Visitors score big upsets in Week 4 of prep action

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Sept. 20, 1999 | 10:51 a.m.

Home proved to be a very unfriendly place in a wacky Week 4 of the prep football season, as seven of eight division contests were captured by the road squad Friday and Saturday nights.

Only Las Vegas High -- which is rapidly becoming the odds-on favorite to represent Southern Nevada in this year's 4A state championship game -- successfully defending its home turf, posting a 41-14 win over Green Valley.

Meanwhile, among the road victories were several games that could have significant playoff implications, namely the Sunset Division's biggest upset to date and a contest that could signal a shift in power in the Sunrise Division.

Bonanza's 32-26 overtime win over Bishop Gorman Saturday night was easily the week's most unexpected result.

The Bengals, who had won just once since 1997 and had only one league victory under their belts since 1996, were up against a talented Gaels squad with a 2-0 conference record.

But despite falling behind 26-13 at halftime, Bonanza never folded. Instead, the Bengals marched 75 yards for a touchdown on their first drive of the second half to get close, then totally shut down Gorman's high-powered offense for the rest of the game.

"(My players) haven't won in a long time ... sometimes they're just waiting for something to happen," Bonanza coach Nick Butera said. "So when we drove down the field like that, we just clicked. I'm hoping a game like this can get us over the hump."

While Silverado's win at Chaparral on Thursday wasn't as shocking a final result, the margin of victory in the 47-13 final score certainly was. With a victory over the Cowboys -- perennially among the Sunrise's top clubs -- the Skyhawks moved to 4-0 (2-0 division) and appear to be well on their way to their first playoff berth.

"Anytime you get a few wins under your belt, the kids feel really good," Silverado coach John DeNardin said. "But our whole focus right now is on (Friday night's opponent) Valley."

Trailing 13-12 at halftime, Silverado came out for the second half determined to stop Chaparral running back Mario Hagan, who tore apart the Skyhawk defense for much of the first two quarters.

"We knew he's a one-man wrecking crew, and he got loose a couple of times in the first half," DeNardin said. "We made some adjustments at halftime, and obviously something went right."

While Hagan struggled to find running room in the second half, Silverado had no trouble moving the ball. Tailback Joe Jackson rushed for touchdowns of 85 and 65 yards in the third quarter.

Another big road win Friday night came at Cheyenne, where Western rekindled its dimming playoff hopes with a 19-12 victory. The win improved the Warriors' division record to 2-2 and kept them from falling three games behind league-leaders Durango and Cimarron-Memorial in the loss column.

"Hopefully, that puts us back in the playoff hunt," Western coach Rich Stevens said. "And hopefully, it gives us some momentum going into Friday's game."

After losing 21 fumbles in their first three contests, the Warriors did not turn over the ball in the win against the Desert Shields. They also held all-state running back Deon Ned to just 55 yards.

In other league action Friday night, it was Cimarron Memorial 26, Palo Verde 7; Mojave 35, Clark 13; Eldorado 42, Valley 20; and Basic 22, Rancho 15.

In non-conference action, Durango improved to 4-0 with a 61-12 win over Desert Pines, Boulder City got past Foothill, 33-20, and Moapa Valley shut out Centennial, 41-0. In 2A action, The Meadows moved to 3-0 with a 38-0 rout of Carlin.