Friday’s high school football playoff games to watch
Bishop Gorman is the overwhelming favorite, but six other teams will take their best shots when the Southern Nevada Class 5A Division I state playoffs begin Friday.
Top-seeded Gorman received a first-round bye, but the rest of the league will be in action. No. 2 Arbor View hosts No. 7 Basic, No. 3 Coronado welcomes No. 6 Desert Pines, and No. 4 Liberty will host No. 5 Foothill.
Division I comprises all Southern Nevada teams, so there will be no regional title game. The last two teams advance to the state championship game Nov. 26 at Allegiant Stadium.
Berths in the regional title game are on the line in 5A Division II and III and 4A.
In 5A Division II, arguably the most competitive class in the state, No. 1 Faith Lutheran, last year’s state runner-up, hosts No. 4 Green Valley in one Southern League semifinal. No. 2 Legacy, last year’s Division III state champion, tries to keep its hopes of another title alive when it welcomes No. 3 Shadow Ridge.
The winners of the 3A Southern League semifinals will advance to the state semis against Northern Nevada opponents.
Here’s a look at the top five games this week:
Class 5A Division I
No. 5 Foothill at No. 4 Liberty
Liberty has recovered from a slow start to win three of its past four games, while Foothill has lost five straight.
The Patriots (4-6) routed the Falcons 40-7 in their regular-season meeting, and they are in position to do it again. Elijah Espinoza passed for 222 yards and two touchdowns to lead Liberty, and Ezra Sanelivi rushed for 128 yards and three scores.
Foothill (5-5) managed just 25 rushing yards in the first meeting. Brennan Arthur passed for 243 yards and a touchdown, but the Falcons can’t count on success against a strong Liberty defense without better utilizing the rushing talents of running back Eugene Altobella.
Class 5A Division II
No. 4 Green Valley at No. 1 Faith Lutheran
Faith Lutheran has grown stronger with each game and will be hard for anyone to beat. The Crusaders rolled to a 35-7 win in the teams’ regular-season game at Green Valley.
Expect Faith Lutheran (9-0) to use a balanced ground/air attack, led by quarterback Alex Rogers (1,714 yards, 21 touchdowns) and running back Cale Breslin (734 yards, 11 TDs).
The Gators (7-3) have done most of their damage in the air. They attempted to establish a running game in the last meeting, but managed just 47 yards on 20 carries.
Green Valley has some noteworthy upset victories this season, but will need more success on the ground to keep this one close.
No. 3 Shadow Ridge at No. 2 Legacy
These teams appear evenly matched, though the Longhorns logged a 43-14 victory in their regular-season meeting.
The Mustangs (8-3) keep the ball almost exclusively on the ground, with quarterback Ula Cox having passed only 25 times all season. That strategy probably will not go any better the second time around, as they must force Legacy’s defense to guard against the pass.
The Longhorns (7-4), who have won five of their past six games, will rely on quarterback Aidan Crawford (2,128 yards, 26 touchdowns) and running back Zaione Henderson (654 yards, 12 TDs) for offensive production.
Class 5A Division III
No. 3 Desert Oasis at No. 2 Las Vegas High
Desert Oasis has won three consecutive games, including last week’s 56-6 first-round trouncing of Sunrise Mountain. The Diamondbacks have momentum, but they don’t have Tanner Vibabul on their roster.
Vibabul is the versatile quarterback for Las Vegas (7-3), and he will again present a problem for Desert Oasis, as he did when the Wildcats rolled to a 33-12 win in the teams’ September meeting. The junior is the team’s leading rusher with 990 yards and 10 touchdowns and passed for 1,413 yards and 13 TDs.
Desert Oasis quarterback Vincent Hales (606 yards, nine TDs) will need to counter with a big night for the Diamondbacks (7-3) to keep this one close.
The Wildcats have won two of their past three and will come in rested after having a first-round bye.
Class 3A South
No. 3 Virgin Valley at No. 2 Moapa Valley
The Pirates (9-2) dominated the Bulldogs 27-7 in the final game of the regular season, but Virgin Valley (8-3) is equipped to bounce back from a loss.
Bulldogs quarterback Koby Perry (1,163 yards, 16 touchdowns) and running back Drew Dixon (1,236 yards, 16 TDs) were contained by Moapa in the first meeting and will need a more productive night.
The Pirates defense is stingy, and the offense can run up the score. Quarterback Talon Schraft is the team’s leading passer and rusher. If he finds a rhythm, Moapa could control the tempo.
Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.