Division games get off to early start this week

Adam Candee

Monday, Sept. 22, 2003 | 8:58 a.m.

Sun prep rankings

Team / Record / Prev.

1. McQueen 3-0 1

Blanked Spanish Springs, back on track

2. Las Vegas 4-0 2

Won't really be tested until playoffs

3. Douglas 3-0 3

A serious threat to McQueen's reign

4. Foothill 4-0 4

Mark the calendar: Oct.9 vs. Basic

5. Palo Verde 4-0 5

Panthers ready for Northwest gauntlet

6. Basic 4-0 7

Montano staking claim as city's top QB

7. Hug 3-0 8

Survived a squeaker with Carson

8. Cim.-Memorial 3-1 --

Spartans keep finding ways to win

9. South Tahoe 2-1 --

Got by then-No. 6 Reno to enter poll 10. Centennial 3-1 ----

Only loss to strong team from California

Teams ranked by the Sun and Sparks Tribune.

The gridiron lights go on a bit early this week and the action under them could be a bit more intense than before.

With a rare round of Thursday night games on the slate, local prep squads will have less time than normal to prepare for their first division games of the season.

Let's review the first portion of the schedule and size up who is headed where as division play opens.

The second tier of the division appears to be Rancho (3-1) and Eldorado (1-3). The Rams' loss to Bonanza is absolutely puzzling because the Rams looked ready to break through this year. There is still time for Rancho, but the Jekyll and Hyde act has to stop. The Sundevils win the moral victory crown of being the best one-win team in the city after tough overtime losses to Centennial and Cimarron-Memorial.

Desert Pines (2-2), Chaparral (2-2), and Valley (1-3) will scrap it out for the division's final playoff spot. If experience is an edge, the Jaguars have the inside track after their run to the 2002 state title game.

Right behind the top two is Coronado (3-1), off to its second strong start in as many seasons. Junior quarterback Andrew Hatch and senior wideout Koury Fingers are helping lead a surprisingly good offense that should pace the Cougars through a difficult remaining slate that includes Foothill, Basic, and Palo Verde. Coronado ripped Sierra Vista, 46-0, Friday, and the Cougars appear to fall in the city's middle tier.

Green Valley (1-3) and Silverado (1-3) are both undermanned in a difficult division. The playoff fate of these teams likely rests in their Oct. 9 matchup.

As junior quarterback Jarrell Harrison continues to mature, and running backs Jamal Brumfield and Tyree Walton continue to shine, Palo Verde becomes the most solid all-around squad. Despite some lopsided early wins, Palo Verde coach Darwin Rost is quick to say that his team has not been truly tested until it gets into division play.

Both the Bulldogs and Spartans dropped their only game to powerful teams. Centennial is not flashy, but first-year coach Joel Bertsch is keeping his team well balanced and prepared every week. Cimarron can feel no shame with its only defeat coming by 14 points at Las Vegas. If the offense is as good as the 67 points it posted in the past two weeks, Cimarron could be up for a playoff push.

At 2-2, Cheyenne is an early season disappointment. Senior tailback David Peeples is doing his part, but the Desert Shields have not performed overall. If not for some late scrambling against Western, Cheyenne could easily be 1-3 right now. Mojave (1-3) claimed its first win in two years against Valley two weeks ago and the Rattlers came to life in a near miss against Durango last week.

Hyped as the class of the division, Durango (2-2) has looked nothing like a contender thus far. The Blazers have some top individual talent, but allowing 40 points to Mojave shows that they are far from ready for division play.

Bishop Gorman (2-2) is actually in a good spot after blasting Liberty and holding off Cheyenne in consecutive weeks. It would not be a surprise if the Gaels found a way to sneak out with the crown in a wide-open division.

Beyond the Blazers and Gaels, the remaining four teams in the Southwest are struggling. With matching 1-3 records, Sierra Vista, Bonanza and Western do not look ready to challenge for the title. Bonanza's offense is up to the task, but only first-year independent Liberty has allowed more points than the Bengals.

Clark (0-4) has been outscored 144-13 this year, and the Chargers will need some major improvement in the coming weeks to earn a playoff spot.