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StumbleDel Sol seeks upset against powerhouse Gorman in state championship
Del Sol linemen run drills during practice Monday in preparation for their last game. Del Sol will play Bishop Gorman for the state championship Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 | 2:22 a.m.
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Championship week is upon us
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Las Vegas Sun reporters Ray Brewer and Steve Silver break down the 4A high school football state championship between Bishop Gorman and Del Sol.
If you go
- WHAT: 4A state championship football game
- WHEN: 12:07 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5
- WHERE: Sam Boyd Stadium, 7000 E. Russell Road
- COST: $5 for students, $7 for adults
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Team pages
Minutes before the Del Sol High football team started its Monday afternoon practice, a maintenance worker was busy painting lines on the Dragons’ field.
Sure, Del Sol was preparing for its first appearance in the state championship game. But a new coat of paint for the lines, which were still fresh from Del Sol’s Sunrise Region title game with Basic two days prior, seemed a little overboard.
The worker, however, was transforming the football field into a soccer field in preparation for the upcoming girls soccer season.
In most years, the change would have been right on schedule.
But, then again, this isn’t like most years — especially for Del Sol’s Henderson-based Southeast Division.
Del Sol (12-1) is looking to become the first Henderson school to capture a state championship since Basic in 1960.
Rewriting the history books won’t be easy. Del Sol, in only its sixth year of existence, is facing the Goliath of local high school football teams, powerhouse Bishop Gorman.
Gorman (14-0) has barely been challenged this fall, receiving a boost from first-year coach Tony Sanchez and dominating opponents to the tune of an undefeated season.
Just don’t expect Del Sol players back down.
“They are high school kids just like us, so why be intimidated,” Del Sol senior lineman Sam Chandler said. “They put their pants on one leg at a time just like us. They aren’t Gods because they go to Bishop Gorman.”
Gorman, which is led by eight seniors with Division I scholarship offers, is the nation’s highest-scoring team with 737 points, according to maxpreps.com. It has been equally impressive on defensive in holding six opponents scoreless and another four to less than 10 points.
Duplicating the effort won’t be easy against Del Sol, Sanchez said.
“The thing that stands out to me on film is that they are an extremely tough and physical football team,” Sanchez said. “Their coach (Preston Goroff) has a swagger and toughness about him that bleeds over to those kids. We know they are fighters and we expect that from them.”
Del Sol rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to edge Basic 20-19 to advance to the championship game, while Gorman scored 28 points in the initial six minutes of its semifinal game against Reed High of Sparks in a 62-21 victory.
Del Sol only gives up 16 points a game, but they haven’t faced a team of Gorman’s caliber.
Gorman is led by senior tight end Xavier Grimble, who is ranked as the nation’s top tight end by recruiting Web site Rivals.com and has verbally committed to Southern California. Grimble has 37 catches for 665 yards and eight touchdowns.
In addition, the two-back running game of senior Victor Belen (26 touchdowns) and sophomore Shaquille Powell (27 touchdowns) gives the Gaels a stable of dangerous offensive options.
“They have an all-star team,” Goroff said. “This is going to have to be a mistake-free game for us. We need to be better than them in the things we can control, like effort and limiting our mistakes.”
Del Sol also needs its star player, two-way standout Dezerick Reed, to be healthy. Reed, who was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year on Thursday, severely sprained his ankle two minutes into the Sunrise title game against Basic.
Reed has rushed for 1,885 yards and 22 touchdowns this year and is key in the Dragons’ power-running game.
Ultimately, both teams know what is on the line — the state’s biggest prize.
“They are 16-, 17- and 18-year-old kids who want it just as bad as we do,” Gorman senior defensive end Alex Turner said. “There have been bigger upsets than Del Sol beating Gorman.”
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"Del Sol (12-1) is looking to become the first Henderson school to capture a state championship since Basic in 1960."
Hey Ray,
Great story. Unfortunately, Del Sol has a Las Vegas address. Boundary is close and almost all southeast schools are in Henderson. But Del Sol is Las Vegas. Just a heads up. Again, great story.
Brian... i was thinking the same thing but i guess since they are one block from Vegas/Henderson border there is a large amount of their students that live in Henderson and are zoned for Del Sol...
I hope we see a good game but man, if it wasn't for two fumbles returned for TD's BG would have beat Palo 38-14... i thought maybe CM would upset Gorman since they focused so much on Palo game but they killed CM 31-7, then i assumed Reed would give them a very tough game and obviously that was a slaughter. If Gorman blows out Del Sol, all southern nevada wins. PV was ranked in the top 100 by Maxpreps.com at beggining of season, if Gorman gets ranked, you will see a lot more respect coming into nevada high school football. In last three years McQueen, Palo have been ranked top 100, add Gorman and maybe we'll be able to crack 2-3 teams in the top 200 which would be leaps and bounds for players looking to be recruited out of las vegas
Brian: I knew someone would call me out on the Las Vegas address with Del Sol. They have a handful of kids who live in the Green Valley area of Henderson. Also, they play in the Henderson-based Southeast Division. But, you are right, technically Del Sol is a Las Vegas school. Thanks for reading.
Hi. I am new to Vegas . VegasVegas points out that "Darned right! Gorman has the best players in the state and proud of it." Just curious, does Gorman win the state football championship every year?
