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twitterPREP FOOTBALL:
Gorman’s Loyd becoming a top football prospect
Senior speedster already has scholarship offers for basketball
Justin M. Bowen
Bishop Gorman senior defensive back and kick returner Johnathan Loyd has provided the Gaels’ football team with a spark this fall after taking two years off to concentrate on basketball. A point guard on the basketball team, he has several Division I offers.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009 | 1:55 a.m.
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Johnathan Loyd is arguably the top high school basketball player in Las Vegas.
The senior point guard led Bishop Gorman High to the state championship last winter and has scholarship offers from the likes of SMU, Northern Arizona, Cal-Poly, Cal-State Riverside, Cal-State Northridge and Oakland University in Detroit.
Come later this school year, though, the 5-foot-9 speedster likely will have the more attractive offer he is looking for.
That offer, however, might not come in basketball.
Despite taking two years off and joining Gorman’s football team three weeks into the season, Loyd has become one of the most valuable players on the Gaels’ star-studded roster. Gorman (10-0) is the clear-cut favorite to capture the large-school state championship and opens the playoffs Friday with a Sunset Regional quarterfinal tilt against visiting Cheyenne.
Loyd, a shutdown defensive back and electrifying kick returner, has used his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash to become more than a contributor on the state’s best team.
Gorman has eight with Division-I football offers, but it’s Loyd’s winning mentality and game-changing ability that makes him a perfect fit.
Loyd returned two punts for a touchdown Oct. 22 against Spring Valley, including making several tacklers miss and racing up the sideline for a 72-yard touchdown to highlight a 56-6 victory. The other return went for 59 yards.
Loyd has yet to receive a football offer, but the rising star has received plenty of interest from recruiters in recent weeks, Gorman coach Tony Sanchez said. The coach is certain Loyd is a top-notch prospect.
“The scary thing is that he could play Division-I football, too,” Sanchez said. “He’s one incredible athlete.”
Loyd has eight punt returns for 212 yards and four touchdowns — not bad for someone who spent most of the last three years strictly working on his basketball handling skills and jump shot.
Loyd insists he is still a basketball player and has every intention of joining older brothers Michael (BYU) and Kevin (Grambling State) on the collegiate hardwood next year.
But if he continues the impressive performances in football, he will have a decision to make.
“Basketball is my first love,” Loyd said. “I love doing both, but basketball has always been my first passion.”
Loyd averaged 14.2 points and 6 assists last year, including making the game-winning foul shot with 1.8 seconds to play in a state championship game victory against Palo Verde.
“He’s just a great all-around kid and has fun with everything he does,” Gorman basketball coach Grant Rice said. “But he is really competitive when it comes down to it and does all of the little things it takes to win.”
Loyd traveled to St. George, Utah, for Gorman’s season-opening football game against Dixie High content on cheering from the bleachers. But after seeing how much fun his classmates were having in their initial game, Loyd got the itch to strap on the shoulder pads again.
He played for the Gaels' ninth-grade team as a freshman, but hadn’t seriously considered a return to the gridiron. Later that weekend, he mentioned to senior Xavier Grimble — the nation’s top-rated tight end, according to recruiting Web Site Rivals.com, and a member of basketball program — how joining the football team had crossed his mind.
The Gaels needed a kick returner and Loyd would help solve their biggest weakness — a lack of team speed.
Now, he’s a key component in the quest for a state title. Gorman has outscored opponents 541-44 and anything less than a state championship would be a disappointment.
“I’ve been watching John Loyd do that to kids since we were in third grade,” said Ian Bobak, Gorman’s senior defensive lineman and one of the eight with Division-I offers, after Loyd’s multiple punt return performance against Spring Valley.
Loyd still works on his basketball skills daily after football practice and is looking forward to the Gaels’ season-opening basketball game. Gorman plays defending national champion Findlay Prep Dec. 12 at the Orleans Arena.
“I’ll be ready for (Findlay),” Loyd said. “That’s a game we are all looking forward to.”
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com.
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The Sun
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"Johnathan Loyd is arguably the top high school basketball player in Las Vegas."
Am I seeing things? Did you actually write this, Ray? To say that Johnathan is arguably the top high school basketball prospect in Las Vegas is not only comically absurd, it is misleading (read: WRONG) information and ultimately, VERY irresponsible journalism.
JL's own teammate, Shabazz Mohammad, is an infinitely higher-ranked prospect, the #1 Sophomore IN THE NATION according to more than one recruiting service! The schools JL has offers from wouldn't even bother sending a letter to Shabazz! Cal-Poly??? Are you on something???
