Rivals face off in prep tournament

     By Chris Jones
     View staff writer
      High school basketball fans got an early surprise recently when two of the city's best players faced off for the first time this season in the Las Vegas Prep Championship tournament at Las Vegas High School.
      Kevin Gaines, a Clark senior who has signed a letter of intent with Michigan, and Demetrius Hunter, a Cheyenne senior who signed with Georgetown, met in a Dec. 30 contest.
      Gaines easily won both the battle and the war, lighting up Hunter and his Cheyenne teammates for 31 points and 8 rebounds while leading the Chargers to a 73-61 victory over the Desert Shields. Hunter finished with 10 points before fouling out late in the game.
      "I don't focus on who is out there on the court with me; I just play my game," Gaines said after the game. "We got the better end of it today, but they'll see us again."
      Fortunately, so will the fans.
      The friendly rivalry between the two guards -- two of the best players in the state -- has been an interesting sideshow throughout this basketball season.
      Their styles aren't the same: Gaines, a competent low-post threat who doubles as a point guard, gets his job done in a steady, workmanlike manner. Hunter has a good touch from outside the arc and explodes to the basket.
      While one favors flash and the other grit, the two share some similarities: a desire to succeed and a mutual respect for one another. As such, there was no trash talking between the two, who relaxed in the stands together after the game.
      Also, both manage to keep in perspective their roles as individuals competing in a team sport.
      "We're both good players and we're both going to play in college, so playing against Demetrius is just another game to me," Gaines said. "I don't do anything special just to try and slow him down."
      Said Hunter: "I think playing (against) Kevin would be the same even if we weren't going to play in college next fall. He's a great player and we both go hard to win games."
      The coaches of both players realize the fan appeal of a one-on-one matchup, yet each considers the Gaines vs. Hunter battle to be less important than their team goals in conference play.
      "As a coach, when you have two of the better players in the city going against each other, you try to approach it like any other game," said Cheyenne coach Larry Johnson. "It meant pride, nothing more. Tournament games and individual honors are for fun, but we're going to focus our efforts on winning the conference games."
      Said Clark coach Brad Query: "The individual stuff doesn't mean anything. Conference is what matters, and we know we'll play Cheyenne again in our house before it's all said and done."
      The Desert Shields and Chargers met for the second time on Jan. 6 at Cheyenne, with Hunter scoring 39 to lead his team to a 94-86 overtime win in the Sunset Division game. Gaines finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds for Clark.
      With their personal and team duels tied at one, both players will look to gain the edge when the teams meet in their final regular season meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 3 at Clark.