Last week we had latest incarnation of the oldest sports rivalry in the Silver State, Douglas vs Carson. This week, the largest trophy in high school sports will be awarded to one of two south Reno schools as the Battle for the Cross Saw takes place when Damonte Ranch hosts Galena High School.
The Cross Saw legend dates back to the 1800s. The Galena area was home to a logging and lumber organization while the Damonte Ranch area was home to ranchers. The ranchers purchased a large, 120-pound, cross saw from the lumber mill to expedite the construction of out buildings for the ranch. A few years later, after a fire, the lumberjacks asked to buy the saw back, but Peleg Brown (who later sold his property to the Damonte family) was a sporting man and offered a challenge, with the winning side getting the cross saw for one year. A crosscut competition was held and the lumberjacks from Galena prevailed. The competition continued for years, before fading into little more than distant memory until 2014 when coaches from both schools decided to breathe new life into the competition.
Credit should be given to Joe Lawrence for spearheading the effort to renew the rivalry. The two schools are separated by about five miles as the crow flies, and they know each other well, growing up playing against each other and often attending the same feeder schools. This year’s game is a new chapter in this storied rivalry as Damonte Ranch is under the leadership of Head Coach JJ Milan.
Milan played locally at Wooster High School before a celebrated tenure for the University of Nevada. After college, Milan signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent. Milan would go on to spend time with the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears. With his playing days behind him, Milan has become a successful businessman, dedicated family man, and coach. Before starting at Damonte, Milan had a very successful run as a Pop Warner Coach for Bishop Manogue. This will be Milan’s first Cross Saw game, but it is not the first one for Galena’s staff.
It is no secret that Galena Head Coach, Aaron Cook, graduated from Damonte Ranch (class of 2007), played football for the Mustangs, and got his start in coaching there under Head Coach Shaun Dupris. Cook rose through the coaching ranks and in 2019 accepted the offer to become the Head Coach at Galena High School. He has been joined by two other former Mustangs, Jim Kyte and Joe Lawrence. Kyte coaches offensive line and might be the most underrated coach in Northern Nevada. Lawrence coached at Damonte and watched his kids (Austin, Pearson, and Kylie) graduate from the Ranch. Lawrence, Kyte, and Cook will be looking to recapture the Cross Saw which has not been won by Galena since 2015.
Back in 2015 Damonte Ranch had a quarterback controversy, splitting time between junior Drake Vestbie and freshman Cade McNamara. Both saw action that night, but it was the Grizzlies night, winning 34-19. McNamara went on to win the Cross Saw three times followed by Ethan Kulpin who went 2-0 as the starting quarterback for Damonte, and then Cooper Anderson won the coveted prize twice. Last year Joey Jamison was the starting quarterback for the Mustangs in a 34-7 win. It was a special day for Damonte running back DJ Gonzalez Brown who had started at Galena before transferring to Damonte, he rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
This game has a different feel to, Galena come in after making a run for the 5A III state title last year, losing to Legacy 21-14 in the title game. Under the current staff, the Grizzlies have learned how to push through difficult times and how to win. The Mustangs have struggled this season with a difficult slate of games to start the season: Bishop Manogue, defending 5A II state champions, Truckee, defending 3A state champions, and Faith Lutheran, but they picked up their first win of the season, last week, and may have found a new quarterback.
Joey Jamison, senior quarterback, has been nursing a lower leg injury since week one, and was unavailable weeks 2-4. Branden Radoumis broke his collar bone in Las Vegas during the Faith Lutheran game, week three. Last week, freshman Kanon Boggs got the start and threw two touchdown passes. Boggs managed the game well, especially for a freshman. Look for Coach Lawrence to dial up some heat and offer Boggs a wide variety of looks on defense in an effort to confuse the young signal caller, if he gets the start.
WHEN DAMONTE HAS THE BALL – first question is who will start at quarterback, Jamison or Boggs. Keep an eye on senior running back Kobe Craig, he is averaging 107 yards per game and is a threat to go the distance every time he has the ball. Amari Nash, junior, is a dangerous playmaking athlete who plays wideout, returns kicks, and gets the occasional chance out of the backfield. Galena will look to contain Damonte’s offense with Ever Whitaker, Colson Kermode, and Shiloh Wilson; each averaging around ten tackles per game.
WHEN GALENA HAS THE BALL – Galena boasts one of the most well-rounded quarterbacks in the North, Colson Kermode. The senior signal caller is averaging 120 yards per game with three touchdowns. Kermode’s also averaging 47 yards per game on the ground, so Damonte’s defenders will need to keep an eye on him at all times. Leading the ground game for the Grizz is senior running back Erick Rodriguez, averaging 52 yards per game. Damonte will also need to account for senior playmakers Ben Imse and Matt Ritenhouse. Looking to counter Galena’s playmakers will be senior linebacker Carsen Galvin who is averaging 10 tackles per game and also has three interceptions. Bray Langi (B-Ray) is a sophomore playmaker on the defensive line who has a penchant for blowing plays up; Galena will need to contain Longi to have sustained success Friday night.
The game is set for a 7:00 PM kickoff at Damonte Ranch High School. The Cross Saw will be on the Mustangs sideline and awarded to the winning side following the conclusion of the contest. It is homecoming for the Mustangs, so look for a big crowd and enjoy the halftime festivities.
ABOUT YOUR AUTHOR - Lynn Ault covers high school sports for Battle Born Preps, with an emphasis on Damonte Ranch High School where his wife is a teacher and where both of his kids went to school. When not covering high school sports, Ault works with middle and high school students at Hope Community, a local non-denominational church.
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