Wederquist to play for UNLV; Silverado High hires Thornhill

Adam Candee

Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 | 9:13 a.m.

Some will call it a coup, some will label it an inside job and others will just say it's about time.

Any way you look at it, UNLV scored a fine commitment this weekend with the announcement that Foothill wideout Nate Wederquist will stay in town and play for the Rebels. The word came from Foothill coach Ray Fenton, who said Wederquist will secure the commitment on Wednesday's opening of the NCAA football signing period.

UNLV has already watched a number of top local recruits head for Oregon State, but word all along was that Wederquist preferred UNLV over Arizona, Houston and a handful of other schools.

Wederquist, whose father, Craig, is the Rebels' defensive line coach, earned All-State honors as both a receiver and a defensive back. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Wederquist possesses size, hands, and instincts, in addition to the football smarts that come with being a coach's kid.

Fenton also said that linebacker Nike Saipele orally committed to Northern Arizona. All-State defensive end Jeff Vanorsow earlier gave his verbal to Oregon State.

Doug Thornhill, an assistant coach at Silverado last season, will take over the head coaching duties for 2003. Thornhill beat out more than 20 other applicants for the right to replace the resigned John DeNardin.

"He seems to be pretty knowledgeable and he's pretty personable," Silverado athletic administrator Faron Springer said of Thornhill.

Springer added that hiring from within the school emerged as a priority. Thornhill completed his first season at Silverado in 2002, coming to Las Vegas from Shelly, Idaho, where he spent six years as a head coach at a smaller high school.

DeNardin stepped down after eight seasons at Silverado. It was an apparently mutual parting between the school and the coach, who compiled a 24-51 overall mark.

Elsewhere in football coaching news, Green Valley is advertising its head coaching spot around the district after Lanny Littlefield recently resigned following two years on the job. Bishop Gorman athletic administrator Kevin Hickman said the school is still in the interview process.

The Panthers walked into Green Valley and upended the third-ranked Gators, 75-73, Saturday in overtime. If anyone still harbored doubts about the undersized Panthers, they should now know that Palo Verde is one of the legitimate contenders for the 4A state title.

Witness what the Panthers have done against the South's elite this season: Hung with top-ranked Cheyenne for three quarters, dropped a one-point decision to No. 2 Gorman, beat Green Valley, bested No. 6 Durango by four, and erased a 19-point deficit to down No. 8 Foothill. Translation: Palo Verde is for real.

The Western girls marched into the Gaels' house and took out the state's fourth-ranked squad, 43-38, Friday night. Backed by a boisterous crowd, Western finally broke through in a big game -- this after losing in overtime to No. 1 Centennial and dropping a three-point decision to the Gaels in their first meeting.

A pair of turning points shifted the momentum Western's way. First, Gorman coach Sheryl Krmpotich's plan to play it safe and protect a two-point lead with four minutes remaining badly backfired. As Gorman pulled back into a four corners offense, Western applied a halfcourt trap that stifled the Gaels.

The second turning point came when Gorman standout Breona Gray picked up her fifth foul with 2:45 on the clock and the Gaels clinging to a 38-36 lead. Without their steady leader, the Gaels folded, with the Warriors ripping off a 7-0 run to close the game.