Sunset champ ‘wins’ trip to Reno for semis

Adam Candee

Thursday, Nov. 21, 2002 | 9:17 a.m.

Thanks for nothing.

That is the sentiment from both Cheyenne and Palo Verde about the Sunset Region champion being rewarded with a trip up north for a likely 4A state semifinal matchup with powerhouse McQueen on Thanksgiving weekend.

"The kids like the travel," Cheyenne coach Dave Snyder said. "It's not a coach's delight."

The winner of Friday night's Sunset Region title game at Cheyenne will make that trip to Reno, though, and the loser stays here to take on the Sunrise Region champion in the other semifinal. Such is the slightly wacky life under the NIAA state tournament rotation necessitated by Nevada's three regions.

And while there is little obvious reward to winning this game, both coaches are preaching the importance of keeping whatever momentum they have built in these playoffs, as well as putting up a region champion banner in the gym.

"It's more about personal pride than anything," Snyder said.

The security of already holding a state berth is special for Palo Verde (NW-3, 8-3) and Cheyenne (NW-2, 9-2), mirror-image teams that previously faced their crossroads.

Fittingly, the Desert Shields turned their season around in their Oct. 11 meeting with Palo Verde. Coming off consecutive losses to Desert Pines and Centennial, Cheyenne faced the prospect of falling to 0-2 in the strong Northwest Division.

With its offense still searching for answers, Cheyenne turned to its defense in besting the Panthers, 7-6, with a missed Palo Verde extra point accounting for the margin.

That escape began a six-game winning streak for the Desert Shields, capped by last week's 21-19 victory over Cimarron-Memorial in the region semifinals.

"Defensively, we've been playing above my expectations," Snyder said. "But offensively, we've struggled a little bit and hopefully we can pick it up in the next couple of games."

Cheyenne found spark through a quarterback change at midseason, when expected starter Ronald Scott returned from an ankle injury to reclaim the spot from Davian Bingham. That allowed Bingham to focus on defense, as well as find some time at wide receiver. The latter move opened up the Cheyenne offense, which has had modest success on the ground with running backs David Peeples and Travonte Darby.

Palo Verde, with its three losses to ranked teams by a combined seven points, found itself in a humbling postseason play-in game against winless Mojave in the final week of the regular season.

Coach Darwin Rost inserted new personnel into his offense -- just who and where, the coach politely declines to say -- and the result has been three straight efforts of 34 or more points.

"I feel way more confident," said Gerard Lawson, a senior starter at running back and cornerback for the Panthers.

Like the Shields, defense is carrying Palo Verde. Before allowing 28 points to Centennial in a double-overtime win last week, the Panthers did not allow an opponent more than seven points since giving up 13 to Valley in a Sept. 13 victory, including four shutouts.

Lawson said the key to stopping Cheyenne is playing the same tough defense that the Panthers have all season long.

"Defense wins the game," Lawson said. "We just need to pay attention, know our assignments, and don't give up."