Football: Tigers to take on Wildcats in the heat

The Douglas football team opens its season tonight more than 400 miles away from home.

The Tigers are playing the return game with Las Vegas after the Wildcats opened their 2008 season in Minden with a 41-35 win.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at at Frank Nails Stadium on the Las Vegas campus.

Las Vegas, coached by Chris Faircloth, has won the last six Sunrise Region crowns and lost in the state semifinals to Palo Verde last year.

The Wildcats have lost two players who hurt the Tigers considerably last year in Emir Lopez and Reggie Bullock (Lopez passed for 226 yards and Bullock rushed for 129 and two touchdowns while catching another and returning an interception 45 yards for a score). Lopez is a walk-on at the University of Nevada this year.

They do have one of the top receiver recruits in the state back in the form of 6-3, 175-pound Marquan Major (six catches for 46 yards against Douglas in 2008).

Defensive lineman Jordan Turner (6-1, 265 pounds) is a preseason all-state selection and Austin Woo (6-2, 250) and Trey McElhaney (6-3, 250) anchor down the strong lines.

Six starters return on each side of the ball for the Wildcats.

It all adds up to a No. 5 statewide preseason ranking.

Douglas counters with an experienced offensive line and running backs Johnny Pollack and Jordan Cruz.

Either junior Zack Williams or senior Lucas Peterson will get the nod under center for the Tigers.

Aside from the talent on the field, Douglas will have to deal with some of the most extreme conditions the team has ever faced.

The high in Las Vegas today is forecasting at 108 degrees with the overnight low only dropping to 82.

The Record-Courier will be posting updates throughout the game at www.recordcourier.com. Las Vegas High School is reporting the game will also be broadcast live at SportsFrequency.com.