Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Virgin Valley High of Mesquite football players (from left) Dee Bowler, Garrett Leavitt, Beau Leavitt, Dillon Graves and Devonte Milligan before the 2013 season.
Friday, Sept. 27, 2013 | 10:44 p.m.
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Virgin Valley continued its hot start with a convincing 35-0 victory over Chaparral.
The win improved the Bulldogs to 5-0 (1-0 Division I-A Sunrise), which matches their win total from last season.
But then again, solid starts to seasons haven’t been the problem for Virgin Valley. The Bulldogs started each of the past two seasons 4-1 before fading once the calendar turned to October.
Virgin Valley coach Chris Sawyers, however, senses this year is different. He said the Bulldogs are ready to take the next step after seeing his team improve week after week.
“It was nice to see we've made adjustments,” he said. “I feel like we can frustrate some people if we play our game.”
Quarterback Garrett Leavitt continues to shine for Virgin Valley, throwing for 153 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed for 38 yards.
“He’s doing a good job. He shows a lot of poise. He’s doing what we ask him to do,” Sawyers said. “The difference between last year and this year is that he has a solid knowledge of what people are doing to him. … He’s one step ahead of the game.”
Dillon Graves caught seven passes for 88 yards with a touchdown.
Junior Paongo rushed for 55 yards on six carries with a touchdown. Dee Bowler scored two twice on 31 yards rushing.
DeVonte Milligan returned a kickoff 80-plus yards for a touchdown.
Chaparral fell to 2-3 (0-1).
Chaparral High School has seen better days.
Once among the top performing schools in the Clark County School District, Chaparral High is undergoing changes to counter dismal test scores and the lowest graduation rate in the district.
The campus located near East Flamingo Road and U.S. 95 is one of five turnaround schools not meeting the expectations outlined in No Child Left Behind.
Chaparral is now looking to clean up its reputation, touching every aspect of the school from restrooms to test scores.
Changes weren’t received well by students who openly protested the cuts to faculty and the new order that banned the use of cell phones and music players during the school day.
Under stricter rules, tardy students are locked out of classrooms, bathroom breaks during class time aren’t allowed and the lunch hour was pushed back to 1:40 p.m.
Superintendent Dwight Jones told students he’s not settling for half successes.
“Right now, 50 percent of the kids in this school don’t graduate high school. Is that acceptable to you? Think about that. Right now, some of the friends that you’re with aren’t going to graduate. Is that OK? That’s unacceptable to me. I think you guys ought to kick all of us out.”
- Year built:
- 1971
- Mascot:
- Cowboys
- Principal (Year Hired):
- David Wilson (2011)
- Enrollment:
- Approximately 2,250
- School Report Card:
- 2010-2011
Compiled by Gregan Wingert
Paul Delos Santos can be reached at 990-2416 or mail to [email protected]. Follow Paul on Twitter at twitter.com/pauliedelos.
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