LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — High school football has a whole new look this fall.
30 Clark County School District programs chose to play as independents at the 4A-5A levels, leaving just seven schools to compete for the traditional state title this season.
The competitive advantage that Bishop Gorman has is a big reason why those 30 teams decided to create their own league. However, two of the six local teams who will compete against the Gaels say they are excited for the challenge.
WATCH | Seven high school football teams stay in the fight to compete for traditional state title
"I've never heard one kid from Nevada be afraid to play Bishop Gorman, that's above my pay grade, I'll let it go and just walk that off," Gaels head coach Brent Browner said.
"When you're playing the number two in the nation it's always going to give you a good look even if you win or lose," one local student-athlete said.
Somerset Academy Losee and Pinecrest Academy say success starts with mentality.
"I started coaching at Mojave high school bringing it from a 0-10 program to a state championship before I crossed over, so here it's the same idea, these kids just have to get the mentality, the belief system about what we do every day builds towards a championship program," Somerset Losee head coach Spike Rossi said.
On the question of whether the size difference between 4A and 5A players is a factor, one coach said the gap is not a deterrent.
"I would say our team has decent size, there is a slight size difference in the kids, but my kids want to play college football and Bishop Gorman is known for producing college football players, there's no way of knowing we're the best until we play the best," Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon head football coach Nate Oishi said.
The opportunity goes beyond Bishop Gorman. The six remaining schools are also getting a shot to face top-ranked schools outside of Southern Nevada.
"More exposure for Vegas cause Vegas ball I would say is underrated and no one knows about Somerset Losee so us getting to play all of these teams out of state gives us a chance to put on for Vegas and for our school," one player said.
While the change could mean more exposure, it comes with a cost.
"It's just more expensive to do business when CCSD leaves the fold because now we have to go out looking for games and as much as I love to play out of town, having to leave town and get on an airplane with 50 kids twice in a season and take a bus to Barstow it a whole lot more expensive than getting on a bus and driving down the street to Mojave, my goal is that we're reflective after this and CCSD will come back but if they don't, we'll just keep doing what we're doing," Somerset Losee principal Jessica Scobell said.
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