Looking ahead at the week in high school sports
Here is a look at some of this week’s top high school sports matchups.
CROSS COUNTRY
Saturday — Falcon Invitational at Foothill, 7 a.m.
More than 30 area high schools are scheduled to compete at this meet, including some of the area’s top teams. The meet begins with a 2.1-mile middle school boys race at 7 a.m. The first of four 3.1-mile high school races is the freshman-sophomore boys race at 7:30 a.m.
FOOTBALL
Friday — Pahranagat Valley at Spring Mountain, 3 p.m.
The Panthers are riding a 96-game win streak as they head to Spring Mountain for this 1A Southern League game. The Golden Eagles probably have the speed advantage, but that might not be enough to take this eight-man matchup.
Friday — Basic at Canyon Springs, 7 p.m.
The Wolves feature a high-powered offense, led by quarterback Aaron McAllister, who threw six touchdown passes against Clark on Friday. Canyon Springs’ Diamante Burton passed for 367 yards against Sunrise Mountain, so this might be a shootout.
Friday — Liberty at Centennial-Corona (California), 7 p.m.
Another national showdown for the Patriots, who are 3-0 and ranked No. 24 in the nation by USA Today. The Huskies (3-1) are ranked 13th nationally, and their lone loss came when they were edged 50-49 by No. 2 IMG Academy (Florida).
GIRLS GOLF
Monday — Palo Verde vs. Bishop Gorman at Bear’s Best, 3 p.m.
A nine-hole, sneak peek of the Class 4A Sunset Region tournament. This is the only regular-season matchup between the three-time defending region champion Gaels and Palo Verde, the 2015 runner-up.
Thursday — Southeast League Match at Desert Willow, 11:30 a.m.
Coronado shot 4-over-par as a team in its league opener at Anthem Country Club and was 2-over at Legacy on Sept. 6. Now, the talented Cougars take aim at the par-60 layout. How low will they go?
BOYS SOCCER
Monday — Canyon Springs at Chaparral, 3 p.m.
While Eduardo Quintero-Rodriguez has started pulling away from pack in Pioneers scoring, the Cowboys feature a balanced offense. A strong week by Chaparral could get it into the rankings.
Wednesday — Palo Verde at Centennial, 3:30 p.m.
In the only meeting of ranked schools this week, the Panthers will visit a Bulldogs team and a white-hot Manny Lopez. Along with Adrian Martinez, the duo provides as potent a one-two punch as any team in the Northwest League.
GIRLS SOCCER
Tuesday — Coronado at Silverado 3 p.m.
The Cougars and Skyhawks open Southeast League play after getting off to strong starts in their non-conference schedules. Both teams were league champions a year ago, as Silverado won the Northeast League before moving to the Southeast this season.
Wednesday — Centennial at Palo Verde, 3 p.m.
The winner of this Northwest League battle should finish as the No. 1 or No. 2 seed come playoff time. Arbor View has won four consecutive state championships and doesn’t appear to be slowing down. These teams are the Aggies’ biggest threats.
Friday — Palo Verde at Arbor View, 3:30 p.m.
Will this be Arbor View’s first loss of the season? The Panthers arguably have the best one-two punch in Southern Nevada in Jadyn Nogues and Macee Barlow. But the Aggies haven’t lost a league game since Oct. 9, 2012 when they dropped a 2-1 decision at Shadow Ridge.
BOYS TENNIS
Tuesday — Clark at Bishop Gorman, 3 p.m.
The Chargers will be out for revenge after the Gaels ended their 68-match winning streak earlier this month. In the same division after realignment, this is a rivalry that could stretch on for years to come.
GIRLS TENNIS
Thursday — Palo Verde at Faith Lutheran, 3 p.m.
If anyone can stop the Panthers juggernaut, it might be the Crusaders. Two of the top teams in the state meet in what could be a preview of the state tournament.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Tuesday — Sierra Vista at Bonanza, 6 p.m.
The Mountain Lions reached the Class 3A (then Division I-A) state tournament last season and have held their own since moving up to Class 4A. They visit Bonanza, which sits atop the Southwest League standings at 2-0.
Wednesday — Coronado at Silverado, 6 p.m.
Two of the favorites in the stacked Southeast League square off in the league opener. Both teams were part of the Durango Fall Classic over the weekend.
