Desert Pines-Liberty to decide Class 5A Mountain League

Liberty has emerged in recent years to stand toe to toe with Bishop Gorman, turning Class 5A into a two-team race.

Desert Pines wants to join the mix, and the Jaguars will have their chance at 6 p.m. Friday at Liberty.

The winner takes the Mountain League title, putting that team in the playoff bracket opposite Gorman.

Desert Pines (7-1, 3-0 league) has won seven games in a row and for the season has outscored opponents 300-66. The Jaguars’ defense is among the valley’s best.

“When you have a senior-based defensive line, it always gives you a chance,” Desert Pines coach Tico Rodriguez said. “The games are won in high school in the trenches. You can have all the fancy skill guys, but if you can’t win the trenches, it’s going to be a long night. We’ve got great senior leaders on the defensive line, so we’re going to lean on them.”

Desert Pines will be the Patriots’ toughest test to date from a Nevada school. The Patriots (5-3, 3-0) are on a four-game winning streak, emerging from a tough out-of-state schedule to once again send a signal they again are the likely top challenger to Gorman.

It’s Gorman that drives nearly everything Liberty does, and if the Patriots lose to Desert Pines, they will face the Gaels as early as the second round rather than in the Southern Region championship.

“We pretty much plan every year that we want to play Gorman,” Liberty coach Rich Muraco said. “The later you can face them, probably the better. This year in particular, if we can win this game against Desert Pines and hopefully get them on our home field, maybe it will give us a little bit of an edge.”

Though 5A Mountain League title is simple, but the rest of the playoff picture is more complicated:

5A

Only Gorman (8-1, 4-0) at No. 1 in the Desert League and Arbor View (7-1, 3-1) at No. 2 have clinched spots. Palo Verde (4-5, 2-2) will take the third seed in the Desert with a victory at Legacy. Foothill (3-6, 2-2) will capture the third seed with a victory at Gorman and a loss by Palo Verde.

The four teams for the Mountain League are decided, but not the order. Behind Liberty and Desert Pines, Green Valley (2-6, 1-2) visits Faith Lutheran (6-2, 1-2) for the third seed.

4A

Shadow Ridge (8-1, 4-0) is the top seed in the Sky League, and Spring Valley (5-4, 2-2) is No. 4. The second and third seeds will be decided by the winner between Coronado (6-2, 3-1) and Sierra Vista (6-3, 3-1).

Las Vegas (6-2, 3-0) has clinched the No. 1 seed in the Mountain League. Basic (7-2, 2-1) will be the second seed with a victory over Clark (4-5, 1-2). If Clark wins, that would create a three-way tie that also includes Durango (5-4, 2-2), and that seed would come down to point differential among the three.

Silverado (8-0, 4-0) will win the Desert League if beats Desert Oasis (4-4, 3-1). A loss creates a possible three-way tie that also includes Cimarron-Memorial (3-5, 3-1), with the winner decided by point differential. There are many scenarios for the second through fourth seeds.

3A

Moapa Valley (9-0, 4-0) plays at Virgin Valley (7-1, 4-0) for the top seed in the Desert League. If Rancho (4-5, 2-2) beats visiting Western (2-6, 1-3), that will make the Rams the third seed. If Western wins, that creates a potential three-way tie, depending on how Somerset Losee (2-6, 1-3) does against visiting Valley. In that case, the tiebreaker would be points differential among the three.

SLAM Nevada (5-3, 3-0) will take the Mountain League with a victory at Eldorado (5-3, 2-1). Should Eldorado win, that creates a potential three-way tie that also includes Boulder City (6-2, 2-1). Then it would come down to point differential among the three.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.