High school football games to watch — Week 9

Here are the top games to watch for Week 9 of the high school football schedule (Oct. 12):

Desert Pines at Legacy, 7 p.m.

It’s exciting for everyone that the Northeast League is competitive again. It is maybe the hardest league to predict the winner, and these two newcomers will be among the favorites, making this one of the more important games of the year.

By this point of the year we will know who Legacy’s bellcow is and how ferocious the Desert Pines defensive line. When those two meet, it could mean fireworks, and the winner of this one will have a strong chance at a home playoff game.

Green Valley at Liberty, 7 p.m.

The Gators lost twice last season, and it was to Liberty both times. Green Valley hasn’t beaten Liberty since 2008, or a month before Obama was elected the first time. Green Valley returns all three of its leading rushers, so if it could get the ground attack going and control the clock, it just might be able to score the upset.

The Patriots meanwhile have been the class of the Sunrise Region for a nearly decade now, winning eight region titles in a row and only dropping one league game since 2010. They have had double-digit wins every year since 2010 and already have three seniors committed to play Division I ball.

Sunrise Mountain at Virgin Valley, 7 p.m.

The Miners certainly got the short end of the scheduling stick, drawing road games with both Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley. These two met last year in Mesquite, with Virgin Valley squeaking out a 30-27 victory. That was a nonleague game, and another close game is expected when they meet this year as Sunrise League rivals.

It’s hard enough to beat the two-time defending Sunrise League champs, and it’s even harder to do so at home. The Bulldogs lost two home games last year, and they were both to eventual state runnner-up Mojave. Jayden Perkins was named the Male Athlete of the Year after an eye-popping season, and replacing him will be Virgin Valley’s biggest test this fall.