‘Cats go for state crown on road

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Nov. 30, 2001 | 10:24 a.m.

Much as Las Vegas High football coach Kris Cinkovich would love to host the 2001 NIAA/U.S. Bank 4A State Championship at the friendly confines of Frank Nails Field, he knows beating McQueen in Reno would only make a title that much sweeter.

"By going up there, it just makes it a greater challenge and we like challenges," Cinkovich said. "It's going to be quite a test to go up there and try to beat the defending state champions, but that's what we'll try to do."

Las Vegas boarded its bus and left at 7 this morning, with a stop and short practice at Fernley High School planned for early afternoon. Upon arriving in Reno, the Wildcats will visit Mackay Stadium, the site of Saturday's noon kickoff.

The teams come in with identical 12-1 records, having never faced one another before. The Wildcats have won 12 straight games since dropping their opener to La Costa Canyon (Calif.). McQueen's only loss came at Elko in the first of two meetings between the two schools.

"We believe Las Vegas is the best team from the south and we're looking for a great challenge," Lancers coach Ken Dalton said. "We like playing good teams."

McQueen will be making its seventh championship appearance in the last 11 years, having won titles in 1990, '92, '97 and last year. Las Vegas, Southern Nevada's oldest high school, has captured 13 championships, but claimed its last trophy way back in 1959.

Cinkovich has had the chance to coach in a state title game, however, having served as the offensive coordinator for Green Valley when the Gators fell to Wooster in the 1994 finale.

"You don't get many chances to play in these games, so that drives us," Cinkovich said. "I know we'll play to win."

The game will feature a matchup between a Las Vegas offense averaging 38.3 points and a McQueen defense allowing just 9.7 points per game. Running back Antione White (2,790 rushing yards, 50 total touchdowns) averages 214 yards per game, but the Lancers have been tough to run on all year, holding Foothill's John Ford to 80 yards in last week's semifinal victory.

"We think Antione White is a nice combination of (McQueen graduate) Chris Carr and (Eldorado standout) Steven Jackson," Dalton said, referring to last year's Sun first team all-state running backs, both of whom are playing Division I football this season. "He has a little of Chris' wiggle, and he has that great burst like Jackson."

Cinkovich said his team will need to pass effectively to open things up for White, but that the ground game will still be the key to the Las Vegas attack.

"We're not going to forsake what we do, even if we get off to a slow start with the run," Cinkovich said.

Spencer Patterson

covers high school sports for the Las Vegas Sun. He can be reached at 259-4085 or at spencer@lasvegassun.com.