Expectation at Las Vegas always a welcome burden

Nick Christensen

Monday, Aug. 23, 2004 | 9:12 a.m.

Today -- Northeast

Tuesday -- Southeast

Wednesday -- Southwest

Thursday -- Northwest

Friday -- Preseason poll

SUN RANKINGS

1. Las Vegas -- Transition and turmoil won't bring them down.

2. Desert Pines -- Not too much turnover from strong '03 team.

3. Eldorado -- Last year's surprise gets only better.

4. Valley -- Near-unanimous Northeast sleeper.

5. Rancho -- New coach brings new discipline.

6. Chaparral -- Drama was last thing their new coach needed.

2003 STANDINGS

(postseason record in parentheses)

Las Vegas...9-0 (5-0)

Lost state championship to Reno

Desert Pines...6-3 (4-1)

Lost in state semifinals to Reno

Rancho...5-4 (2-3)

Lost in first round to Foothill

Eldorado...3-6 (2-3)

Lost in first round to Coronado

Valley...3-6 (2-3)

Chaparral...2-7 (0-5)

PAST STATE CHAMPIONS

Chaparral -- 1; 1977

Desert Pines -- None

Eldorado -- 1; 1991

Las Vegas -- 14; 2001, 1959, 1957, 1954, 1953, 1951*, 1947, 1945* , 1944, 1938* , 1934, 1933, 1932, 1931

Rancho -- 4; 1988, 1962, 1961, 1960

Valley -- 2; 1978, 1969

* -- Shared championship

For once, the Las Vegas Wildcats are playing with something to prove.

Last season, nobody would have faulted them if they had faltered in the first round, playing a game highlighted nationally by ESPN despite having just lost their star quarterback and running back to injury.

Nobody would have blamed them for giving in after 17-year-old safety Edward Gomez died after an injury in their regional championship against Desert Pines.

And when the depleted Wildcats finally faltered to Reno in the state championship,on a cold, rainy day in Reno's Mackay Stadium, the team was still congratulated -- for making it as far as they did.

That won't happen this year. With Chris Gifford, last year's senior quarterback, moving on, junior Jeremy Craddock steps in to prove his stellar playoff run wasn't a fluke.

With his wrist healed, junior running back Eric Jordan gets the chance to show he can lead a team through the postseason, something he was denied the opportunity of doing while in a cast last November.

With the state football championship slated for Southern Nevada again this year, the harsh conditions and hostile fans in the frozen tundra of the Sierra foothills won't be a factor. .

And with the offensive and defensive clipboard for the first time, new coach Chris Faircloth is faced with escaping from the long shadow of departed coach Kris Cinkovich, whose January hiring as UNLV's receivers coach shocked the Wildcats.

Yes, Las Vegas has plenty to prove this year. And with many of the pieces from last year's runner-up squad still in place, most expect Vegas to be the team to beat in football this year.

"There's high expectations, and we want high expectations," Faircloth said. "There's a definite work ethic already established. That's how you get to that point, because the kids understand that it takes a lot of hard work to have success."

As in, weights all summer preparing for the regular season, twice a day practices at Frank Nails Field, and a preseason scrimmage against defending Sunset champions Palo Verde.

Wide receiver Christian Vidal, who was healthy through last year's playoff run, said the team isn't setting itself up for a letdown.

"Basically we're working twice as hard," he said. "We can't stop now."

When Cinkovich took the job at UNLV, he said there was no question who he wanted to follow him at Vegas.

"The day I talked to Coach Robinson, I went straight to Chris Faircloth's house," he said. "I told him I thought it was his time, and that he'd be the perfect guy for it. He was the guy and I'm happy I made that decision."

Cinkovich left behind big shoes for Faircloth to fill. The Wildcats in 2001 won their first state championship since 1959, the finale of an 28-year run in which the Wildcats won 13 titles. In eight years under Cinkovich, the Wildcats went 79-24 and won three Sunrise region championships.

Still, 'Coach Cink' said he had no doubt that Faircloth could rise out of his shadow.

"He knows the school. He knows the tradition so well," Cinkovich said. "He's very thorough in what he does, he has a great passion about football. The kids love him. Those qualities right there make him an excellent head coach."

Faircloth hasn't missed a beat, saying that the only adjustment he's had to make has been dealing with the paperwork that comes with being head coach. But even with such a qualified successor, the decision to leave wasn't easy for Cinkovich.

"I remember telling them we all have our aspirations and dreams, and to me this is no different than a young man getting a scholarship to a I-A college. It's a great opportunity, one he would take advantage of," he said. "There was a lot of emotion. I had strong feelings toward the school and toward the people there. What happened at the end of the season compounded that, it made it more intense. It was very difficult."

What happened was the fall of Gomez, a stunning result of a play that he walked away from. After Gomez put a hard hit on Desert Pines receiver Jonathan Stoldorf in the Sunrise championship game, he walked to the sidelines, but collapsed minutes later. He died at UMC on Nov. 23, less than 48 hours after the Wildcats' championship.

Most of the Wildcats that were close to Gomez have since moved on, but Vidal said his memory is still with many of this year's Wildcats.

"Every time we play, we always feel he's with us," he said.

Jordan said it also encourages his team to give it their all.

"We play every game like this is our last game," he said. "We play hard for every whistle."

But he said that what happened to Gomez doesn't put doubts in his mind that the same could happen to him.

"You can't play football scared," he said. "Then, you will get hurt."

This year, in fact, may not be so much about "moving on" for Las Vegas as it is about "picking up."

"The kids are responding real well, they're going on like we haven't missed a beat," Faircloth said. "The juniors-to-be-seniors, they've experienced a lot of success, obviously some tough times... but that happens to everybody. I'd say the morale's real good right now."

That's because, according to Vidal, nothing less than a championship will be acceptable.

"There's no excuses this year," he said. "We have to go out there and win."