Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
From left, Coronado High School football players Tanner Gorski, Jordan Rude and Justin Belknap July 21, 2014.
Published Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 | 7 p.m.
Updated Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 | 11:59 p.m.
Prep Sports Now
Upsets happen
Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer look over a surprising remaining playoff bracket before weighing in with their picks.
The Coronado and Liberty High football teams were evenly matched when they played during the regular season. A Coronado missed field goal by inches at the end of the game was all that separated the Henderson rivals, giving Liberty a one-point win.
They renew the rivalry tonight in the Sunrise Regional semifinals, putting Liberty’s streak of four consecutive Sunrise championships on the line.
Both teams are drastically different from the initial meeting.
Liberty freshman quarterback Kenyon Oblad, who completed 9 of 22 passes in the first meeting, has more confidence managing the game. And, more important, the Patriots are finally healthy after piecing their lineup together in September and part of October because of injuries.
Players such as running back Ethan Tuilagi, who had just one carry in the first meeting because of an ankle injury, have returned to bolster Liberty’s chances.
Coronado’s offense peaked when Spencer Cofer was inserted as the starter, and running back Nick Trejo started receiving a bulk of the carries.
In the other Sunrise semifinal, No. 4 seed Basic is the surprise participant, upsetting Northeast champion Canyon Springs last week to advance. The Wolves will face host Las Vegas.
In the Sunset Region, five-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman hosts Centennial, and Northwest League champion Arbor View takes on visiting Palo Verde. Both Gorman, the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, and Arbor View have undefeated records.
Tonight is just the beginning.
The Division I-A state semifinals will be contested Saturday, with Moapa Valley High hosting Elko and Desert Pines traveling to Northern Nevada to face Churchill County. If one of the Southern Nevada teams wins, the state championship game would be next weekend at Bishop Gorman.
Send us game information and fan photos on Twitter using #sunstandout and #702hsfb.
• • •
Stories from Friday's playoff games:
• Still alive: No. 4 seed Basic pulls off another upset, beats Las Vegas to advance to Sunrise finals
• Gorman defense tightens after allowing long run, leads charge in lopsided win against Centennial
• Arbor View shuts down rival Palo Verde for first Sunset final bid
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy