Preseason top 10: A surprise team near top of the rankings, Bishop Gorman again No. 1

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015 | 2 a.m.

The No. 1-ranked team in the Sun’s preseason high school football top 10 is obvious. Defending mythical national champion Bishop Gorman is again loaded with talented players and the clear-cut favorite to win a seventh straight state championship.

While the Gaels this fall will have a different look — most notably Kenny Sanchez being elevated to head coach from defensive coordinator after his brother, Tony, became the UNLV coach — it should be business as usual for the program that will again contend for a national title. They’ll play a challenging nonleague schedule, starting Aug. 29 against defending Arizona state champion Chandler, and test themselves against a who’s who of out-of-state opponents before league play.

Gorman hasn’t lost to an instate opponent since 2008, but schools such as Arbor View and Centennial in the Sunset Region won’t be pushovers. Both programs are led by experienced players, including Division I recruits, and have had flashes of good play in recent years against Gorman.

Sunrise power Liberty, the five-time defending region champion, also hasn't backed down against Gorman when they've met in the playoffs. And you can make comparisons between the programs, especially in the way they schedule. Second-ranked Liberty opens the season Aug. 28 in Hawaii against St. Louis High and hosts defending Hawaii state champion Mililani High School the following week. Both schools are considered top-25 teams in the region.

The quality teams aren't limited to the Division I, Nevada's large-school classification. In the Division I-A No. 5 Desert Pines and No. 9 Moapa Valley stack up favorably against most larger classification schools, and Desert Pines will get a chance to validate that claim early on. Desert Pines hosts No. 4 Arbor View to open the season in one of the most intriguing matchups of the season.

Desert Pines requested the game because players such as top 2016 recruit Anthony Smith instructed Jaguars coach Tico Rodriguez to secure a quality opponent for a rare opportunity for a lower-classification school to showcase their talents against the best.

Here are the rankings:

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  Christopher DeVargas

  1. Bishop Gorman Gaels

  Last year: Won the state and mythical national championship

  It would be a major surprise if the Gaels don’t win a seventh straight state championship. They return junior quarterback Tate Martell, who last season was the national sophomore of the year in completing 124 of 200 passes for 2,537 yards and 40 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He also rushed for 433 yards and five touchdowns. Martell’s favorite target is junior Tyjon Lindsey, who this week added an Ohio State scholarship offer to his list of college suitors. The defense is led by linemen Haskell Garrett, and Michael Geraghty, linebacker Ikem Okeke, defensive back Alex Perry and safety Bubba Bolden. All five have major scholarship offers, as do UNLV commits Julio Garcia and Jaron Caldwell on the offensive line.

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  Christopher DeVargas

  2. Liberty Patriots

  Last year: Won a fifth straight Sunrise Regional title

  Liberty has arguably the best two-way player in the state in wide receiver/defensive back Ethan Dedeaux, sophomore quarterback Kenyon Oblad has a BYU scholarship offer and is in line for a breakout season, and seniors Brian Roland and Calvin Tubbs each have two years experience and will contribute both ways. The Patriots defense will be solid, led by linebacker Kaimi Batoon and defensive end Rudy Bukassa, and the offensive line is experienced with Nick Tapuala and Tyus Toomalatai leading the charge.

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  Christopher DeVargas

  3. Centennial Bulldogs

  Last year: Lost in the Sunset Regional semifinals

  Centennial’s offense will be tough to contain with senior Rhamondre Stevenson getting a bulk of the touches out of the backfield. The 5-foot-11, 230-pound Stevenson, who last season rushed for 1,457 yards and 17 touchdowns, is a power rusher who will be tough to tackle. He also has above-average speed and can outrace the defense once in the open field. Junior quarterback Jamaal Evans made tremendous strides in the offseason and should give the offense balance with his passing ability. Defensively, the Bulldogs are led by ‘Big’ Greg Rogers, a four-star college recruit with offers from most Pac-12 Conference schools. The opposition will find it tough to rush on Centennial with the 6-foot-4, 310-pound tackle controlling the line of scrimmage. Centennial is loaded with experienced players at most spots, including defensive end Sky Rodriguez, linebacker Tishawn Barnaby, defensive lineman Tyler Williamson and junior wideout Savon Scarver.

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  Christopher DeVargas

  4. Arbor View Aggies

  Last year: Won the Northwest League; lost in Sunset Regional championship game

  With Keenen King, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound offensive lineman, leading the way, Arbor View’s misdirection rushing attack won’t be easy to contain. King is one of the area’s top recruits for 2016 and has scholarship offers from heavyweights such as Arizona State and Oregon State. He’s not the only Arbor View player colleges are courting. Senior linebacker Bishop Jones, who missed last season with a knee injury, could be the biggest prize. He already has three offers, including from hometown UNLV, and more offers are expected to follow after he proves himself in the first month of the season. Alex Sims (Southern Utah offer) and Noah Noce combine to form one of the state’s best secondaries, and defensive end Gage Motl is a three-year starter who has the talent to be an all-state performer.

