Clark’s league opener highlights prep football schedule

Some teams in the valley begin league play, and others are still fine-tuning for their league slate. Let’s take a look at five of the top games this week.

Clark at Spring Valley

Clark (3-1) has been the surprise of the valley and is riding its first three-game winning streak in at least 15 years. The Chargers’ defense has been the catalyst of the early turnaround, and it will face a Spring Valley team in the Southwest League opener that is looking to get its offense kick-started. The Grizzlies (1-1) have averaged 16 points per game.

Durango at Silverado

In what should be a tight Southwest League playoff race, this opener could be a difference maker. Silverado (2-1) has sandwiched blowout wins over Bonanza and Del Sol around a loss to unbeaten Las Vegas. Junior Aginae Cunningham is the Skyhawks’ leader with 542 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Durango (1-3) picked up its first win last week against Sunrise Mountain, and quarterback Ryan Cabase leads the Trailblazers in passing and rushing.

Liberty (Arizona) at Liberty

It’s the unofficial Liberty Bowl, and the Patriots (0-4) hope it will be the game that gets them in the win column. Arizona’s Liberty (3-1) is one of the up-and-coming programs in that state, Liberty coach Rich Muraco said, and has a stout defense that has allowed more than 14 points once.

Legacy at Green Valley

Legacy (1-2) is coming off an overtime loss to rival Arbor View, and Green Valley (2-2) has scored seven points in each of the past two weeks, losing to Moapa Valley and Palo Verde. That could put a lot of pressure on the Gators’ defense to slow Liberty dual-threat QB Evan Oleas, who has 788 yards passing, 367 yards rushing and 12 total TDs.

Desert Oasis at Sierra Vista

The third and final Southwest League opener this week pits Desert Oasis (2-1), coming off a bye, against Sierra Vista (0-4). Christian Vaughn leads the Diamondbacks offense with 628 yards rushing and looks to pad that against a Mountain Lions defense that has allowed 176 points.

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Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2936. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.