A smart approach

Nick Christensen

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004 | 9:11 a.m.

Brandon Godfrey is out not to impress, but to win.

But in doing the latter, he's definitely earning the respect of not only opposing teams, but his coaches and college recruiters.

Godfrey passed for 974 yards last year as a junior at Eldorado. It was the seventh-best total in Las Vegas. This year, he's second among local passers with 397 yards and a touchdown on 26-for-51 passing.

The formula has worked. Eldorado averaged 21.75 points per game last year, in the bottom half of teams in Southern Nevada. This year, the Sundevils are fourth-best in the South, scoring an average of 33.66 points per game against tough opponents.

Godfrey is a workhorse, a perfectionist and a leader. He doesn't just practice with his teammates, but works with them, and doesn't hesitate to credit his offensive line for the help it has provided in the Sundevils' 2-1 start.

But as diverse as the Eldorado offense has become, it's no wonder Godfrey shares the credit.

After an opening-week game in which the Sundevils lost 23-20 to then second-ranked Foothill on a last-second field goal, Eldorado looked to be a pass-heavy team with some rushing capabilities. But the next week, a stingy Western defense kept Godfrey's passing relatively in check, and the Sundevils were forced to keep the ball on the ground.

The rush attack worked well enough for a 27-6 victory. But last week, the offense opened up for a 54-21 win against Coronado. Godfrey passed for 143 yards, and he along with four others combined for 186 yards on the ground.

The Sundevils are firing on all cylinders, just a year and a half after the Eldorado machine ground to a halt.

Dave Castro was fired as the Sundevils' head coach, but Godfrey credits him for his ascendency to the helm of the Eldorado offense.

"Coach Castro was more of a discipline guy, and we needed it," Godfrey said. "He tried to whip us into shape as much as he could. We had eight sophomores on varsity."

Castro worked with Godfrey as a freshman, preparing him to be a starter as a sophomore. Before high school, Godfrey had never played in a formal game.

"I always played quarterback on the street, in elementary school. I was always the one throwing the ball," he said. "I tried out my freshman year and got it. Coach Castro helped a lot. ... I used to throw a sidearm."

Enter Frank DeSantis, hired shortly after he was fired from the head coaching job at Cimarron-Memorial. The first year was tough, because coaching changes are generally made in winter, not toward the end of the school year.

"That hurt," he said of the sudden change. "We were unable to go to camp. He came in in April, and in June we had 17 or 18 guys ready to go."

Eldorado was 3-7 in Castro's final year, and went 3-6 last season under DeSantis.

"This team is 100 percent different this year," Godfrey said.

Part of that difference is the ability to shift focus from game to game, instead of relying heavily on Godfrey's arm.

"Last year, the pressure was cool, but to lose by 20 points sucks," he said. "As long as we get the wins, if I'm winning throwing like 50 yards, I love it."

Godfrey has been recruited by Dartmouth. He has sent game tapes, and he said the school's recruiters have told him he's one of their top prospects.

DeSantis, who before his time at Cimarron won five 2A championships with The Meadows, a prep school in Summerlin, said Godfrey likes to be challenged.

"He's always striving -- he wants to do everything perfect," DeSantis said. "It could be his greatest trait or his worst enemy. Every play, he tries to make something happen. He's an intelligent kid."

Godfrey, who said he'd like to go into sports medicine, is more bashful about his intelligence than his on-field abilities.

"I don't consider myself smart," he said. "I just work harder than everybody."

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