Members of the Del Sol High football team pose for a photo at the Las Vegas Sun’s high school football media day July 20, 2016 at the South Point. They include, from left, Darrion Webb, Barry Williams, Jason Hoyer and Javier Arroyo.
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 | 4:06 p.m.
Prep Sports Now
Football: There is no close second
Las Vegas Sun sports editors Ray Brewer and Case Keefer ring in the start of football season by discussing some of the valley's top storylines and teams, like Bishop Gorman, Liberty, Arbor View and Desert Pines.
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Del Sol went 1-8 in 2015 while breaking in many younger players. Now, with the players more seasoned, fourth-year coach Gary Maki hopes they have enough to make a playoff push.
Maki says Del Sol’s quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are the best he’s had during his tenure.
“I think (Taariq Flowers) can be one of the top running backs in 3A football in the state,” Maki said. “
Last season as a sophomore Flowers led the Dragons with 632 rushing yards, and scored all four of the team’s rushing touchdowns.
On a team that averaged only 7.5 points per game and was shut out four times, Flowers showed the potential to be a game changer in the backfield.
“Our skill positions are pretty sound. We are real happy there,” Maki said. “We will just hopefully have to piece together the line.”
Del Sol will also be returning its leading wide receiver Jonathan Spearman, who had more than half of the team’s receiving yards in 2015.
The quarterback position is up for grabs with freshman Maaliq Flowers (younger brother of Taariq) leading the way.
With questions on the offensive side the Dragons will need to count on their defense, and more specifically their veteran linebackers.
“I’d say that (defense) should be a strong point. We have a good linebacking crew and these two are two of the best on our team and probably in our league,” Maki said, referring to junior linebackers Darrion Webb and Jason Hoyer. “They are worthy of carrying our defense.”
Webb and Hoyer are the leaders of a strong junior class that got varsity experience as sophomores.
“We want to prove that we aren’t the same Del Sol team that we were last year and the year before,” Webb said.
If the Dragons are going to turn things around they will need to take advantage of an easy non-conference schedule. Del Sol starts the season with games against Western, Pahrump Valley, Durango and Rancho who combined to go 6-30 last season.
“When we think about the beginning of the schedule, if we can win some early games the momentum can carry us through the season,” Webb said.
Much of the junior class has played together since they were freshman, and they are determined to get the Dragons back into the playoffs.
“It would mean so much to the school because Del Sol is not really known for sports so it could put us back on the map,” Hoyer said.
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