Top 5 high school football games for Week 6
All games at 6 p.m. Friday unless otherwise noted
Arbor View at Desert Pines
One benefit to the new realignment structure is we won’t have to wait until the playoffs to see the top teams square off against each other. Arbor View and Desert Pines, consistently two of the state’s top four teams, have played some thrilling postseason games in the past. Friday’s winner will be in a prime spot to be the No. 3 seed in the 5A Division I playoffs and avoid Bishop Gorman until the state title game.
Arbor View (2-2, 2-0 5A Division I) started 0-2 but has found its groove in league play with freshman quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher and sophomore wide receiver Jayden Williams, who is averaging 114.3 receiving yards and 20.8 yards per reception.
Desert Pines (2-2, 1-1) rallied late but came up short 21-20 at Shadow Ridge after the Mustangs had a late defensive stop. The Jaguars’ defense has 21 sacks through their first four games, led by five from junior defensive end Steve Manuma.
Las Vegas at Foothill
Is Foothill the favorite in the new 5A Division II Southern League? Given the way senior quarterback Mason Dew is playing, the Falcons (4-1, 1-0) might just be. Dew is averaging 306 passing yards per game and has 19 touchdown passes. Senior wide receiver Ethan Stubbs is tied for the team lead with four touchdown reception and has three interceptions on defense.
Las Vegas (1-3, 0-1) dropped its league opener 21-14 at Green Valley last week. The Wildcats have relied heavily on running back Torrell Harley. With such a competitive league race, the Wildcats cannot afford to fall to 0-2. The bottom two teams in the regular season standings at the end of the season are relegated to 5A Division III.
Bishop Gorman at Silverado
What would this game have looked like last season with the talented senior class the Skyhawks had that won back-to-back 4A state titles and 24 consecutive games? Probably still a Gorman runaway, but it would have been fun to see where Silverado stacked up against the other 5A teams as it ran through 4A the previous two seasons.
After its toughest three-game stretch, Gorman (5-0, 1-0 5A Division I), ranked No. 2 nationally by MaxPreps, gets into the thick of its league schedule. In the race for a high school national championship, Gorman would be primed to move up to No. 1 if Mater Dei (California) were to lose after reigning national champion and then-ranked No. 3 St. John Bosco lost last Saturday.
Marcus Council has been Mr. Do-Everything for Silverado, averaging 100.3 all-purpose yards with eight touchdowns and is second on the team with 29 tackles. UNR commit Jayland McGlothlen leads Silverado (2-2, 0-1) with 31 tackles and seven sacks.
Eldoardo at Chaparral
One of Nevada’s oldest high school football rivalry games will play its 50th edition Friday when Eldorado (1-2, 0-1 4A Mountain League) and Chaparral (1-2, 1-0) play in the annual “Cleat Game.” The teams will play for a bronze cleat donated by former NFL defensive lineman and broadcaster Merlin Olsen.
Eldorado has dropped its last two and was blanked 27-0 by 4A Mountain League leader Canyon Springs last Thursday. Chaparral last played Sept. 8 when it picked up its first win of the season 28-0 over Del Sol.
Sierra Vista at Faith Lutheran, 7 p.m.
Faith Lutheran (3-2, 2-0 5A Division II) seems to have a flair for the dramatic. The Crusaders won on a walk-off field goal in their season opener and last week rallied from a 17-point deficit and stopped a Basic 2-point conversion in overtime to win 24-23. Faith Lutheran has continued to roll with its two-quarterback system with juniors Alex Rogers and Garty Odom.
The younger Odom leads the Crusaders averaging 71 rushing yards per game, and Rogers is averaging 92.8 passing yards. With the booming leg of kicker Caden Chittenden, getting past midfield will almost guarantee points on each possession for Faith Lutheran.
Sierra Vista (2-1, 1-1) has also been in a pair of tight games in both of its league games. The Mountain Lions did just enough to win 14-6 at Durango last week and lost 14-13 to Basic. Sierra Vista senior quarterback Tarrance Masnica threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns in its win at Durango.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.