Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

kickoff 2015:

Undeterred by a controversial call, Palo Verde opens new era with win

Palo Verde trucks over Coronado with running game

Palo Verde vs. Coronado

Mikayla Whitmore

Palo Verde’s Tyler Thornton (9) tackles Coronado’s Travis Boman (10) on Friday, Aug. 28, 2015, during a high school football game.

Palo Verde Defeats Coronado

Coronado's Jordan Patterson (34) carries the ball as Palo Verde's Aaron Belshe (10) attempts a tackle during a game at Coronado Friday, Aug. 28, 2015. Launch slideshow »
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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.

Joe Aznarez turned irate when his beloved Green Bay Packers infamously lost a Monday Night Football game to the Seattle Seahawks because of an erroneous application of the simultaneous-possession rule.

Little did he know that three years later, he’d lose his cool to a larger degree when an identical miscall would victimize his own team in his head-coaching debut. Palo Verde linebacker Tyler Thornton appeared to snag his second interception off Coronado quarterback Landen Rowland on the final play in the first half of a season-opening game between the two cross-town schools.

But tight end Travis Boman put two hands on the ball as Thornton went to the ground in the end zone, and the officials ruled it a 14-yard touchdown. Aznarez went ballistic with the visiting Panthers facing an unjustified 14-13 halftime deficit.

“I’m usually calm for the most part, but I still can’t accept the ruling on that, but it is what it is,” Aznarez said. “Our kids took that and said, ‘We’re not going to let that beat us.’”

The Panthers stormed out of the locker room angry, and reverted to their vintage ways to secure a 27-20 victory. They lined up in tight formations, fired out low off the ball and ran right at the defense en route to a pair of third-quarter scoring drives.

With only five passing attempts all night, the game plan didn’t stray far from what Palo Verde became known for under Darwin Rost, who retired in the offseason after 19 years as the school’s only head coach.

“The new staff has been working so hard and coach Aznarez is taking over for coach Rost,” junior running back Thaddeus Wiley said. “I’m just so thankful for the win tonight. It’s an honor.”

Aznarez called Wiley, who had no previous varsity experience, into action as Palo Verde’s featured back when leading returning rusher Aaron Chisolm went down with an ankle injury in practice. On the Panthers’ first play from scrimmage, Wiley bolted off-tackle for a 50-yard touchdown run.

“I knew Wiley was going to have a special night, but I didn’t know the first touch was going to go for 50 yards,” Aznarez said. “He’s a good kid, a hard worker, so we’re real excited with the success he had tonight.”

The highlight only tied the score at 7 after Coronado senior Jordan Patterson trotted 62 yards into the end zone 11 seconds earlier. The difference for the rest of the night was the Panthers found a way to slow the Cougars' run game.

Patterson never registered another attempt of more than five yards, finishing with 12 carries for 82 yards, as Panther defenders like Kameroon Toomer and Robert Webster penetrated the backfield. Wiley bruised his way to a few more, totaling 95 yards on 14 carries.

Senior Christian Bell complemented Wiley with 10 carries for 41 yards, including two touchdown plunges from near the goal line. Senior T.J. Webb had Palo Verde’s longest play, scoring its final touchdown to go up 27-14 on a 57-yard rush.

“It was a little tough walking in without your No. 1 back, but kids stepped up tonight,” Aznarez said.

Coronado wouldn’t go down quietly. The Cougars answered Webb’s touchdown with an authoritative drive that lasted nearly nine minutes.

They went 76 yards relying heavily on Boman, who had seven catches for 86 yards on the night, before Rowland punched in a two-yard touchdown run. Palo Verde recovered an ensuing onside kick near midfield and drove to the 33-yard line.

With a minute left, the Panthers faced a fourth-and-3 where a conversion would ensure victory. Wiley was hit short of the marker but churned his legs forward for a first down.

“I knew I was going to get it,” he said. “I was trying to stay focused, stay positive and know that if I got it, we won the game.”

Wiley was trying to keep the mindset Aznarez preached at halftime. The new coach told his team to stay confident and work harder while not worrying about being down.

The Panthers still can’t believe the touchdown call, though.

“It was a great play,” Wiley said. "That was all hard work there by Tyler Thornton."

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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