Highlights from Week 8 of high school football

Las Vegas‘ Elijah Hicks (10) dives for a touchdown during their prep football game against Canyon Springs High School at Las Vegas High School on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015. Daniel Clark/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Here’s a look at what happened during Week 8 of the high school football season.

WHAT WE LEARNED

1. Desert Pines and Moapa Valley have gotten most of the attention among I-A schools, with both being ranked in the top 10 in the coaches poll most of the year.

But it’s Faith Lutheran that has quietly locked up the first I-A league title. The Crusaders beat Pahrump Valley 46-3 on Friday to move to 6-0 in the Sunset League.

The Crusaders have allowed just 19 points in their last four games.

The Sunset ended up a mess last season, with a cluster of five teams tied for second at 4-3 when the season ended. It doesn’t look like we’ll have to worry about that this season. Cheyenne is alone in second place, and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over third-place Mojave.

Mojave holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over fourth-place Spring Valley, which is a game ahead of Clark, Pahrump Valley and Sierra Vista for the final playoff spot.

There still is a chance for multiple teams to end up tied, but it shouldn’t be as messy as last season.

2. Many have assumed the I-A state title game would wind up being a rematch between Desert Pines and Moapa Valley. While those teams still could meet in the postseason, it probably won’t happen in the state final.

When Desert Pines had to forfeit two victories earlier this week for using an ineligible player, the Jaguars dropped to third in the Sunrise League. Moapa Valley hosts Chaparral on Friday with the winner claiming the Sunrise League title. If Moapa Valley wins the title, the Pirates and Jaguars would end up on the same half of the postseason bracket, meaning they would meet in the second round.

So instead of seeing each other in the championship game on a neutral field, the matchup would be a couple weeks earlier in Overton.

3. Eight-man football is a crazy, crazy game. Spring Mountain beat Tonopah 84-18 on Friday, and that Golden Eagles weren’t even the highest-scoring eight-man team of the night. In fact, they were tied for second.

That’s because Beaver Dam beat Sandy Valley 112-84. No, that’s not a typo. And the 112 points isn’t even a state record. And neither is 196 points scored in the game.

Pahranagat Valley beat Coleville 128-74 in the state semifinals in 2008.

No details or statistics were available from Beaver Dam on Friday, but coach Rory Hurley hoped to compile them after watching film on Saturday. Here’s hoping he has an abacus handy.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Sierra Vista 14, Spring Valley 7 — The Mountain Lions came into this game with just one win, but Daniel Godfrey made sure they wouldn’t leave the game with the same number.

Godfrey scored on a 17-yard run with 11:51 to play to give Sierra Vista the lead, and he intercepted a pass with 1:07 left to seal the victory.

The Mountain Lions moved to 2-6, 2-4 in the Sunset League, and the victory still gives them a shot at making the playoffs.

TOP PERFORMERS

Passing

Kenyon Oblad, Liberty — 10-10 passing, 330 yards, 6 TDs

A.J. Amelburu, Green Valley — 23-30 passing, 306 yards, 3 TDs

McClain O’Connor, Lincoln County — 13-16 passing, 283 yards, 2 TDs

Tate Martell, Bishop Gorman — 6-11 passing, 230 yards, 5 TDs

Zach Matlock, Las Vegas — 12-18 passing, 218 yards, 3 TDs

Stephen Wright, Sunrise Mountain — 10-17 passing, 218 yards, 1 TD

Rushing

Biaggio Ali Walsh, Bishop Gorman — 9 carries, 211 yards, 2 TDs

Isaiah Morris, Desert Pines — 6 carries, 210 yards, 3 TDs

Ty’shun McClinton, Desert Oasis — 20 carries, 139 yards, 3 TDs

Kai Mitchell, Virgin Valley — 13 carries, 131 yards, 2 TDs

Naim Geeslin, Legacy — 24 carries, 122 yards

Stephan LauShaul, Agassi Prep — 31 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

Landon Smith, Lincoln County —180 yards

Ethan Fridman, The Meadows — 3 catches, 116 yards, 2 TDs

Marquez Powell, Green Valley — 7 catches, 111 yards, 1 TD

Jesse James, Mojave — 3 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD

Bryan Roland, Liberty — 2 catches, 95 yards, 2 TDs

Brandon Gahagan, Bishop Gorman — 2 catches, 94 yards, 2 TDs

QUOTABLE

“We talk about off the sideline if we get a turnover, we’re going to go for the throat. We talk about stepping on them when they’re down. It’s something we practice.”

— Las Vegas coach James Thurman after his team turned four first-half turnovers into three touchdowns in a 34-22 win over Canyon Springs

“We’ve worked hard enough to deserve a break. In terms of that play, it’s not good for that kid, but it worked out for us. The official is part of the game, and what else can you do?”

— Green Valley coach Brian Castro after Coronado running back Sean Stayton broke into the clear on the first play of the fourth quarter but bumped into the back judge and was tackled at the Green Valley 37-yard line in a 28-10 Gators win.

“When we took this program over, our staff knew we had to get over a key hurdle. That hurdle this year was Cimarron. We worked all spring and all summer for this, and hopefully it will get us going in the right direction.”

— Desert Oasis coach Brad Talich after his team’s 49-7 victory over Cimarron-Memorial.

“Those kids are great. (The yardage totals) tell me they are good running backs, but it also tells me our offensive line is pretty darn good. If we have a couple of guys getting over 100 yards rushing that means those guys up front, who don’t get a lot of pub, are putting the work in, so I’m proud of those guys.”

— Bishop Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez after Biaggio Ali Walsh (211 yards) and Jonathan Shumaker (106 yards) both rushed for more than 100 yards in a 63-7 road win at Legacy.

“We always think shutout. We worked on a lot of technique all week and it just prepared us for this game. We are just trying to prove our dominance on defense.”

— Basic linebacker Kyle Grismanouskas, who had a pair of sacks and forced a fumble in a 52-0 win over Eldorado.

“We move in silence. We don’t do much talking, we let our football performance do all the talking. It’s for others to do the talking, not us.”

— Desert Pines running back Isaiah Morris, who rushed for 210 yards and three TDs in a 48-0 win over Rancho.

HOW THEY FARED

A look at how the top 10 teams in the Southern Nevada Football Coaches Poll fared in Week 8.

1. Bishop Gorman (8-0) beat Legacy, 63-7. Next: vs. Don Bosco (N.J.), Friday.

2. Liberty (6-1) beat Valley, 74-8. Next: at Silverado, Friday.

3. Desert Pines (6-2) beat Rancho, 48-0. Next: vs. Sunrise Mountain, Friday.

4. Arbor View (6-1) beat Bonanza, 45-0. Next: at Cimarron-Memorial, Friday.

5. Centennial (6-1) was idle. Next: vs. Desert Oasis, Friday.

6. Basic (6-1) beat Eldorado, 52-0. Next: at No. 8 Foothill, Thursday.

7. Las Vegas (5-1) beat Canyon Springs, 34-22. Next: at Valley, Friday.