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  Christopher DeVargas

  5. Desert Pines Jaguars

  Last year: Lost in the Division I-A state championship game

  Some feel Desert Pines has the second best team in Nevada, regardless of classification. The Jags are loaded on both sides of the ball with Division I prospects, highlighted by defensive end Anthony Smith. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Smith has scholarship offers from double-digits schools, including UNLV, Colorado and Washington State, and is rated by Rivals.com as Nevada’s top recruiting prospect for 2016. He combines with linebackers Vasa Hansell and Angel Torres to give the Jags the best defense in the classification. Offensively, Desert Pines returns quarterback Marckell Grayson and running back Isaiah Morris, who last year as sophomores combined for nearly 4,000 yards of offense. Randall Grimes transferred in from Sierra Vista and immediately became the Jags’ No. 1 receiver, and senior Trevor Nofoa will shine on both sides of the ball at safety and running back. The line is anchored by senior Natron Auelua-Naki, junior Samuel Poutasi and his cousin, sophomore Poutasi Poutasi. Samuel Poutasi will miss the first month of the season while recovering from knee surgery.

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  Christopher DeVargas

  6. Palo Verde Panthers

  Last year: Lost in the Sunset Regional semifinals

  Most are curious as to how Palo Verde will look this season without coaching icon Darwin Rost on the sideline. Rost, who opened the school in 1996, retired in the spring. Joe Aznarez, a high-energy coach who was promoted from the lower level, has plenty of weapons to keep the Panthers relevant. Palo Verde is strong defensively with UNR commit Kameron Toomer at defensive end and Chauntez Thomas at linebacker. Kyler Hack (6-foot-6, 275 pounds) will start on both sides of the line, and Aaron Chisolm returns to anchor the secondary. Chisolm will also have a chance to shine as the Panthers primary ball carrier, and junior Tyler Thornton is emerging at tight end and linebacker.

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  Christopher DeVargas

  7. Basic Wolves

  Last year: Lost in the Sunrise Regional championships game

  Basic improved with every game last season, going from a team under the radar to winning a pair of playoff games in advancing to the Sunrise Regional championship game. Quarterback Tank McAllister, who was brilliant in the playoffs in helping Basic upset Canyon Springs and Las Vegas, returns for his senior season. Basic typically has one of the area’s highest scoring attacks and this year should be no different with running backs Jake Waldron and Sean White, and wide receiver Brian Evans each gaining valuable experience last season. Defensively, 6-foot-1, 250-pound defensive end Kendahl Blakely is one of the best defenders in the Sunset Region. Waldron, White and Evans also play defense.

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  Christopher DeVargas

  8. Green Valley Gators

  Last year: Lost in the Sunset Regional quarterfinals

  Green Valley lost most of its offensive production from the past few seasons to graduation, but the cupboard is far from empty. Green Valley, in fact, has three capable quarterbacks fighting to become the starters, including Coronado transfer Spencer Cofer. Wide receiver Isiah Macklin, who has scholarship offers from UNLV and San Diego State, stands 6-foot-5 and will be tough for the region’s smaller defensive backs to guard. Austin Warhop and Brayon Williams will also see plenty of touches in the offense, which is considered under the radar due to the graduation of Albert Lake and Christian Lopez but has the potential to be more balanced and high-scoring. Defensively, junior linebacker Brock Hershberger is a candidate for a 100-plus tackle season and defensive back Nahzi Salih is solid in the secondary.

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  Steve Marcus

  9. Moapa Valley Pirates

  Last year: Won the Division I-A state championship

  While Moapa Valley graduated most of its key performers from last year’s state championship team, it still has senior RJ Hubert. Hubert will be the best player on the field every week, plain and simple. Last year, Hubert caught 49 passes for 964 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense, and recorded 71 tackles and six interceptions on defense. When teams were brave enough to kick the ball in his direction, Hubert had about 600 receiving yards. Nate Cox, who saw significant action in reserve last season, takes over at quarterback and should continue the Pirates' balanced offensive attack. Sterling Simmons and Trystin Deal will contribute at running back and linebacker, and Derek Cope is a shutdown defensive back to anchor the secondary. Desert Pines may have more talent top to bottom, but Moapa Valley is still the team to beat in the Sunrise and state until Desert Pines can dethrone the Pirates. They play this season in Overton, where Moapa Valley is impossible to beat.

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  Christopher DeVargas

  10. Canyon Springs Pioneers

  Last year: Won the Northeast League title

  Canyon Springs last season lost in the first round of the playoffs against lower-seeded Basic. Then, a few months later, they lost coach Hunkie Cooper to San Diego State. But they still have one of the most athletic teams in town, including varsity veterans Marcell Selmon, Christian Minor and Tyson Odum at the skilled positions. It’s arguably the fastest trio in the Sunrise Region, where opponents won’t have answers if new coach Keith Jones can find ways to get them the ball in space. Dual-threat quarterback Tre’Von Dean will be the full-time starter and has the potential to be an all-region performer. On the line, Ernesto Trejo will lead the way.

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