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Legacy’s Dom Fuiava, right, hugs teammates DeShae Edwards after the Longhorns’ 7-6 victory Friday night against Palo Verde.
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 | 11:50 p.m.
Week 7: Palo Verde vs Legacy
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Legacy moved to 7-0 on the season by defeating Palo Verde 7-6 Friday night at Legacy High School. It was just the second time in two years that Palo Verde had lost a football game.
Week 7: Palo Verde vs. Legacy Preview
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Greenspun Interactive Sports Editor Ray Brewer gives us his pick for game of the week: Palo Verde vs Legacy
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Prep Sports Now
Into the heart of football season
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Las Vegas Sun reporters Ray Brewer and Steve Silver break down last week's high school football contests and preview this Friday's upcoming games including the clash of unbeaten Del Sol/Silverado and Palo Verde/Legacy.
Team pages
Expanded coverage
Legacy High football coach Dave Snyder will never forget the first practice.
Some three months before the North Las Vegas school was set to open in 2006, Snyder organized the program’s initial workout at nearby Clifford Findlay Middle School with hopes of laying the foundation for the future.
Roughly 100 players were in attendance that afternoon, and while the group was inexperienced, Snyder saw the potential. He had a handful of athletes with size, a few more with speed and several with a passion for the game.
More importantly, the children had an instant chemistry and genuinely rooted for one another. It was a formula Snyder knew he could turn into a winner.
Fast-forward four years.
Sophomore LJ McMorris scored on a 9-yard touchdown run with 4:12 to play Friday night against visiting Palo Verde and the Longhorns defensive did the rest in a 7-6 victory.
The game, which pitted two undefeated teams fighting for first place in the Northwest Division, was the biggest win in Legacy’s brief history.
This was just Palo Verde’s second loss in two years — the first coming in the state championship game last fall. Palo Verde, which has played in the last seven state semifinals, is widely considered one of Southern Nevada’s marquee programs.
After proving itself against the best, Legacy’s players feel they will be a major player next month in the playoffs.
Legacy celebrated like it had won something more than a league game midway through the season. For the Longhorns, you see, the victory was a reward for four years of hard work.
“This was our state championship game,” said Billy Purcell, Legacy’s senior linebacker who was part of those first practices. “Nobody thought we could beat them, but we just keep hitting them hard. Soon, you could tell they didn’t want to get hit anymore.”
This was the first time Legacy (7-0) beat Palo Verde in three attempts. They also topped Cimmaron-Memorial in overtime last week for their first win against the Spartans.
“This was a huge accomplishment for the program,” Snyder said. “When you open a school, this is where you want to end up being. It’s just so hard to get here.”
Running back DeShae Edwards, who entered with 14 touchdowns and nearly 1,000 rushing yards in six games, missed most of the second half with an injured ankle.
But McMorris made the most of his opportunity, rushing for 84 yards on 14 carries and scoring arguably the biggest touchdown in the program’s history.
Palo Verde (6-1) took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter when defensive lineman Dillon Chaisson recovered a fumble in the end zone for the first points of the game.
But the Panthers, who have dissected the opposition all season with their double-wing attack, didn’t score an offensive touchdown and struggled moving the ball.
Palo Verde coach Darwin Rost instructed his team to not point any fingers or assign blame for the loss. Junior Brandon Wright led Palo Verde with 91 yards on 23 carries — a downgrade for Palo Verde's offense that had scored 48 or more points in four of its previous six games.
“The film will let us know what we did wrong and what we need to work on,” Rost said. “We need to get back to work in the weight room. We need to start practicing like we have something to prove, like we want to win the state championship.”
Capturing state is now a realistic goal for Legacy. It’s something they first started talking about during those memorable workouts at Findlay.
“We knew this would be our year. We knew we couldn’t be stopped,” said Dom Fuiava, a senior offensive lineman who has been with the program since its inception.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com.
this is BS the only reason legacy won is because the palo verde played missed the extra point, couse i know if they would of made it they would of won!
its a part of the game.thats like saying if your player makes every free throw you duys would win every game? it's not BS because legacy still made the game close. IF they would of made it it still would have been tied
VegasVegas, did you ever play organized sports?
Everyone one that I have spoken to says that it was a great game...can't wait until the playoffs get here.
What a phenomenal game!!! This was very exciting to watch and exciting to be able to call the game on the internet.
What an IMPRESSIVE performance by the Legacy defense! Hands down, it was the best defensive performance I've seen in at least 5 years, especially considering the circumstances that were on the line (first place, snapping the 27-game win streak in league). L.J. McMorris is going to be something special to watch, just as DeShae Edwards was when he was a sophomore. Legacy will be among the best in town for quite a while. To keep Palo Verde's explosive offense OUT of the end zone is almost unheard of! That is what makes this win such a HUGE accomplishment which NO ONE can take away from the Longhorns. Congratulations, Legacy!
-Dan C.
I did too and we never singled out one player for a loss or a victory. It's a team effort either way. Both teams battled hard in a great game Friday and for someone like you to make an asinine comment ragging on a young teenager is not fair to everyone involved in the game.
thank you vegasvegas, its people like you that truly inspired these boys so have the phenomenal season they have had thus far.
I have never in my life, seen players with such a passion for the game as the Legacy football team. as an alumni Longhorn, and a varsity athlete myself, I have truly been able to witness and be amazed by the hard work and dedication these boys have shown day in and day out for the last 4 years. this is their year, they have earned this. I am so unbelievably proud of them and their accomplishments this season, and I look forward to playoffs.
congratulations Longhorns!
It helps to attend a game to know the real story about why a team lost. 'Nuff said.
Congrats to Legacy on a great victory for their program. Hard work pays off. Good luck in the playoffs.
VegasVegas, when you say Palo choked that means they could have been playing Chaparral and still lost. They didn't choke. They were beaten by a very solid Legacy team.
VegasVegas You did rag on the kids. Its only high school football. Good Job to Legacy. They played a heck of a game. Hope Deshae is okay. He may be small but he is one heck of a running back..
Here's to Legacy.
You guys played an absolutely amazing game, but don't get in over your heads, you heard what happened to palo against cheyenne. Cheyenne may have lost many players and a coach but they're still a huge threat don't think it'll be an easy win.
VegasVegas...
If you would have seen the game, you would have LOTS of respect for what Legacy did last week. Essentially shutting down a HUGE offensive power like Palo Verde is something that is almost UNHEARD OF! One defensive touchdown and that's it. That performance deserves many kudos, and RESPECT.
Legacy proved they were the better team that night, and proved that they are in the upper echelon of teams in the area.
Both teams left it ALL on the field, period.
legacy a hell of a game