Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003 | 10:14 a.m.
Soon after laying teammate and friend Edward Gomez to rest Monday morning, the Las Vegas High School football team took the field for an hour of what once was just practice but is now therapy as well.
"They like doing that," Las Vegas coach Kris Cinkovich said. "That's still the one release."
More than 300 family and friends, including the Wildcats dressed in their white football jerseys, showed up to remember Gomez at Monday morning's funeral Mass at St. Anne's Catholic Church and many followed to the interment ceremony at Bunker's Eden Vale Memorial Park. Father Sabino Lattanzio officiated, conducting most of the ceremonies in Spanish.
"May we all be united one day with our brother Edward," Lattanzio said.
Gomez, 17, died of blunt force trauma to the head two days after collapsing on the sideline during Las Vegas' Sunrise Region championship game against Desert Pines on Nov. 21. The Wildcats, now 13-0 after this weekend's victory against Palo Verde in the semifinals of the 4A State Tournament, are preparing to travel north and play Reno on Saturday afternoon for the state championship.
First, though, the Wildcats endured Sunday's daylong viewing and Monday's proceedings as final goodbyes were said.
A number of players wept openly and still more wore the numb look of shock as they escorted Gomez's casket in and out of church. As Gomez was later lowered into his grave, many Wildcats stared down without words as family members and friends sobbed uncontrollably.
Cinkovich made his way around the scattered groups of players at the cemetery, offering hugs and words of consolation and encouragement.
"I'm glad they don't try to hide it or keep it to themselves," Cinkovich said of his team's emotions.
Pati Chun -- a family friend she said they know as "Auntie Pati" -- briefly spoke in English to the team at the Mass.
"You guys are already winners, no matter what happens in Reno," Chun said. "You inspired Ed to be a better person, just as he inspires us today."
Las Vegas played an inspired game in dispatching Palo Verde, 41-7, and reaching the state finals for the second time in three years. While the team celebrated the win and the first of two football steps in their quest to honor Gomez, Cinkovich said he and his staff did not allow themselves to enjoy it too much "because we knew what was coming (Sunday and Monday)."
Cinkovich was impressed Monday by his team's ability to bounce back from the proceedings and get through practice. Admitting that he "wasn't too fired up" when practice began, Cinkovich said he actually drew strength from his players as they worked out without pads.
Cinkovich also said that community donations to the Gomez family continue to be strong. While he did not have an overall total, Cinkovich himself handed two days worth of donations totaling $1,600 to the family Monday and expressed confidence that more money is coming from other sources.
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association donated all gate receipts from the Palo Verde-Las Vegas game to the family, likely totaling in the thousands of dollars from the packed stadium.
The Wildcats will practice today through Thursday before leaving early Friday for Reno by bus. The state title game is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the University of Nevada-Reno's Mackay Stadium.
Once that is over, the release of football will be gone for the Wildcats, who take off the rest of December before beginning offseason weightlifting after winter break.
"It's going to be another phase in our mourning for Edward," Cinkovich said. "That's when it's going to be really sensitive."
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