Gators, Warriors play for keeps 10 weeks later

Steve Cunningham

Thursday, Nov. 6, 1997 | 10:21 a.m.

The game happened long ago but it's still very vivid to Larry Thomas and Rich Stevens.

On the opening Friday of the valley's 1997 high school football season, Thomas' Green Valley Gators and Stevens' Western Warriors played, perhaps, the most exciting contest of the season. Western, the defending state champ, jumped out to a 21-3 first-quarter lead only to see the youthful, inexperienced Gators rally for a 37-35 victory.

Ten weeks later, those two schools are set to meet once again, this time, in the second round of the 4A Southern Conference playoffs. Western (7-3) travels to Green Valley (7-3) Friday night and that earlier meeting is remembered just like it was yesterday.

"What it did for us was to check the mental toughness of a young team," Thomas said. "That was the big thing. It was the first game of the season. Had we not fought back the way we did, this season could have been totally different."

"I was so mad in the locker room," Stevens said. "We let the (Jamar) Glasper kid get his hands on the ball and late, when they were down on the goal line on fourth down and long, we don't keep our mouths shut, get a penalty and move them closer. They score and that wins the ball game. That game still sticks in my mind."

Green Valley used that springboard to win six of its first seven games. The Gators have a lot of weapons offensively but used defense to upset Cheyenne, 10-6, last week in the opening round.

Although the Gators turned the ball over five times, they never let Cheyenne's potent offense get untracked.

"Fortunately for us, our turnovers were in situations where we were deep in their territory," Thomas said. "We were lucky that didn't cost us the game."

Stevens is plenty worried about the multifaceted attack the Gators will throw at the Warriors. Tyler Truman can be effective throwing the ball and Greg Turco, Scott Blackham and Glasper provide a good rushing attack.

"Their ability to mix it up impresses me," Stevens said. "They kind of remind me of Durango. They'll keep you on your toes."

Western's offense, dormant much of the season after the Green Valley game, exploded for 41 points last week in the opening round of the playoffs versus Valley. Rosco Denson, De'Angelo Floyd and Joe Gibson all ran the ball well and quarterback Tom Bryan, who doesn't throw often, if at all, rifled two TD passes.

Thomas said you can't key on one thing against Western.

"They are really a very disciplined football team," he said. "They do a lot of things very, very well."

If the game is close like the first one, Western might have an advantage. Most of Green Valley's contests were decided early while the Warriors were involved in tight games almost every week. That's a fact that concerns Thomas a bit.

"That's because of their discipline," he said. "They are going to hang around and hope something good happens to them. They know that one play could be the game and they've been in a lot of one-play games."

Will it be another high-scoring shootout? Neither coach thinks so. Stevens said this game will be a lot like a season-opener because each will feel the other out, searching for tendencies as the game progresses.

"I don't know what they are going to do and they don't know what we are going to do," he said. "It's been a while. Once we see what they are doing, we'll know what changes to make."

Western (7-3) at Green Valley (7-3)

Friday, 7 p.m.

THE MATCHUP: Green Valley rallied from 18 points down and won the season-opener, 37-35, against Western. A lot of football has been played this year and not many people expected these two to meet again. Western's offense got untracked last week, putting up 41 points on Valley. The Gators used a great defensive effort to get by Cheyenne, 10-6. The difference in this game will be who can take care of the ball and the Warriors seem to have the advantage there.

THE PICK: Western 21, Green Valley 13