Some football teams live on sustained drives and limiting opponents’ opportunities. For Mojave, it was all about the big play Friday night.

And no plays were bigger than a pair turned in by junior receiver S’marion Coleman.

Coleman caught a 91-yard touchdown pass and added an 87-yard scoring run to help the Rattlers to a 34-10 home win over Palo Verde. The win put Mojave (5-5, 3-2 Class 5A Desert League) in good position to make the 5A Southern Region playoffs. Those pairings will be finalized when the final NIAA HRM rankings are released Sunday.

“I think S’marion Coleman’s the best athlete in the state,” Mojave coach Wes Pacheco said. “He’s the best receiver in the state. He’s a high-character guy, 3.6 GPA. He does everything, right? This is no surprise to us.”

The Rattlers entered th

See Full Page