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After beating Rancho 49-12, Las Vegas’ Kaveo Walker holds the rivalry trophy, a bronzed cow bone, above his head Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011.
Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.
High school football rivals fight for bone
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KSNV coverage of the Bone Game between high school football rivals Rancho and Las Vegas High School, Oct. 20, 2011.
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Should Arbor View have accepted game with Gorman?
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Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer are back with their weekly high school football podcast. This week's episode plays more like a variety show, as the two touch on a number of issues related to last week's gridiron action.
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Farrell Victor has been waiting all year for someone to punt the ball in his direction.
The Las Vegas High senior finally got his chance Thursday in one of the Wildcats’ most important football games of the season, returning a punt 59 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of “Bone Game” against visiting Rancho to help the Wildcats win for the 16th straight time in the rivalry, 49-12.
Victor rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns and the Wildcats held Rancho scoreless in the second half to continue their impressive domination in the series. Las Vegas typically beats Rancho by lopsided scores, with the past four contests decided by an average of 38 points.
Victor’s punt return gave Las Vegas a 35-12 advantage and essentially sealed the victory.
“I tell (my teammates) all the time if they kick one to me I would take it back. I had to keep my word,” Victor said.
The “Bone Game,” where the winning team receives possession of a bronzed cow bone that has been part of the rivalry for decades, is widely considered Nevada’s most significant high school gridiron rivalry. Fittingly, Thursday’s game didn’t disappoint with the bleachers packed to capacity on both sides.
“It is more the community and the alumni as much as it football,” Las Vegas coach James Thurman said of the rivalry’s history. “It is just special. It is the way high school football here in town should be every week. That is the way it is back East, in Midwest, Texas and California. They fill stadiums like this. Unfortunately, it is just one or two nights a year we get to see it.”
Las Vegas never trailed with quarterback Hasaan Henderson scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run less than three minutes into the game to open the scoring. Henderson completed 9-of-12 passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns to team with Victor for another “Bone Game” victory. The duo had a part in each of Las Vegas’ seven touchdowns.
They have been teammates together the last three seasons, turning the annual game with Rancho into their personal showcase. They take pride making their mark and carrying on a tradition in a game with such wide interest throughout the valley.
“We left our legacy,” Henderson said.
Las Vegas (8-0, 6-0 Northeast), which is one of two undefeated teams in the Las Vegas Valley, will see its schedule get tougher starting next week when it closes the regular season against Canyon Springs for the Northeast title. There will always be critics that argue Las Vegas is the best team in a weak league and far from one of the area’s top programs.
Talk with Henderson and Victor, however, and they will tell you their team deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as other top teams — Bishop Gorman, Palo Verde, Liberty and Arbor View.
“I think we are good enough to compete with anybody,” Victor said. “Just let everyone keep underestimating us and we will keep playing our game.”
It sure appeared that way against Rancho.
Rancho kept the game competitive through the first quarter, scoring its first touchdown on a 3-yard run from Cody Hafen with 2:32 to play in the first. However, Rancho missed a 2-point conversion attempt and Las Vegas scored 21 unanswered points to take a commanding lead.
With Victor and Henderson leading the way, Las Vegas feels it can score with anyone it lines up against. After all, winning the “Bone Game” was just the first of several goals — naturally capped by a state title.
“I believe (we) are as good as any team in the state,” said Henderson, who threw touchdown passes to Joshua Mayfield, Andrew Moreland and Vince Castro. “Just because we play on this side, it doesn’t really mean anything. Playing teams that are not up your par, if you blow them out, it means you can play with anyone. It is hard to beat a team not up to your par. Usually you play down to their level and we haven’t done that yet. I feel we are as good as the Palo Verdes, Arbor Views and Gormans.”
Ok I'll say it. You beat Rancho. For the 16th year I'm a row. Not exactly fodder for the cannon. I salivate at the though of what Henderson and victor would do if they had a line like Gorman if liberty or a defense like Palo. Those two are great but I'll stick b my previous comment. Over rated. If we were ranking best two players that's one thing but having a mediocre o line and defense with holes in it I'm sorry there is nothing I saw from Vegas last night that says they can compete with Palo, AV or Gorman. If they did what they did to Rancho in their game against centennial (like Palo and AV) did then maybe but they didn't because they arent at that level. All the speed in the world means nothing if you can get a block. I still say Vegas has a hard time with #4 seed from SE in first round. I could be wrong but that's why we play the games.
Can't get a block*** hate replying on phone
Brewer, some people use the weak league reasoning that Vegas is over rated. Not here.
They've played in one of the weakest leagues even when they were the best team in the south or state. They can't help if their league teams blow. It's like Gorman in the SW, weak league but it their performance in playoffs and OOS competition that proves their value.
Vegas has been the best in the state before and being in a weak league didn't matter. Judge their performances against non-league games close win to Snow Canyon, UT (2 wins 6 losses) and close win to Centennial.
The weak league thing is crap it's about who and HOW you play the others. 2002 McQueen was in my opinion a top 25 team nationally that year but even slaughtering everyone in the state (statistically more than Gorman) they just cracked the top 100. 2004 Palo Verde was a top 50 nationally team, but they didn't come close to that ranking because they didn't play anyone outside of the state where a win would warrant that ranking. I think Gorman's 2009 team was better than 2010 and maybe even 2011. They had a ton of X factors J Lloyd etc.. but they didn't play any OOS games that you could use as proof for that national ranking. OOS games matter for national ranking, which i think Nevada has produce several worthy of that I list a couple of them above.
Non league games (for weak league teams) matter when it comes to State rankings. It's Vegas's underwhelming performances against Centennial and Snow Canyon that makes me a doubter...just like people agree that Liberty is better than most in town but not in AV, Palo or Gorman's league...Why? Because of their performance against AV... they will have an opportunity to change that opinion but if they win the sunrise and make the state semi final game against Gorman/Palo/AV a close one.
If Reed lays it down on Reno HS tonight and their only loss (Granite, CA) keeps it close to #49 Nationally Del Oro, CA (they play tonight)...that may mean Reed actually has a decent squad. Right now i'd rank them over Vegas... if they beat Reno convincingly and Granite upsets or keeps it close with Del Oro they may jump Liberty too.
1 Gorman
2 Palo
2a Arbor View
4 Liberty
5 Reed
6 Vegas