4 state champions to be crowned at Allegiant Stadium
November 20, 2023 - 5:06 pm
Updated November 21, 2023 - 7:06 am
Here’s a breakdown of Tuesday’s high school football state championship games at Allegiant Stadium:
2A: Lake Mead Academy (9-1) vs. Pershing County (9-3), 9 a.m.
No 2A opponent has challenged Lake Mead all season. The Eagles have outscored opponents 512-71 and recorded shutouts in four of their past five games. Freshman quarterback Jerry Meyer leads the state with 52 touchdown passes, and the Eagles defense has forced 30 turnovers. Pershing County has allowed just 28 points during a nine-game winning streak and won six 2A state titles from 2010 to 2018.
5A Division II: Faith Lutheran (9-3) vs. Bishop Manogue (9-2), 12:20 p.m.
Faith Lutheran emerged out of the challenging 5A Division II Southern League to win the league title and reach the state title game. The Crusaders have found their groove with their two-quarterback system, running back Cale Breslin and a defense that has racked up 50 sacks. Bishop Manogue has won nine straight, all against Northern Nevada opponents, and lost last year’s 5A title game to Bishop Gorman 70-6.
4A: Centennial (10-1) vs. Sunrise Mountain (9-1), 3:40 p.m.
Centennial might be the story of the season under first-year coach DJ Campbell, playing for the 4A title after winning one game in the previous two seasons in 5A. But Sunrise Mountain’s journey to the title game has been equally impressive. In the second year of Chris Sawyers’ second stint as coach, the Miners won the Mountain League title while allowing only 14.8 points per game.
5A Division I: Bishop Gorman (11-0) vs. Liberty (10-2), 7 p.m.
Bishop Gorman can win its 20th state title and is on the verge of winning its fourth mythical national championship. The Gaels are ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps and USA Today. Liberty remains the only Nevada team to beat Gorman since 2009. Gorman defeated Liberty 49-6 in a Sept. 14 regular-season meeting. The Patriots’ only other loss was against No. 3 St. John Bosco (California).
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.