Smarting from last year’s defeat, Las Vegas determined to beat Valley

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 | 9:31 a.m.

High School Football

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Watch players and coaches preview our Game of the Week Valley at Las Vegas and Ray Brewer gives his picks of the week.

That is why they play the games.

Valley's football team only had one victory in six games entering its contest with perennial power Las Vegas High last year. Las Vegas, which at time was the two-time defending state champion, hadn't lost to a Nevada school in three years.

But Valley pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory with a 20-7 shocker.

"It was the biggest win Valley has had in 10 years," said John Elwell, Valley's first-year head coach who was an assistant with the Vikings the last seven years. "It was one of those nights you were glad to be part of."

When the two schools meet Friday at 7 p.m. for the first time since the upset, host Las Vegas will be out for redemption. Last year, the Wildcats were guilty of looking ahead to their next game, a showdown with then high-powered Canyon Springs for Northeast Division supremacy.

The setback was one of four league defeats for Las Vegas since the large-school classification was split into divisions in 2000.

"Last year, we pretty much had a bad mindset going in and that is my fault," Las Vegas coach Chris Faircloth said. "We were looking ahead down the schedule and the kids are always going to feed off what the coach does."

Valley's Kerwyn Williams had two touchdowns in last year's game and Faircloth knows containing the Vikings' speedster will dictate the outcome of the game. Williams, who lines up at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, has rushed for 627 yards in five games -- second best in Southern Nevada behind Las Vegas' Reggie Bullock, who has 665 yards.

"We are somehow going to have to contain (Williams)," Faircloth said. "He's Mr. Everything. He's like a human-highlight film. He is that good."

But even with Williams dominating opponents, Valley (2-3) has lost its first two games in the Northeast. It fell 28-27 on the last play of the game to Eldorado Sept. 19, and had a pass intercepted in the end zone in the last minute which was returned for a touchdown in a 33-20 loss against Desert Pines Sept. 26.

Another upset of Las Vegas, which Elwell feels wouldn't be classified as an upset anymore, would help the Vikings stay alive in the playoff hunt. The top four of the Northeast's seven teams reach the postseason and the Vikings are in last place after two league games.

"It comes down to blocking and tackling," Elwell said. "We don't have anything special planned for them other than executing our game plan. We are going to go out and get some guy blocked because we have some guys (like Williams) who have proven to be pretty good in open space."

Las Vegas (4-1, 2-0) has been sluggish at times this year, Faircloth said. To compensate, he's increased the intensity at practice, comparing recent after school workouts to the more physical sessions of the summer.

"We just haven't been playing hard or intense this year," Faircloth said. "We are probably grinding it out as hard as ever right now in practice. So far, the kids have responded to it."

Sports Editor Ray Brewer can be reached at ray.brewer@hbcpub.com or 990-2662.