And then there is Palo Verde's Moses Morgan, a national recruit headed to DePaul of the Big East. Ever heard of him?
And then we can talk about a TRULY highly recruited point guard, Cory Joseph of Findlay, who can go anywhere..as in ANYWHERE...in the country to play his college ball. He is generally considered a lock, along with teammate Tristan Thompson (a national Top 10 player) to be selected to play in the McDonald's High School American game at season's end. Since you obviously know nothing about high school hoops, Johnathan Loyd will NOT be selected to that McDonald's team...just so you know!
And I won't even mention SEVERAL other players on Findlay's team that are considered to be INFINITELY better prospects than JL. No disrespect to Johnathan, but the truth is the truth.
I am a big fan of the sports coverage provided by the Las Vegas Sun, and will continue to be...as long as preposterously inaccurate stories like this slop do not continue to litter this usually first-rate site!
RT: I first covered Moses when he played for Greenspun Middle School and can confirm he's the real deal. My story says Johnathan is arguably the best player in Las Vegas -- you argue he's not, while others believe he is. Findlay Prep will only play a handful of games against local schools this winter and doesn't compete for a state title, so its players weren't included in my thinking...Thanks for continuing to read my stories. Ray
yea findlay prep dosent play for a state title because they play for a national one!
Loyd is probably going to be in Rebel Red next year...I really hope he considers playing football here too...The kid has skills...
With all due respect, YOUR words were "in Las Vegas", not "in Las Vegas with the exception of the guys that play for Findlay Prep because even though they will play FOURTEEN games in our city, I don't count them." Again, just shoddy.
So let's play by your rules. Is it not fair to say that, except in VERY unusual circumstances, the quality of a player in high school can be determined by the offers he or she receives to play at the college level? That being the case, I find it hard to believe that you could find anyone outside of JL's immediate family and circle of friends who would rate him as a better basketball player than Moses Morgan. I won't bother to list the schools that either offered or were close to offering Morgan a full scholarship to play college ball for them before he made his choice to attend DePaul, but I assure you they bear no resemblance to "the likes of SMU, Northern Arizona, Cal-Poly, Cal-State Riverside, Cal-State Northridge and Oakland University in Detroit." I realize evaluating players is subjective to a certain degree, but again, your notion that JL is even "arguably" the best player in Las Vegas is patently absurd.
Are you also going to contend that JL is a better player than Shabazz? And please don't use the "maybe not potentially, but at this stage" cop-out. Because it is also absurd. Even if Coach Rice is doing his best to "get the word out" on his senior player, I hardly believe he would ever look you in the eye and say "JL is the better player" in comparison to Shabazz...not now, not ever. That would be, again, absurd.
So, a player that is not even close to being the best player on his high school team has been proclaimed to be "arguably" Las Vegas' finest. I can only assume that "argument" must have included JL's mother, because it is the only plausible explanation for one of the most ridiculously sensational (and inaccurate) statements I have read in a respected publication in a long time, perhaps ever.
Next time, let Ryan Greene or Rob Miech handle the story, so that it will not lose all merit in its opening sentence.
And one more thing. Are the Loyd family your next door neighbors by any chance? Just trying to rationalize this slop.
Suave:
The so called national title is a national title in name alone. Regardless if Findlay was the best team in the country last year there are two problems with the whole notion of a national title. 1) not all schools are eligible, which is why the bottom 4 teams in lasts years event hardly gave the top 4 teams a game. Some of the best teams in the country weren't allowed to attend due to state activities association rules. 2) Findlay Prep is not a high school team, at least not as I would consider it. They are one of the many things wrong with prep basketball these days. What happened to kids playing for their hometown high school, playing multiple sports, dating etc.. All of the things I look back on fondly as a kid. These kids are already working a job for all intents and purposes and I'd bet that when they all look back in 15-20 years they will regret the path they took to "basketball glory" or money, which ever they are after.
BBall, that's not entirely accurate. Every player at Findlay is grateful for the opportunity to attend such a prestigious institution like the Henderson Int'l School. It's an extremely unique arrangement, no doubt, but founder Cliff Findlay and the entire staff have gone to great lengths to ensure that the NCAA is kosher with every aspect of the program, and those Pilots players are held to very high academic standards. Miss even one paper or get a poor grade on one test, and suspensions are handed down quick.
