Clark continues Cinderella year with win vs. Gorman

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Oct. 8, 2001 | 9:47 a.m.

Silverado 34, Green Valley 20

Foothill 48, Basic 12

Rancho 14, Valley 8

Las Vegas 41, Desert Pines 0

Durango 56, Western 8

Clark 28, Bishop Gorman 26

Palo Verde 29, Mojave 6

Centennial 27, Cimarron-Memorial 6

Chaparral 41, Eldorado 13

Cheyenne 22, Bonanza 0

Moapa Valley 19, Coronado 6

Pahrump Valley 27, Sierra Vista 6

Virgin Valley 35, Boulder City 13

The Meadows 37, Needles 0

White Pine 26, Faith Lutheran 8

It appeared to be over before it even began for Clark High School early in the 2001 prep football season.

The Chargers lost top running back Jacque Williams to a broken collarbone in the preseason, then dropped their first two contests by a whopping 47 points and were left for dead by most in town.

Last Friday night, however, Clark continued to be one of the year's most unlikely success stories, spoiling Bishop Gorman's Sam Boyd Stadium homecoming 28-26 to earn its fourth consecutive victory.

"We started off (the season) pretty rough and the kids responded, and as a coach, you like to see that," said Chargers coach Jim Massey, whose squad fell to Foothill and Las Vegas before bouncing back for wins over Basic, Valley, Bonanza and the Gaels.

Clark (4-2, 2-0 Southwest) hosts unbeaten Durango (6-0, 2-0) Friday at 7 p.m., with sole possession of first place in the division on the line.

"Our kids work hard, and they've come together and realized it takes a team effort to be successful," Massey said. "They're learning that good football players stay humble and let their game do the talking."

The Chargers spotted Gorman (3-3, 0-2) a 9-0 lead in the game's opening moments when a botched punt led to a safety and the Gaels returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.

But Clark hung tough, going in front for good on a 48-yard interception return by John Tuitele and pushing the lead to 28-19 on a two-yard plunge by fullback Travis Stewart in the fourth quarter. The Gaels had a final chance to win the game, but Jon Tigoni's 41-yard field goal fell short in the closing seconds.

"We decided to kick against the wind in the third quarter so they'd be going against the wind in the fourth, and that turned out to be a good decision," Massey said. "It was the first time our freshman class who are now seniors have beaten Gorman."

The Chargers will likely play Friday's game without Williams, the team's leading rusher the past two seasons. Massey said his team should get the senior running back, along with top linebacker Chris Monsouri (knee), back for its week eight game at Western.

Also on Friday night, No. 4 Las Vegas (5-1, 2-0 Northeast) turned its much-anticipated battle with No. 6 Desert Pines (4-2, 1-1) into a rout, blasting the host Jaguars 41-0. Tailback Antione White rushed 33 times for 180 yards and three touchdowns and the Wildcat defense forced four Desert Pines turnovers and held running back Cornell Johnson under 60 yards.

Southern Nevada's three undefeated 4A schools -- No. 3 Palo Verde, No. 5 Durango and No. 7 Chaparral -- remained perfect. The Panthers bested Mojave 29-6, the Blazers trounced Western 56-8 and the Cowboys pounded Eldorado 41-13 as the trio moved within three wins of a 9-0 regular season.

Centennial handed Cimarron-Memorial its fourth consecutive defeat, upending the Spartans 27-6 to stay atop the Northwest Division, half a game ahead of Palo Verde.

Foothill won easily without star running back John Ford, hammering Basic 48-12 behind four rushing touchdowns from B.J. Jarrett. Elsewhere in the Southeast Division, Silverado held off rival Green Valley 34-20 in the Skyhawks' league opener.

In small school action, The Meadows blanked Needles 37-0 for consecutive victory No. 35, one shy of the state's all-time record set by Wooster in 1987. Spencer Patterson

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

archive