Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
From left, Sierra Vista High School football players Maliek Broady, Chris Goree and Andrew Peterson on July 21, 2014.
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014 | 2 a.m.
The Sierra Vista High football team could go from winning two games last season to contending for a state championship this fall.
Sierra Vista High School football preview 2014
Las Vegas Sun sports editor Ray Brewer talks to Sierra Vista High School's football coach and key players ahead of their 2014 season.
Prep Sports Now
The season begins
Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer try to contain their excitement for the start of the football season enough to get through the first slate of games. They also discuss the two defending state champions, Bishop Gorman and Faith Lutheran.
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The Mountain Lions were reclassified to the Division I-A in the offseason and are expected to compete with defending champ Faith Lutheran and Mojave for supremacy in the Sunset Division.
Knowing they will no longer have to go through the likes of large-school powers Bishop Gorman and Palo Verde to make the playoffs has energized the players. And, in coach John Foss’ second season, they have gained confidence in the direction the program is heading.
“It makes us work harder,” senior running back Andrew Peterson said of the high expectations. “It makes us have that championship mentality.”
Sierra Vista’s strength will be its running game out of the double wing. Peterson, who averaged 8.9 yards per carry in 2013, and senior Maliek Broady will get a bulk of the carries.
“We have some very talented running backs,” Foss said. “It’s just a young and inexperienced line. If they come together, we can have a good year.”
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Broady rushed for 703 yards and four touchdowns last year and is expected to be one of the area’s top rushers. He’s receiving recruiting interest from regional colleges.
“I want to be one of the leading rushers in the Division I-A,” Broady said. “We are very excited for the season. My line, I have a lot of trust in them.”
Sierra Vista returns more than its share of experienced players, including running back and linebacker Daniel Godfrey, quarterback Oscar Aliaga and defensive end Chris Goree. All three are likely to play on offense and defense.
Sierra Vista showed flashes of good play last season but couldn’t sustain the effort for the entire game. Turnovers, especially fumbling, were tough to overcome.
When things started to go badly, they struggled to handle adversity. For a different outcome this season, Foss will rely on his senior class for leadership.
"Everyone has to take care of their job and prepare for the opponent,” Foss said.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
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