Grinding it out

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Nov. 16, 2000 | 11:37 a.m.

A year ago, the Las Vegas Wildcats were Nevada's flashiest football outfit, lighting up scoreboards around town with a wide-open passing attack backed up by a solid running game.

So it stands to reason that, after losing area leading passer Anthony Marini, all-state tailback Coy Boykin and all-conference receivers Anthony Park and Harry Mills to graduation, the Wildcats came into 2000 without many expectations.

Unless, that is, you asked Las Vegas coach Kris Cinkovich.

"We think we're gonna be pretty good," Cinkovich predicted on the first day of practice. "We've got all the guys back nobody knows about."

The "unknowns" Cinkovich was talking about? The team's offensive line, which returned four starters as well as two experienced reserves.

That group has made it possible for the Wildcats to move away from their vaunted passing game and, thanks to the emergence of junior tailback Antione White, embrace a more traditional, grind-it-out running attack this year.

So far, the new formula has been as successful as the old one, with Las Vegas High back where it was a year ago -- one win away from the state tournament. The Wildcats play at Eldorado Friday night, with the winner claiming the Sunrise Region title and a state berth.

"With the offensive line we had coming back, we thought we would be solid," Cinkovich said. "We knew if we could identify the right skill guys, they'd give us a chance."

As it turns out, the Wildcats did exactly that last summer, when they pegged White -- a junior varsity player last year -- as their top running back. But no matter how much Cinkovich and his staff liked the 5-11, 170-pounder initially, they couldn't have expected him to be the combination workhorse and playmaker he has been to this point in 2000.

"He's gotten a lot better as he's gotten carries," Cinkovich said. "His ball security has improved, and his speed has gotten better. We were optimistic, but you never know 'til you strap it on on Friday night."

Through 11 games, White boasts some of Southern Nevada's gaudiest rushing numbers: 295 carries, 1,915 yards and 24 touchdowns. And with two five-touchdown performances in his last three contests, his production has improved.

"He's pretty strong, he's withstood the pounding pretty well and he's shown more breakaway speed than we expected," Cinkovich said.

White has done it despite playing against defenses designed to stop him. Though quarterback Steve Creech has been solid (56-of-125, 962 yards, nine touchdowns, seven interceptions), the 'Cats' passing game is a far cry from its 1999 incarnation, leaving White as the clear focal point on offense.

White is the first to credit his success to the players in front of him -- center Mike Marudas, guards Mark Gutierrez and Mike Mance, tackles Christian Abuan and Eric Flyr and tight ends Blake Williams and Jacob Hales. After each victory, the junior takes his offensive line out to dinner -- a good way to share the spotlight with those who don't generally get their due.

"They've been busting their butt in practice and in games, so they deserve to get something good in return," White said.

Offered Williams, "We like (Antione). He treats us well, always telling us we're doing a good job. And when we started to win, he started taking us out to eat, which we like."

The Wildcat offensive linemen chalk up much of their success this year to last season, when most of them began playing together and learning their linemates' strengths and weaknesses.

"It was important for us to know each other and to be a unit and work together," Abuan said. "We learned from our mistakes, learned to play with each other. Antione has learned to trust the line and run behind us, and we trust him to hold onto the ball."

Agreed Gutierrez: "We're like a big family. We can all tell what each other is thinking."

And the Wildcat linemen know that if they can continue creating room for White to run on Friday night, they could all be thinking the same thing by Saturday: time to make plane reservations to Reno.