Spencer- No. They are going for their second title in three years but prior to that they hadn't won since the 80's and dominated primarily basketball boys & girls and baseball.
My daughter went to Gorman and got a great education and lettered in three sports too. These kids that go to Gorman want to be there and value their education.
Oh ok. Sounds like a good game with some good atletes!
So BCDave,
Kids that go elsewhere in the valley don't value they're education? Obviously you don't know much about the valley's magnet programs in THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
My son didn't go to Gorman, and he lettered in 3 sports and got an academic scholarship for college. Darn, if he only went to that great school of Gorman so he could of valued his education a little more.
Sorry people, this is the wrong blog for this but I had to put my word in on this.
And for VegasVegas, "those not good enough to play at Gorman will hate on them". So what you just said is that there are no good players in the valley, but that your so proud of your Gorman Gaels for winning state this saturday. That must be a great accomplishment winning state against teams with no talent.
guns-speak for yourself! If you are the typical 5'5" that have small man syndrome then like I said speak for yourself. Leave Hawaii schools out of this blogs for you only make yourself look like an idiot! Gorman is not calling out or nor they have ever called out any school from this and any state!
johnny- if you are so called from the islands then act like it. stop acting haole be proud of the poly kids that do go to Gorman!
Well VegasVegas, call a spade a spade then. You automatically think that the ones that are spewing out the hate are the football players, call out the ones who are hating then, I would bet the majority are the high schools kids and parents.
And if that jealously comment was just directed at me, boy are you clueless as well. I as a parent would have no problem forking out $11,000 for Gorman, but do I want to...no. It just takes hard work and dedication to achieve good things that you don't have to pay for. Maybe this will sink in to that thick bonehead skull of yours, as a parent, we all want something better for our kids, but what I teach my kids is to go earn it, not buy it....I'll let you figure out that statement.
GO PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!! GO DRAGONS!!!!
how many of gormans players are actually catholic? how much is tuition at gorman? how much does a star football player pay? when gorman recruits a player to make their team stronger, they make another team weaker. be realistic, is that fair? they SHOULD win state every year with their unique recruiting advantage. public schools obtain payers by a different set of rules. yeah gorman players are good. yeah they're talented. yes they deserve all the accolades they get. after all, they're just kids. they want to win. if gorman wins today, will it be fair? ABSOLUTELY NOT. gorman fans, players, and students be proud, as you should be. but dont try to argue or debate fairness on these sites. you cant win! how many gorman players will be practicing catholics after high school? or before they were recruited to play there? im catholic, my kids are also. my son plays for del sol. i'm sad that gorman throws so much money at its sports programs. i guess you can buy victories in this town. GOOD LUCK DRAGONS. you're playing the new york yank me's of nevada sports.
Imagine what gorman's sports program would be like if they used public high school rules. You could only attend the school and be involved in ANY of the athletic programs if gorman was in your home high school district/zone. if they could NEVER recruit kids into their athletic programs? The game is hours away from kick off, but in the minds and hearts of every public high school parent,student and realist interested in high school athletics THE DEL SOL DRAGONS FOOTALL TEAM HAVE ALREADY WON!!!
Sorry about my typing errors, but this david and goliath situation has me truly sickened!
vegas vegas. all teams work just as hard as ur hand picked gaels. get a life. get a clue. answer 'my' questions. if u can. stop attacking. face the facts. we are not whining. simply stating facts. you should try it. you're a moron.
I can't tell if kids or adults are participating in these comments. Sheesh.
Vegas, don't hate because I refuse to not have my kids go to Gorman and that it sounds like your a spoiled little ...... that your daddy paid for you to go to Gorman so you can feel good about yourself. Just what I thought with your little badass attitude. Instead of you being on this blog, how come your not on the field? Exactly.... if you are a product of Gorman, your parents better ask for their money back, because they got a bad return on their $50 thousand dollar investment. You better get a job besides Burger King and pay back your parents. PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALL THE WAY!!!!
Because I'm too good! hahahaha
PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
2009 Boys Soccer State Champs: LAS VEGAS, YEA!
NO Gorman, yea!
2009 Girls Volleyball State Champs: SILVERADO, YEA!
NO GOMAN!, YEA.
They better start spending more on these 2 sports for recruiting.
'nuff said. hahahahaha
WOW ARE YOU GUYS ALL ADULTS ARGUING ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SERIOUSLY DONT YOU GUYS HAVE JOBS OR I DONT KNOW LIVES THIS IS PATHETIC DONT EXPECT TO MUCH FROM ANY OF YOUR CHILDREN WHETHER THEIR PUBLIC OR PRIVATE IF THEIR PARENTS ACT LIKE A BUNCH OF IMMATURE CHILDREN ARGUING ON A PLAY GROUND GROW THE **** UP STOP POSTING HATE COMMENTS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL KIDS AND WHICH SCHOOL THEY GO TO DAM
the funniest part of this thread is that p5803l got called out on his middle-school level grammar, then starts talking more smack by answering his own quote, not even noticing he's being made fun of. to go up digging every sport gorman didn't win state in is pretty sad. you pointed out girls volleyball? and boys actually play soccer? they could at least have pointed out some relevant sports. but at least everyone here now knows the girly sports that p58803l follows.