Palo Verde may unseat Spartans in Northwest

Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2001 | 9:58 a.m.

A capsule look at the division:

* THIS SEASON: With a core group of veterans returning, the Panthers are expected to break Cimarron's two-year stranglehold on the division championship this season. Palo Verde features an experienced three-year starter in quarterback Dayton Ponder, the area's top fullback in Ryan Worthen and an explosive tailback in Gerard Lawson, as well as a solid line and receiving corps to complement them on offense. Also, look for the Panthers to be among the top defensive units in town this season, as they were in 2000 when they came within an overtime of an appearance in the Sunset title game. With new coaches at the helm, traditional Northwest powers Cimarron and Cheyenne enter the year as something of unknown factors, though both should figure into the title chase thanks to the presence of talented Division I prospects such as the Spartans' Kellen Marshall and th e Desert Shields' Kevin Richardson. Expect Centennial to be much-improved in year three, with Patrick Gray among the top backs in town. Mojave will look to put a trying 2000 campaign behind it, and the Rattlers should battle the Bulldogs for the division's fourth playoff spot.

* DID YOU KNOW?: Defending division champion Cimarron-Memorial has lost just one regular season game and one playoff game during the past two seasons. ... New Cheyenne coach Marcus Sherman played safety for BYU's 1984 NCAA championship football team. ... Palo Verde QB Dayton Ponder has started all 20 games over the past two seasons. ... Cimarron RB Kellen Marshall is the division's lone returning representative from the 2000 All-Southern Nevada first team. ... Centennial will start brothers Cory and Patrick Gray at quarterback and running back, respectively. ... Mojave has only five players bigger than 200 pounds on its 2001 roster. ... Palo Verde RB Gerard Lawson's older brother, Clarence, played on Clark's state title team in 1993. ... Cimarron has four players on Division I-A rosters this season: Ross Dalton and Toby Smeltzer (UNLV), Vernon Fox (Fresno St.) and Arnold Parker (Utah). Two other former Spartans -- Taylor Miller and Kyler Rushton -- are slated to play for Utah after returning from Mormon missions. ... Patrick Gray set a Centennial record with 42 carries against Desert Pines last season. ... Mojave CB/RB Korey Cook finished sixth in the state in the 200 meters last spring. ... Palo Verde defensive coordinator Charlie Jarvis ranks second on UNLV's all-time career interception list. ... Cimarron outscored its four divisional opponents 130-41 last year. By Spencer Patterson