Las Vegas QB Hassan Henderson shows improvements

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Las Vegas High quarterback Hassan Henderson dropped back to pass looking for his favorite receiver.

But Marquan Major, the Wildcats’ top threat and arguably the best wide receiver in Southern Nevada, was doubled covered — again.

So, Henderson found Danny Jaime running a route across the middle of the field, hit him in stride and raised his hands to celebrate as Jaime outraced a pair of Basic High defenders for a 22-yard touchdown.

The end result was a 22-15 victory for Las Vegas against Basic in the finals of the UFL Seven-on-Seven Passing Tournament on Friday at Green Valley High.

The eight-team tournament didn’t include linemen or tackling and is far from a reliable indicator in determining which team will have success when the season opens in three weeks.

But for the junior Henderson, finding reliable second and third options in the Wildcats’ dynamic attack is a step in the right direction.

“When they take him out of the game, it helps everyone else get open,” said Henderson, who completed 10-of-14 passes for three touchdowns and 141 yards.”

Games where 25 minutes with a running clock. Each possession started at the 40-yard line and teams could earn an extra set of downs by reaching the 20-yard line. Interceptions were worth two points.

Henderson wasted no time showing off the improvements he made this off-season, connecting with junior Farrell Victor on a 40-yard scoring strike for a 7-0 lead on the game’s second play. The 6-foot-4 Henderson struggled at times last year with a minor shoulder injury but had surgery in the winter to repair his labrum.

The end result was much crisper and accurate passes. Last year, he often resorted to throwing the ball in a side-arm motion and only completed 63 percent of his passes. Now, he thinks an 80 percent completion rate is realistic.

“I didn’t fulfill the goals I set for myself last year,” he said. “I feel a lot better and more accurate.”

Victor, a junior running back who has been part of the varsity team since his freshman year, caught four passes for 72 yards. His speed in the open field was too much for Basic to contain.

“We have a lot of speed, a lot of fast kids,” said Victor, who caught four passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. “This was a competition, and you want to win everything you compete in.”

After losing in the first round of the playoffs last year — a setback that snapped the perennial power’s streak of six straight Sunrise crowns — the Wildcats aren’t taking any game lightly.

“It’s important to win in anything we do,” Las Vegas coach Chris Faircloth said.

For Basic, quarterback Vince Carducci completed 14 of 21 passes with a pair of touchdowns to Darian Spencer. Basic led 15-13 with 10 minutes to play before Las Vegas scored nine unanswered points for the win.

“It was a tough day with the heat for the kids, but we had a chance to win,” Basic coach Jeff Cahill said.

This is the first year the UFL ran the event. For winning, all members of the Las Vegas High varsity team will receive Under Armour cleats courtesy of the UFL. The league also donated $30,000 to sponsor 10 games at the end of August.