Southwest left behind in growth and success

Nick Christensen

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2004 | 10:21 a.m.

SUN RANKINGS

1. Bishop Gorman -- DeMarco Murray carries SW's only really good team.

2. Sierra Vista -- Mountain Lions could be 4-0 in league by the time they play Gorman.

3. Western -- Tough nonleague schedule for Warriors.

4. Durango -- Another rebuilding year with no JV support.

5. Bonanza -- But don't be surprised if they make the playoffs.

6. Clark -- O'Brian Vera and everyone else.

2003 STANDINGS

(division record in parentheses)

1. Bishop Gorman...7-2 (5-0)

Lost in first round to Cheyenne

2. Western...5-4 (4-1)

Lost in first round to Cimarron-Memorial

3. Bonanza...3-6 (2-3)

Lost in first round to Palo Verde

4. Sierra Vista...2-3 (3-6)

Lost in first round to Centennial

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

6. Clark...0-9 (0-5)

PAST STATE CHAMPIONS

Bishop Gorman -- 6; 1983, 1982, 1980, 1979, 1974, 1970.

Bonanza -- None.

Clark -- 4; 1993, 1972, 1971, 1968.

Durango -- None.

Sierra Vista -- None.

Western -- 6; 1996, 1976, 1975, 1966, 1965, 1964.

Monday -- Northeast

Tuesday -- Southeast

Today -- Southwest

Thursday -- Northwest

Friday -- Preseason poll

It wasn't too long ago that the Southwest Division was Las Vegas' football powerhouse.

Clark and Western won state championships in the 1990s. Bishop Gorman won three in the 1980s. And teams now in the Southwest combined for seven championships in the 1970s.

But how the mighty have fallen.

The six Southwest teams went a combined 7-17 in non-league games in 2003, worst of the four divisions in Las Vegas, and the two teams with the best nonleague records were Durango and Bishop Gorman, which both went 2-2.

For the second consecutive year, the Southwest was swept out of the playoffs in the first round. Since 1999, Southwest teams have a combined 8-17 playoff record.

Things just aren't what they used to be.

There are a few theories, ranging from the slow growth of the region, to a simple stock of good athletes in the Northwest, to a cycle that just happens in high school sports. But whatever the reason, it's frustrating to the schools and it has caused coaching changes in the Southwest to happen with much greater frequency than in other regions.

There's no doubt the Southwest hasn't experienced the growth and construction that other divisions have had. Only two new schools have opened in the division since the 1976 -- Durango in 1993, then Sierra Vista in 2001. A third, Spring Valley, will open this year, but will not play football in the Southwest Division until 2005.

Comparatively, every school in the Northwest and all but one school in the Southeast opened since 1991.

The one zone split that did happen in the Southwest gutted Durango, with Sierra Vista starting its fourth year in 2004. Players who were freshmen when Durango made it to the state semifinals in 2001 are now seniors for the Mountain Lions.

"Kids love a new school," said Cheyenne coach Charles Anthony. When he started at Western, "we had 3,000, then went down to 1,700, then back up to 2,400. I think that's a factor, with a lot of kids going to newer schools."

Anthony is in his first year at Cheyenne, whose zone was split to form Canyon Springs this summer. Cheyenne's old coach, Dave Snyder Jr., went to Canyon Springs, too.

Durango coach John Mausbach said the same thing happened when Cheyenne and Cimarron-Memorial opened in 1991.

"When I first got to town, Western had a very good program," he said. "When Cimarron and Cheyenne opened up, they took from those kids."

But Mausbach said that it's not the growth, or lack of it, that has caused the Southwest's troubles.

"Everything goes in cycles," he said. "I've been in this town for 20 years, and when I first got into town, Las Vegas High was struggling.

"They're one of the top teams now."

And in the Sunset, the pendulum has swung up to the Northwest.

"I don't think we match up with them physically," Sierra Vista coach Ben Johnson said. "The teams like Centennial, Palo, Cheyenne, and Cimarron all run the ball and are very physical. In our league, Durango had some success and Gorman had a little pass-run. In order to beat those teams, you'd better come and be very physical with them."

Durango's Mausbach is the only coach in the Southwest to have been at his school for more than three years. Bonanza and Western brought on new coaches for this season, and both of those schools had just replaced coaches two and three years before, respectively. Bishop Gorman, Clark, and Sierra Vista have undergone coaching changes in the last four years.

"Like anything, I think consistency is the key," Mausbach said. "I guess when you have coaches jumping around, that could cause problems. Once you get it going, then that coach decides to go to a different job, you get a different philosophy. Sometimes, it takes kids a little while to get used to that philosophy."

Johnson said that coaches are moving around so frequently, they can't even fully implement their own system, much less give kids consistency they need.

"I'm going into my third year and hopefully we're getting a strong concept and will have a great year," he said. "It takes a couple years. With the change of coaches, I don't see how you can get going that first year you're there."

One coach who has had immediate success is Bishop Gorman's David White, who led the Gaels to an undefeated league schedule in 2003, and Gorman was the Southwest team that came the closest to winning a playoff game last November. Many expect that Gorman will end the Southwest's playoff drought this November.

"I think Gorman's going to get out of that cycle this year," Palo Verde coach Darwin Rost said. "I think that whole thing of sweeping the Southwest, those days are over for us."