Nevada high school football teams battle for league titles

There’s still a lot on the line for high school football teams entering the final week of the regular season.

Three league titles are on the line, and there are multiple matchups in the top divisions that will impact playoff seeding. Most games this week will be played on Thursday because of the Nevada Day holiday.

Highlighting the title races is the battle atop the Class 5A Division III Southern League. Las Vegas High (7-2, 4-0) hosts Centennial (3-5, 3-1) at 6 p.m. Thursday. A win for the Wildcats would give them the league title.

“We started with a vision of how we wanted our team to look like,” Las Vegas coach Jose Cerriteno said. “Our coaches have done a good job and focused on ensuring the kids had the right mental makeup and physical attributes. It’s really about focusing on what we can control.”

Things get a little more complicated if Centennial wins. The Bulldogs clinch the title with a win and a loss by Durango (6-3, 3-1). The Trailblazers host Desert Oasis on Thursday.

If Centennial and Durango win, it would create a three-way tie atop the league. Las Vegas defeated Durango 42-26 last week, and Durango defeated Centennial 32-25 on Sept. 13.

According to NIAA tiebreakers, a three-way tie among three teams that went 1-1 against one another goes to a tiebreaker on point differential among the games the three teams played against each another.

Las Vegas quarterback Tanner Vibabul has been a true dual threat for the Wildcats. The junior has passed for 1,468 yards and 19 touchdowns and leads the team with 808 rushing yards and 10 scores.

“It’s awesome to have a really good group of kids, and that’s what Tanner is,” Cerriteno said. “We’re fortunate to have him. He’s a tremendous player.”

Centennial won the 4A state title last season and moved to 5A Division III. The Bulldogs have won their last three league games to be in a position to get the league title.

“We got a really good opponent we’re facing in Centennial,” Cerriteno said. “We got our hands full. They’ve done a really good job getting better each week.”

Here is how things are shaping up in other classifications:

5A Division I

Bishop Gorman (7-1, 4-0) has control of the league, but the race for second and third place to avoid the Gaels until the state title game at Allegiant Stadium is intensifying.

Arbor View (6-1, 3-1) plays at Liberty (3-5, 2-2) at 6 p.m. Thursday. The Aggies would lock up the No. 2 seed with a win. If the Patriots can pull off the victory, it would create a potential three-way tie for second with Coronado (5-3, 3-1).

5A Division I teams conclude their regular season Nov. 1.

5A Division II

Faith Lutheran (8-0, 5-0) has secured the Southern League title. But the race behind the Crusaders is heating up. Shadow Ridge (6-3, 3-2), Green Valley (5-3, 3-2) and Legacy (6-4, 4-2) could find themselves in a three-way tie for second place.

Shadow Ridge hosts Sierra Vista, and Green Valley hosts Silverado on Thursday. Legacy has concluded its regular season. Based on NIAA tiebreakers, Legacy would get the No. 2 seed, and Green Valley and Shadow Ridge would follow at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, if there is a three-way tie.

Class 4A

Losee coach Dan Barnson won his fair share of league titles when he was at Arbor View, but his Lions could win their first league title in program history Thursday.

Losee (8-1, 5-0) hosts Mojave (8-1, 5-0) at 6 p.m. for the 4A Desert League title. Both teams have won eight straight after opening losses.

Mojave’s defense will have to stop Losee’s running attack. The Lions are averaging 332.7 rushing yards per game. The Rattlers had their streak of five straight shutouts on defense snapped in last week’s 16-7 win at Cimarron-Memorial.

Senior AJ Tuitele leads Mojave on both sides of the ball. He’s third in the state with 123 tackles and has notable Division I offers from Arizona, New Mexico and Washington State.

Spring Valley (7-1, 5-0) has already clinched the Mountain League title. Cadence (5-3, 3-2), Canyon Springs (4-5, 3-2) and Chaparral (4-4, 3-2) are tied for second.

Class 3A

There’s always a lot on the line when rivals Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley meet for the “Hammer Game.” This year’s edition means a little bit more with 3A Southern League title implications.

Virgin Valley (7-2, 4-1), Moapa Valley (8-1, 4-1) and SLAM Academy (5-4, 4-1) are tied atop the league. The “Hammer Game” result — 7 p.m. Thursday at Virgin Valley — is half of the equation. The other half will be determined when SLAM Academy hosts Mater East at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Virgin Valley would clinch the league title with a win because the Bulldogs defeated SLAM Academy 26-16 on Oct. 10 to have the head-to-head tiebreaker.

If Moapa Valley wins and SLAM Academy defeats Mater East, SLAM Academy will get the league title. The Bulls would have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Moapa Valley after defeating the Pirates 16-14 on Sept. 20.

Virgin Valley’s lone league loss came as a result of a double forfeit against Democracy Prep on Sept. 13.

Along with the No. 1 seed in the Southern League playoffs comes the chance to host a 3A state semifinal against a Northern team. It would also keep Northern power Truckee (9-0), winner of 31 straight, out of sight until the state title game.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.