Five high school football games to watch this week

By DAMON SEITERS LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

10 years ago

Canyon Springs’ Zaviontay Stevenson carries the ball against Foothill on Sept. 19. (Samantha Clemens-Kerbs/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Liberty tight end Noah Jefferson picks up a first down against Coronado. (Josh Holmberg/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Foothill’s Aedan Bartolowitz attempts to tackle Canyon Springs’ Kujuan Casey as he catches a pass on Sept. 19 at Canyon Springs. (Samantha Clemens-Kerbs/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Liberty freshman quarterback Kenyon Oblad passes against Coronado on Sept. 12. (Josh Holmberg/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Yom Kippur means that high school football moves mostly to Thursday night this week. Here’s a look at some of the most interesting matchups.

Canyon Springs (3-1) at Liberty (4-1) — This is the Northeast League opener for both teams. It’s the first time they’ve met in a league game, but they have played six times since 2009 with Liberty winning all six, including four Sunrise Region playoff games. The Patriots have sputtered offensively, scoring just 33 points in the past three weeks, but have shown a stingy defense all season. Canyon Springs let Eldorado back into the game in the third quarter last week before pulling away for an easy win. But the Pioneers can’t afford that kind of a lapse against second-ranked Liberty.

Green Valley (3-1) at Basic (3-2) — The annual Henderson Bowl is the Southeast League opener for both teams. The fifth-ranked Gators have won the last three meetings, but a Basic win could launch the Wolves into the league title race. First-year starting quarterback Aeneas McAllister seems to be hitting his stride for Basic, and he has passed for 565 yards and seven TDs while running for 123 yards and four scores.

Clark (3-2, 2-1 Sunset) at Sierra Vista (4-1, 2-1) — The Chargers and Mountain Lions are part of a five-way tie for first place in the Division I-A Sunset League, so this one will have implications as teams jockey for playoff position. A 5-5 season in 2009 is Clark’s best finish in recent memory, and the Chargers would love to top the .500 mark and compete for a league crown. Sierra Vista, in its first season at the Division I-A level, has never won a league championship.

Las Vegas (2-2) at Coronado (2-2) — Las Vegas High is desperate for a win before heading into Northeast League play after losing two straight. That may be difficult to do against a Coronado team which has only lost to No. 2 Liberty (by one point) and No. 3 Arbor View (in three overtimes).

Cimarron-Memorial (2-2) at Palo Verde (2-2) — Another non-league matchup featuring teams looking to get over the .500 mark before league play begins. The Panthers only managed a safety in a 19-2 loss to Liberty last week, and will look to kick-start the offense against slumping Cimarron, which has been outscored 79-25 in its last two games.

Go to nevadapreps.com for a full schedule and complete scoreboard.