prep football preview:

Western plans to stick with running game

Sam Morris

Western football player Donovan Oberkramer Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009.

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Western High first-year coach Fernando Carmona had a rough off season and it had nothing to do with worrying about how the Warriors would replace 14 graduated starters from last year’s team that missed the playoffs.

Carmona had massive internal bleeding in early July and underwent an emergency blood transfusion to save his life. Six weeks later and he’s still recovering — with football on his mind.

“The seven (returning starters) we have are good, solid kids who will see action on both sides of the ball,” Carmona said.

The Warriors return their leading rusher, senior track star Brian Mickel. It would be easy to assume that much of the offensive onus will be on Mickel.

Not so fast, according to Carmona. Running backs Dante Warren, a senior, and Allen Davis, a junior, will be just as vital to Western’s success.

“We won’t have one guy getting 30 carries a game,” Carmona said. “It will be more like three guys getting 10 to 12 carries a game. They won’t be able to key on one guy.”

Carmona said his offense would help the Warriors deal with their most glaring deficiency — the lack of a quarterback.

Carmona said he had no idea who would emerge as the starting signal caller and probably wouldn’t know until right before Western opens the season against Pahrump Valley. He’s not worried about it.

“Our quarterback is more of a handoff type guy,” Carmona said. “He won’t be going to the air very often.”

Carmona speaks with vigor about the upcoming season. After what he went through this summer, he knows it will be special.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or at case.keefer@lasvegassun.com.

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