Cheyenne (7-2) beat Democracy Prep, 29-20. Next: vs. Del Sol, Friday.
More preps: Follow all of our Nevada Preps coverage online at nevadapreps.com and @NevadaPreps on Twitter.
Contact prep sports editor Damon Seiters at dseiters@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4587. Follow @DamonSeiters on Twitter.
