Monday, Aug. 23, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
Coach Tyrone Armstrong
Mojave High coach Tyrone Armstrong talks about the 2010 high school football season.
Prep Sports Now
Previewing the new football season
Las Vegas Sun reporters Case Keefer and Ray Brewer discuss the upcoming high school football season. They will let you know whether or not anyone can dethrone defending state champion Bishop Gorman, release their state title sleepers teams and give a quick breakdown of the area's 30-plus schools.
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Mojave coach Tyrone Armstrong has preached adopting a new demeanor to his team throughout summer workouts.
Armstrong is tired of the Rattlers occupying the bottom of the standings every year. He wants 2010 to be the year Mojave changes it.
“They aren’t momma’s little baby boys anymore,” Armstrong said. “We are going to be up there and there are going to be 300 pounders moving fast, so we’ve got to get out there to eat with the big boys.”
Mojave has to face the “big boys” every year whether it likes it or not. As a member of the Sunrise Northwest division, The Rattlers have to play in Las Vegas’ toughest league even though its talent usually isn’t on the same level.
Mojave has only made the playoffs once in the school’s 14-year history. In the last two years, the Rattlers have only won one game.
“This is a grown man’s game,” Armstrong said. “We need to grow up.”
Literally, however, Mojave will be younger than last year’s squad. A handful of seniors graduated, leaving Armstrong to count on a number of kids eager to make the jump to varsity.
“We don’t have a lot of veterans coming back, but we had a pretty decent JV team that will help out a lot,” Armstrong said.
Among the returns who will play a large role are senior quarterback Terrence Davis and senior running back James Jones.
No one doubts the athleticism of players like Davis and Jones, but Mojave will need to beef up its offensive line so they have room to operate.
Armstrong doesn’t see that as a problem, either, and says the team had a great offseason in the weight room.
“We won’t be a bad team,” Armstrong said. “We’re a hard-working team. I think we’ve got some bright spots.”
Even if Mojave gets off to a slow start, Armstrong expects it to fight through adversity and improve as the season goes on.
In past years, the Rattlers may have become disenchanted and given up. But that’s been a part of the change of character Armstrong is trying to implement.
“They definitely have a different attitude,” Armstrong said. “We’ve been working on that attitude all summer.”
Mojave High School is Rattler Nation, but really it’s home to underdogs.
Minutes from the Nellis Air Force Base the school is nestled near Commerce Street and West Ann Road, an area littered with foreclosed homes.
The school is attended by many students who are underprivileged or at-risk. After Mojave failed to meet No Child Left Behind standards it became one of five Clark County Schools determined to do a 180.
In order to make the turnaround a reality, Mojave has implemented new faculty, extended the school day by 20 minutes and is geared towards boosting school spirit.
“The problem we have right now is that our children aren’t proud of their own school,” Mojave principal Antonio Rael explained an August interview. “When our children begin to take pride in our school, our community will follow.”
- Year built:
- 1997
- Mascot:
- Rattle Snake
- Principal (Year Hired):
- Antonio Rael (2001)
- School motto:
- “Promoting Achievement, Creating Success”
- Mission Statement:
- “The Mission of the Mojave High School Community is to provide a safe learning environment that will empower students to develop excellence, pride, respect, and skills necessary for future success.”
- Enrollment:
- Approximately 2,000
- School Report Card:
- 2010-2011
Compiled by Gregan Wingert
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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