Chaos reigned (and rained and rained) on the opening night of the high school football slate in Southern Nevada, which is fitting for the kickoff of what promises to be the silliest season ever.
Or stupidest? Take your pick. This whole thing is so dumb.
Yes, we’ve known it was coming for a few months. It’s not like all the formats and withdrawals were announced yesterday, but there was something about the start of a season that promises so much nonsense that just struck a chord.
And who’s to say whether that’s what caused the monsoons and lightning and wind that plagued nearly every game in Southern Nevada on Friday? It didn’t, but wasn’t it fitting?
For those who have not been paying attention, I would like to express my sincere jealousy. I wish I didn’t know what was going on with any of this. Life would be much simpler.
But after years of trying to find ways to either gently encourage or outright force Bishop Gorman out of competing for the state championship, Clark County School District’s principals decided to take their ball and go independent.
That means their football programs can play each other, but can’t play any private or charter schools, and now will play for the Superintendents Cup.
Remember growing up when you would lay in bed at night and dream of leading your high school to the Superintendents Cup? Man, those were the days. A boy can dream, can’t he?
Bishop Gorman’s presence is a problem. It has been my stance for years the Gaels should not only leave the NIAA and stop competing for state championships, but that they shouldn’t want to play for a state title that is a foregone conclusion.
What do they have to prove? They have the best athletes in the city, from around the region and even the country. Then they get to develop them with elite coaching and facilities. The public schools have the choice of all the kids from here to that road over there that Gorman either doesn’t want or doesn’t have room for on the roster.
Gorman likely was exploring exit plans anyway, but the Archdiocese and the army of Gaels-affiliated attorneys don’t take kindly to efforts to push them out against their own timeline. And they probably should be allowed to take their time to figure out their best path.
So they dug in their heels and CCSD principals made their somewhat well-intentioned and yet completely ill-conceived move.
Now we get the Superintendents Cup, which is like the Stanley Cup without the history, beauty, prestige or value.
The only thing goofier is that we got to see the Open Division state championship game preview on the first night of the high school football season.
Seriously, it is pretty much etched in stone that Bishop Gorman will rematch Losee at Allegiant Stadium on Nov. 24. Only three teams are eligible, with Faith Lutheran joining these two in the division.
The No. 3 seed of the three teams, almost certainly Losee, gets a bye to the championship game. That’s not a typo. The top two seeds will play each other for the right to play the No. 3 seed for the championship, because of course they will.
That ensures Bishop Gorman gets an extra playoff game to bolster its national championship resume.
So mark your calendars because if Friday’s action is any indication, fans are in for a treat two days before Thanksgiving as Losee hung tough with the national power for like three minutes.
The Lions, who were winless last season, recovered an onside kick to start off the game and put a scare into the Gaels before falling 41-0 in a game that was halted at halftime.
That should serve only to fire them up ahead of that championship game rematch, especially after the Gaels’ only misstep of the day was a mysteriously botched extra-point attempt that would have triggered a running clock.
Funny how that worked out.
Fortunately for everyone, the storm came and prevented a season-opening 83-0 debacle.
The bad news, however, is that Allegiant Stadium has a roof. The rematch will be played in its entirety.
But will anyone care once the Superintendents Cup is handed out for the first time and life as we know it is forever changed?
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