Anyone who rolls his eyes at that operation has not done his due diligence in exploring every aspect of the program, or who is involved ... etc etc etc
This is not a diploma mill that so sullied the images of prep programs. Some of those deserve such scrutiny. This is different.
RT, relax a bit, bro ... (hope you're doing well, too...) Loyd is an accomplished, versatile athlete who happened to lead his hoops team to a state title last season. That's pretty special, to anyone's standards. Point blank.
As far as home-grown Las Vegas hoops talent, he is among the best in the valley. Those are my words. Arguable? Maybe, maybe not.
In any event, Ray Brewer is a veteran, experienced voice of the local prep scene and does a great job. We don't need to get into personal attacks, do we? Drop me a line (miech@lasvegassun.com) if you want to discuss further. Thanks RT
Ray, stop saying that Gorman doesnt have any team speed. If either of their backs had as many carries as the area leaders they would both have 2000 yds on the season. If they were at other schools they would both be at the top of the leader board. They are both very humble about having to share time in one half of play all season long but your words are not only unfounded but when recruits read them you make it difficult for them to be considered as prospects. Also your assertion that someone must run a 4.4 to be considered to have elite speed is the main problem with football in Las Vegas...every coach jumps on a track star and rides them all season, building the whole team around 1 or 2 players..."to hell with teaching fundamentals lets run the triple reverse pass"! Lastly, all the so called top backs in yards that have gone up against Gorman's defense got shut down...because of their elite Team Speed. For you to keep saying this about their team is irresponsible, and detrimental to these kids futures as no one has signed a scholarship yet. Ray Rice of the Ravens or Brown of the Colts are not the fastest backs on the planet...neither is Jackson of Rams...there is a difference between track speed, game speed, football fundamentals, explosiveness, quickness, great feet, good vision, heart, and desire, these qualities make true football players and elite overall team speed...save your comments for the spring 2010 track season...
I'm not talking about Findlay in terms of if they are producing legitimate high school graduates, which I know they are. HI is a great school and while I'm sure the players benefit from the academics there, my angle was that these players move from where they are from with the end goal a college scholarship. The problem with that is, in order to achieve that they have to leave behind many of the things that make being a kid a great thing. Lifelong friends, familiar surroundings, being mad at your parents when they won't let you stay up late. Most things that kids go through turn out to be good memories that these kids are leaving behind for a singular goal, college scholarship that leads to the NBA. Now I'm not saying one shouldn't follow their dreams, but I don't see the purpose in going about it that way. On the other hand, mine is only one opinion and if they are happy with their decision than thats all anyone can ask I suppose.
haha i love it. johnathan can hold his own with ANYBODY in the city. yes cory joseph is an elite guard and has proved himself. also shabazz is an elite player and will contiue to be one. moses morgan is also a great player as well. but if you have really seen it, johnathan is better than moses morgan. moses CANNOT score on johnathan period. not taking anything away from moses, he is a great friend of mine, moses will admit the same thing. moses and johnathan are best friends, moses is always at johnathans house and they hang out and play basketball everyday over the summer. johnathan is an elite player, the only reason that he does not get the same kind of recognition is because he is 5'7''. if he was 6 ft tall, i guarantee he would have offers from big time programs just like the others
Hey abc123...you better call DePaul head coach Jerry Wainwright as fast as you can! Why???Because if 6-5 Moses Morgan "CANNOT score on johnathan period", who you say is only 5-7, then he must be WAY out of his league going to the Big East! Cannot score on Johnathan "period"!!! Boy, the circus must be in town, because there sure are some clowns on this board! abc123, better known as Ronald McDonald, in the house!
And by the way, I was courtside at the state championship game AND when Findlay blew Loyd and his Gorman team out of the gym on the Gaels' home court last season. Again, NO DISRESPECT to JL and his game, but to call him "arguably the best player in Las Vegas" is just bat-sh*t crazy! That is like saying that John Paxon was "arguably the best player on the Chicago Bulls" during the Jordan Era...just absurdly ridiculous. Oh well <sigh>!
Rob...hope you are well and LOVE reading your stuff! You and Greene really are the best sports writers in Vegas. And I'm sure Ray usually does a terrific job (and I mean that), but he whiffed badly on this one.
you must not have been paying much attention in that state championship game..who guarded moses morgan in the state championship, and the regional final, let me guess johnathan loyd. now let me think how well moses morgan did offensively in those games, not very good. johnathan loyd locked him up. but i'm just saying. moses morgan is a hell of a player and johnathan loyd deserves more respect than he is getting. and once again if he was 6ft tall he and moses morgan would probably be going to a school together