After slow start, Gorman's sailing

According to Bishop Gorman baseball coach Tim Chambers, it isn't hard to figure out why his American Legion squad got off to a slow start early this summer.

"I think they were still disappointed over the way the high school season ended," said Chambers, whose Gaels fell to Carson in last month's 4A state tournament in Reno. "It took a while for them to realize they still had something to play for."

Gorman's Legion club, known as the Las Vegas Knights, opened the summer season with a 4-4 record. Since then, however, the team has been red-hot, winning 15 of 17 contests, including five straight league games.

Although the squad is similar to the one that finished with an outstanding 26-9 record this spring, the Knights' success has been somewhat surprising considering two of their top three pitchers -- graduated senior Paul Wurts and junior-to-be Brandon Boesch -- have been nursing injuries.

"We're playing very good baseball right now," Chambers said.

The Knights (19-6, 9-4 league) flexed their muscles at last week's Prescott Invitational in northern Arizona, going 5-0 to capture the title at the 16-team tournament.

As usual, graduated senior Jason Van Meetren was the the star for his club, earning MVP honors. But Gorman also got unexpected contributions from No. 7, 8 and 9 hitters Brandon Boesch, Joe Cannella and Ben Quinto, who combined to go 20-for-36.

Catcher Cooper Fouts also had a stellar tournament, hitting over .500 with a pair of home runs, including a grand slam in a semifinal win over Phoenix's Garden of Gears, which features players from 15 different high schools.

The Knights also got some clutch pitching performances. In a 1-0 victory over Scottsdale (Ariz.) Horizon in the championship game, senior-to-be Ben Fox tossed six shutout innings and Van Meetren worked a perfect seventh for the save.

Gorman posted the finale's only run when pinch runner Jeremy Stamis stole second base and scored on a Cannella base hit.

For the tournament, the Knights outscored their five opponents by a combined 55-19 score.

Wildcats roaring

Another team enjoying the legion season of late has been Las Vegas High. After a shaky start, the Wildcats (8-7, 8-7) have found their groove recently, winning their last four games, including a 9-0 shutout of Eldorado on Sunday.

The 'Cats have clawed their way into the upper half of the league standings and are only percentage points behind perennial area power Green Valley.

"These guys haven't played legion in three years," said Wildcat legion coach Izzy DiMaria, referring to former Las Vegas coach Steve Gahn's preference that his players not play the summer slate. "It was hard to get them used to my coaching."

Leading the way for the squad has been pitcher John Dischiavo, a junior-to-be who has posted an impressive 5-3 mark thus far.

The Wildcats' offense has also been hot, with outfielders Jason Chatham, Anthony Pluta and Clayton Mofford and infielders Jaime Gonzales, Andy D'Angelo, Joe Pasantino and Jeremy Levey all putting up solid numbers.

"They're intensity is up, they're starting to jell and they're playing at an extremely high level," DiMaria said.

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