FIELDER’S CHOICES: No joke: Silverado not punch line any more

I have been pretty rough on Silverado over the years.

The Skyhawks have been the punch line numerous times in this space. My favorite still is the "Silverado Slide," which describes the football team's propensity for faltering late in the season.

But in honor of Yom Kippur this week, it's time to atone for my mistakes. Here goes (clears throat): I'm sorry, Skyhawks.

Silverado (3-1) is off to its best start since 2012 under first-year coach Randall Cunningham, including last week's 13-7 overtime victory over then-No. 7 Palo Verde.

In the three games I've gone against the Skyhawks this season, they're 2-1, so that's it. No more jokes about slides or any of that. It's only positive stuff about the Skyhawks from here on out.

I promise.

I went 7-1 straight-up for the second consecutive week and, luckily for me, Pastor Cunningham's crew has a bye, so there's hope for a perfect record.

Basic at Arbor View — The Wolves this season have used the Southeastern Conference model to impress: Beat a struggling, big-name program in the opener, then clobber two overmatched opponents with good records by a combined score of 110-0 and — BAM! — suddenly, you're Alabama.

The stats and info department tells me that through four games, Aggies quarterback Hayden Bollinger has six TD passes, surpassing Arbor View's total for the entire 2013 season and equaling its 2012 output. Can Arbor View throw it against the Crimson Ti ... err, Wolves secondary? ... Basic by 1.

Faith Lutheran at Mojave — I'm really only certain of two things in life. First, "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon was the best song of the summer. Second, the winner of this game will take the Division I-A Sunset League title.

The Crusaders are riding a three-game winning streak and own the league's top offense. Mojave appears to have the Sunset's best defense. Usually I side with the D in this spot, but look for Faith Lutheran to pull away in the fourth quarter. ... Faith Lutheran by 7.

Las Vegas at Rancho — This is the 59th version of the "Bone Game" and, for the first time in years, it actually could be competitive. For a half. Or a quarter. We'll see. What's really important is the state's oldest rivalry once again has a little bit of sizzle.

The Wildcats have won 19 straight in the rivalry and outscored Rancho 332-37 in the past six meetings. The Rams didn't score in last week's loss to Virgin Valley, which can only mean they were saving all their best plays for Las Vegas' defense. Right? ... Las Vegas by 20.

Liberty at Coronado — Is there a way for the Patriots to add Desert Pines to the schedule this season? No? Darn it. I guess the debate about the second-best team in town will continue to rage.

Liberty overpowered Centennial last week and now faces a Cougars team that has won two straight, holding each opponent to less than 100 yards rushing. Ultimately, this comes down to the health of Ethan Dedeaux's ankle. If the Patriots receiver is 100 percent, Liberty wins big. If he's not 100 percent, Liberty wins big. ... Liberty by 17.

Servite (Calif.) at Bishop Gorman — This game won't do much to pad the Gaels' strength of schedule in their quest for a second straight mythical national title. Servite sits 2-2 and isn't in the top 10 of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Pac-5 Division rankings.

Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez was upset at the conclusion of last week's 52-13 win over Long Beach Poly (Calif.), which was marred by numerous penalties and some pregame trash talk. He'll probably be in a better mood this week. ... Gorman by 20.

Palo Verde at Green Valley — These teams are a combined 2-5. Two and five! The Panthers are riding a three-game losing streak, and it's been so long since that happened, the stats and info department couldn't even find whether it's the longest skid in school history.

Green Valley struggled up front during its loss to Arbor View two weeks ago, rushing for only 33 yards while giving up 287 on the ground. My guess is the Gators rush for more than 33 yards this week. ... Green Valley by 4.

Legacy at Moapa Valley — Everyone knows how much I love games between Division I and I-A, and I'm especially interested in this one. The Longhorns' three losses have come against teams expected to make the Division I playoffs, and Moapa Valley appears to be the second- or third-best team in I-A, so it will be intriguing to see how they match up.

If this was last season, I wouldn't hesitate to pick the Pirates. I'm not as confident now, but I'll stick with the little guys. ... Moapa Valley by 1.

Durango at Cimarron-Memorial — One team is going to get its first win of the season, the other will drop to 0-5. How's that for expert analysis? ... Cimarron-Memorial by 6.

Last week: 7-1, 6-2 (with points)

Season: 23-9, 21-11 (with points)

Contact Fielder at Fielder@nevadapreps.com. Follow him: @FielderNVP