Hard feelings kept quiet for reunion of Jordan, Wildcats

Nick Christensen

Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005 | 9:26 a.m.

Las Vegas at Shadow Ridge

Ray DePalma Field,

Shadow Ridge High School

7 p.m. Friday

Broadcast on Network1Sports.com

Las Vegas (2-1)

Top Rusher: Jamal Lomax (193 yards per game)

Top Passer: O'Ryan Bradley (33-for-73, 411 yards this year)

Top Receiver: Evan Walton (9 receptions, 151 yards this year)

Shadow Ridge (2-1)

Top Rusher: Eric Jordan (131 yards per game)

Top Passer: Chris Rubbello (35-for-64, 631 yards this year)

Top Receiver: George Ortiz (8 receptions, 158 yards this year)

Last Meeting: First Meeting

There were no dummies hanged from the goalposts wearing a No. 15 jersey at Las Vegas High on Wednesday, no voodoo dolls with diamond-studded earrings hidden in coach Chris Faircloth's bag and no poor reserve running backs strewn out on the field after being the unfortunate ones chosen to impersonate Eric Jordan.

In fact, it looked like any other Wednesday night practice at Frank Nails Field, despite the most hyped regular-season game in recent memory set for Friday night on the far northern fringe of Las Vegas.

The Wildcats will travel to Shadow Ridge to face the 2-1 Mustangs and running back Eric Jordan, who along with his brother Josh transferred to Shadow Ridge from Las Vegas High in June.

And despite persistent talk of bad blood between the two teams after the transfer, everything seemed pretty civil at both schools this week.

In fact, the harshest words came from Vegas linebacker Chris Basch when asked what he thought of Jordan's career-low game last week.

"He's the one that moved to that school," Basch said. "If he's going to be down like that then he should have stayed."

Not exactly UNLV-UNR, much less the powder keg some thought this week would turn into.

Jordan had 23 yards on 13 carries against defending Colorado 5A champion J.K. Mullen last week, a game in which Shadow Ridge quarterback Chris Lowman-Rubbello broke his hand and in which second-team all-state receiver Troy Cummings sat due to suspension.

So when Vegas coach Chris Faircloth saw the tape of that game, he knew that he wasn't looking at what the Mustangs, and their talented running back, are capable of.

"I was very surprised he was held to that amount of carries, but their offense wasn't allowed to get a lot of first downs so that limited what he could do," Faircloth said. "I don't think they executed as well as they're able to execute. Not having Cummings in the game really hurt. Cummings is just like Jordan in the passing game."

The lack of the passing game plus the sheer size difference between Mullen's defensive line and Shadow Ridge's offensive line were the biggest downfalls, Shadow Ridge coach J.D. Johnson said.

"It's not a knock on the state of Nevada but that's probably the biggest team we will face all year," Johnson said. "I didn't see a slouch player on that team."

Jordan was the first to admit that there was at least one on the Shadow Ridge roster last week.

"I came out flat," he said. "Everybody was up but I just didn't come out to play."

That shouldn't be a problem this week as he goes up against his former team.

"It's going to be a real intense game," he said. "I know they're going to want to hit me and I'm going to want to hit them."

All-state lineman Xavier Cleveland, who watched as a teammate the past three years as Jordan rushed for what was then a 4A-record 5,008 yards, said his defense is looking forward to seeing what it can do against the state's most explosive back.

"In practice, we can't hit our running backs. Now I finally get an opportunity to hit him," Cleveland said. "I ain't gonna lie -- he's a good player. We'll have to wait 'til Friday to see how we play against him."

While Cummings will be back after serving his one-game suspension, Rubbello will not return for at least a month after breaking his hand on the second drive of last week's game.

William Pope will start at quarterback this week. Pope was slated to start for the Mustangs this year but fell out of favor in camp after struggling in a scrimmage against Bishop Gorman.

Pope said he feels like he's dealt with the gametime confidence that plagued him before the season.

"The number one thing is just going out there and having a positive mind," he said. "Don't be nervous. It's your world. You're the head person on the team. He (Rubbello) came in and stepped up and I learned that you can't be nervous."

Jordan said that play-hard mentality is the key to surviving this week -- literally.

"I know if we don't come out and play hard they're going to kill us," he said.