Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

kickoff 2015:

With NFL great Randall Cunningham calling the shots, Silverado ready to open season

high school football media day 2015

Christopher DeVargas

Silverado football players Quinten McKoy, Elijahjuan Brown, Termaine Givens, Daniel Macko, Zakee Washington, Vernon Jackson, and Devion Clayton before the 2015 Season.

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Kickoff time

Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer spend some extra time on the three biggest games of the week — Arbor View at Desert Pines, Chandler (Arizona) at Bishop Gorman and Liberty at Saint Louis (Hawaii) — before getting to their full picks. They also discuss the hypothetical first pick of a high school football fantasy draft.

Randall Cunningham, you can argue, is the best player in UNLV football history. You can also argue he helped change the quarterback position during a lengthy NFL career with his dual-threat ability to rush and pass.

While his status as a football great is not debatable, it doesn’t mean he is immune to difficulties facing his peers in his next football challenge. Cunningham is the first-year coach at Silverado HIgh, where he’s dealing with a problem similar to other coaches in Southern Nevada: The Skyhawks lack player depth, which is vital in becoming a competitive program.

Silverado, which finished 3-7 last season and lost in the Sunrise Regional quarterfinals, would frequently dress fewer than 30 players in recent seasons. Increasing that number is Cunningham’s biggest challenge, especially for long-term success.

“We had seven players coming back. I am sitting there wondering if we can field a team,” he said. “Next thing you know, we have 40 players.”

Still, battling for supremacy with the likes of Liberty or Canyon Springs, powers in Silverado’s Northeast League, won’t happen overnight. But Cunningham firmly believes they are making strides in the right direction.

He has upgraded uniforms and the weight room, and spent time making sure the players are on track to attend college. They rave about his ability as a teacher and how he simplifies the game, and feel prepared for success on Friday nights. The Skyhawks open the season today at Shadow Ridge.

“It feels like a whole new team,” said Vernon Jackson, a senior defensive back who is one of a few returners. “We are moving forward and trying to get a new face for Silverado. Just a fresh start.”

Cunningham has plenty of players who could be difference-makers, especially at the skilled positions. Athletes such as Za’kee Washington, Devion Clayton and Jackson posses top-end speed and are expected to have strong seasons. Upfront, linemen Daniel Macko (6-foot-2, 280 pounds) and Quinten McKoy (6-foot-5, 318 pounds) are experienced, and has each made improvements with Cunningham and his staff.

Cunningham’s staff include three others who played in the NFL, coaches who have been taught by some of the game’s sharpest minds. They are passing the lessons down to the Silverado players.

“He is a really good coach,” Macko said of line coach Ron Scoggins Sr. “He has definitely taught us.”

Other players who are expected to contribute include defensive tackle Termaine Givens (5-foot-10, 230 pounds) and Elijahjuan Brown at linebacker, but Cunningham stresses it will take a complete team effort to transform into a consistent winner.

“We’ve got a lot of great kids,” Cunningham said. “We are trying to have fun. The kids have been working very, very hard. This program is about these student-athletes.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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