Faith Lutheran gets ‘dynamic’ RB back as league play nears

Faith Lutheran running back Cale Breslin missed the first two games of this season with a hamstring injury.

Even though the Crusaders managed to win their first two contests without the Brigham Young commit, Breslin’s presence adds a different dynamic to their offense.

As Faith Lutheran prepares for Class 5A Division II Southern League play, the Crusaders just got their best player back in action. Breslin returned Friday night and had two rushing touchdowns in a 41-0 home win over Northern school Damonte Ranch.

Breslin “looked very good tonight, and I see him coming more into his own as the season goes on,” Faith Lutheran coach Mike Sanford said. “Cale can be a home run hitter. … He was dynamic, and he’s a dynamic runner.”

Breslin nearly had another touchdown on a long run of 60 yards but was tripped up inside Damonte Ranch’s 10-yard line. Sanford said the hamstring issue wasn’t serious, but he wanted Breslin to be completely healthy before his season debut.

Sanford credited junior Justin Robbins and senior Nick Knight for filling in with Breslin out.

Faith Lutheran reached the 5A Division II state title game last season, falling to Northern champion Bishop Manogue 40-21. But the Crusaders remained in 5A Division II after finishing third in the regular-season standings.

After splitting snaps last season, senior Alex Rogers has solidified himself as Faith Lutheran’s starting quarterback in the backfield alongside Breslin. Rogers threw two touchdowns Friday, including a 59-yard strike to Jaxon Cope.

“I’m very excited about how we played tonight,” Sanford said. “We’ve improved each game. We improved tonight … and we’re getting people back. That’s a plus.”

Rogers has received some reinforcement at wide receiver from Rouselle Shepard, who missed the first game and starred on Faith Lutheran’s baseball team the past two seasons. Shepard had 110 receiving yards and a touchdown in a 19-14 win at Bakersfield Christian on Aug. 23.

Sanford said he’s also been impressed by the defense and constant improvement of kicker Liam Radke. On Friday, linebacker Ricky Manning had an interception return for a touchdown and Radke made two field goals. Radke made a game-winning kick in the final seconds of Faith Lutheran’s 25-23 season-opening win against Desert Hills (Utah) on Aug. 16.

Faith Lutheran has a bye next week and opens league play at Shadow Ridge on Sept. 13. Sanford, the former UNLV coach, compared getting ready for Shadow Ridge’s triple-option offense to preparing for facing Air Force.

“Shadow Ridge is difficult to prepare for. … We have a lot of respect for them, and it’s going to be a big game for us,” Sanford said.

Bone stays home

Winning “Sir Herkimer’s Bone” as a player twice meant a lot to Las Vegas High coach Jose Cerriteno. Holding the bone in his first season as the Wildcats’ coach had a different meaning for Cerriteno on Friday night.

In the 66th edition of the “Bone Game,” Nevada’s oldest high school football rivalry game, Las Vegas cruised to a 60-6 win at Rancho. It’s the 27th straight victory for the Wildcats in the game.

“It was awesome,” Cerriteno said. “I was excited for the kids and then our school because we all got to celebrate together. … It’s not just us celebrating, it’s our community. We placed a bunch of emphasis on this week that it was a privilege to represent our community and school.”

Christopher Boddy had three rushing touchdowns, and Mychael Walker caught two touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown as the Wildcats (2-1) rolled. After the game, Cerriteno said it was special to sing the school’s alma mater with a full student section that made the trip to Rancho.

“Our kids, they play hard,” Cerriteno said. “The kids have responded well to all of the challenges. They’re really receptive to the coaching and stuff we’re implementing and with upholding the rich tradition and standards Vegas football has.”

Up next

All eyes will be on Santa Ana, California, on Friday night when Bishop Gorman, ranked No. 2 nationally by MaxPreps and USA Today, faces top-ranked Mater Dei at 7 p.m.

The game should serve as the de facto high school football national championship game. A win for the Gaels would put them in the driver’s seat to win a fifth mythical high school football national title with one out-of-state game to follow on Sept. 13 before playing Southern Nevada teams the rest of the season.

In local competition, Basic hosts Green Valley in the “Henderson Bowl” at 6 p.m. Friday. Desert Oasis, off to a 3-0 start, hosts Sierra Vista at 6 p.m. Friday as the teams renew their “Railroad Rivalry” that was not played last season.

Legacy hosts Desert Pines and Palo Verde plays at Arbor View. Both games are at 6 p.m. Friday.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.