Preps: Southwest division

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2004 | 10:20 a.m.

Bishop Gorman GAELS

Coach : David White (2nd year)

Returning starters (O/D) : 14 (5/9)

Key players: Corey White, Soph., TB; DeMarco Murray, Jr., RB; David Fry, Jr., WR; Ryan Reynolds, Sr., LB.

X-Factor: CJ Sedoris, Sr., QB. Sedoris replaces Steve Harris, who is now at the University of New Mexico. Sedoris too could be a Division I quarterback, according to White.

"He's more quarterback savvy, he's got a different style to him," White said. "He's a traditional drop-back passer."

Nonleague schedule (2003 record): Battle Ground, Wash. (4-2), Colton, Calif. (10-1), Desert Pines (6-3).

Bishop Gorman was the only Southwest team that came even close to winning a playoff game last year, falling to Cheyenne 32-27 in the first round. The Desert Shields almost got knocked out by the Gaels too after a post-game brawl that ultimately resulted in the Peeples v. Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association court battle.

The fight will cost Gorman -- David Fry and Jimmy Duffy will sit out one game, and rising star DeMarco Murray is benched for two games for his role in the altercation.

Gorman returns 14 starters this year, and with a young team that's largely the same as last year's, the Gaels could make some waves in the postseason. Having only three nonleague games to tune up for Southwest play won't hurt too much, considering how much better Gorman is than the rest of the division.

Bonanza BENGALS

Coach : Jay Weinman (1st year)

Returning starters (O/D) : 9 (4/5)

Key players: Jesse Bowler, Jr., C; Brett Parry, Sr., QB; Alex Martinez, Sr., G; Blake Gonska, Sr., G.

X-Factor: Andy Rangel, Jr., LB. Rangel replaces Mark Seward, who is now at UNR. Expectations are high for Rangel, after years of Seward's talent. The Bengals need something, because even with Seward, Bonanza gave up a 4A-worst 38 points a game in 2003.

Nonleague schedule (2003 record): Liberty (0-8), Green Valley (1-8), Las Vegas (9-0), Rancho (5-4), Foothill (8-1).

Former coach Johnny Macon left to start up Spring Valley's program, but new coach Weinman, the former junior varsity coach, is keeping the same offensive system with a new defensive coordinator and scheme.

That's a good move. Bonanza averaged 33.1 points a game last year, fourth-best in Las Vegas, but allowed more points than anybody but Liberty. If the offense can break even from last year, and the defense can make a marginal improvement, look for Bonanza to sneak into the playoffs as a fourth seed.

Clark CHARGERS

Coach : Carlton Lamb (3rd year)

Returning starters (O/D) : 5 (3/2)

Key players: O'Brian Vera, Sr., WR; Mazie Momeni, Sr., WR; Joey Quinn, Sr., LB; Brian Sandoval, Sr., WR.

X-Factor: Masood Beria, Sr., TE. Beria spent most of last year hurt, first with a preseason injury and then another injury in his first game back. The Chargers need Beria, who stands 6-foot-4 and is very coordinated, according to his coach, to have a good year to free up Vera from defensive double-coverage.

Nonleague schedule (2003 record): Liberty (0-8), Rancho (5-4), Silverado (3-6), Valley (3-6).

It's another rebuilding year for Clark, despite the presence of Vera, one of the city's best receivers with close to 600 yards in 2003. Vera is quick -- he runs a 4.5-second 40-yard-dash -- and Lamb plans to utilize that speed in reverses and pitches.

Lamb's focus is on using his school's presence as a magnet school to recruit -- counselors representing the school's math, science, teaching, and finance magnet schools are also looking for good athletes when they visit middle schools in the area. But it doesn't take a math major to figure out that Lamb, one of the city's more likable coaches, is in trouble if the Chargers don't see some improvement now.

Durango TRAILBLAZERS

Coach : John Mausbach (9th year)

Returning starters (O/D) : 6 (3/3)

Key players: Alex Bravo, Sr., TB/SS; Wesley Bradley, Sr., OT/DT; Scott Anthony, Sr., WR; Bronson Manuma, Sr., FB/LB.

X-Factor: The Sophomores. Mausbach won't talk about how well or not-so-well things are coming for the 10th graders, waiting instead to see how they do in a game. Much of how the Blazers perform this year will depend on if the kids are all right.

Nonleague schedule (2003 record): Chaparral (2-7), Green Valley (1-8), Valley (3-6), Coronado (7-2).

Want to see how good Durango could be this year? Look at Sierra Vista and Spring Valley. The two SV's took big chunks out of the south and north of Durango's formerly expansive zone, leaving Mausbach with slow growth and an undercut recruiting base -- for the second consecutive year, Durango will play without a junior varsity team. Sophomores will take the playing time that, at other schools, juniors and seniors would be seeing.

"We'll see how the sophomores step up and adjust to varsity competition," Mausbach said. "There's going to be a factor when you have a 15-year-old going against an 18-year-old. We, as a coaching staff, are going to do the best we can and see how it goes.

Durango's spent much of camp watching film and going over basics such as pre-snap alignment, and will be behind the curve. Still, don't count on a repeat of last year's disappointing season -- first of all, a group of troublesome kids was kicked off the team in the middle of last season, causing turmoil. Second, never count out Mausbach, whose tenure at Durango (nine years) is almost as long as that of the other Southwest coaches combined (10 years).

Sierra Vista MOUNTAIN LIONS

Coach : Ben Johnson (3rd year)

Returning starters (O/D) : 14 (7/7)

Key players: Garret Chapel, Sr., FB; Jeff Long, Sr., SS/RB; Steven Hill, Sr., RB.

X-Factor: Stacy Martin, Sr., WR. The Mountain Lions will rely heavily on a running offense this year, and 6-foot-3 Martin adds power to the aerial game. "His presence will be very important to have a balance, so we can keep teams off-balance a little bit," Johnson said.

Nonleague schedule (2003 record): Chaparral (2-7), Valley (3-6), Foothill (8-1), Green Valley (1-8), Silverado (3-6).

The big difference this year for Sierra Vista is the transfer of running back Jeff Long, who moved from Desert Pines' zone to Blue Diamond. Long hasn't played RB before, but the Lions expect good things from him.

"He's got speed and a lot of running back savvy," Sierra Vista coach Ben Johnson said. "I don't think he's played much running back until he went to camp with us, and he's an outstanding back and Utah State has started looking at him as a running back."

Sierra Vista is faced with some depth problems, but they'll have enough offense to make a run at November.

Western WARRIORS

Coach : Brian Murray (1st year)

Returning starters (O/D) : 10 (5/5)

Key players: Chase Bast, Jr., TE; Chris Fowler, Jr., WR; Julian Sample, Jr., QB; Stephon Turner, Sr., RB.

X-Factor: Prentyce Albright, Sr., WR.

Nonleague schedule (2003 record): Desert Pines (6-3), Eldorado (3-6), Palo Verde (9-0), Cheyenne (5-4), Basic (7-2).

Western is yet another school with a new coach and a new system this year, and Murray has higher expectations than a first-round exit from the playoffs for 2004. He may have good reason. On paper, the Warriors are a fairly solid football team, particularly on defense.

Sample has the arm and the speed, running a 4.5-second 40, and with the height to scan the field, he should have enough receiver options to run up some scores. What Coronado did last year, the Warriors could do this year. If not, they'll still win the Best-Team-on-US-95 award for 2004. -- Nick Christensen

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