LV, Desert Pines put on a show

Adam Candee

Monday, Nov. 4, 2002 | 8:54 a.m.

Football playoff schedule

Friday quarterfinals

All games start at 7 p.m.

SUNRISE REGION

(NE-4) Chaparral at (SE-1) Foothill

(SE-3) Green Valley at (NE-2) Desert Pines

(NE-3) Eldorado at (SE-2) Basic

(SE-4) Silverado at (NE-1) Las Vegas

SUNSET REGION

(NW-4) Cim.-Memorial at (SW-1) Bishop Gorman

(SW-3) Western at (NW-2) Cheyenne

(NW-3) Palo Verde at (SW-2) Durango

(SW-4) Clark at (NW-1) Centennial

Amazing, outstanding, exhilarating, thrilling, spectacular: All of the above apply to Friday night's football classic between top-ranked Las Vegas and third-ranked Desert Pines.

Both teams came out feeling they had something to prove, and although the Wildcats outlasted the Jaguars by a 43-34 final, Las Vegas and Desert Pines staked their claims as the best teams in the city. At the same time, Corey Williams of Las Vegas and Cornell Johnson of Desert Pines continued their unofficial battle for player of the year honors, without a clear-cut favorite.

The Wildcats' schedule did not include a truly tough opponent until the Desert Pines game, and by the time Las Vegas went into halftime with a 30-13 edge and Johnson slammed down his helmet in frustration, few doubted the defending state champions could hang with the state's best in 2002.

Wildcats linebacker Chad Pool, for one, knew that the questions about his team were out there, talking after the game about internet and newspaper predictions that Desert Pines would win.

"Hopefully this will get rid of some of the doubters," Pool said.

Offensively, Las Vegas left little doubt about anything. Desert Pines never found a way to defend Williams and the Wildcats even ran well enough to cause the Jaguars to respect the ground game. On defense, Las Vegas scored two touchdowns, including the clinching score in the game's final minute on an interception return.

"Those guys don't ever get any recognition," Wildcats coach Kris Cinkovich said of his defense.

Las Vegas now stays home throughout the Sunrise Region playoffs, as well as avoiding both Desert Pines and Foothill for at least three weeks.

The Jaguars showed they are for real by battling back in a game where many left them for dead at the half. Johnson ran for 167 yards, but it was the gutsy passing of Marcel Johnson that carried Desert Pines back. He connected with B.J. Williams on scoring passes of 80 and 89 yards to help slash the Las Vegas lead to 36-34 late in the fourth quarter.