5 games to watch in Southern Nevada high school football this week

Legacy at Arbor View

Friday’s Class 5A rivalry game — billed as the “Battle of the Bulls” — will match No. 3 Arbor View against No. 6 Legacy.

The Aggies (1-0) earned a 45-44 road victory at Lincoln (California) last week. The Longhorns (1-1) lost 21-13 to Highland (Idaho).

Arbor View enters as the favorite, though anything can happen when rivals clash. Legacy’s chances will hinge on stopping Aggies sophomore quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher, who threw for 583 yards and four touchdowns last week. Ten of his passes were caught by wide receiver Jayden Williams, who finished with 218 yards.

The Longhorns will need a huge game from quarterback Aidan Crawford to earn the win. He completed 19 of his 33 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown last week.

Las Vegas at Rancho

The “Bone Game,” Southern Nevada’s longest-standing rivalry matchup, takes place at Rancho this year. The host Rams (0-1) will be viewed as the underdog after losing the last 26 games in the series.

Las Vegas (1-1) defeated Palo Verde 27-6 in its season opener Aug. 16 before falling 17-7 at Basic last week. Rancho was blown out by Cadence 42-0 on Aug. 16.

The Rams will need to contain the Wildcats’ offense to have a chance. Slowing down junior quarterback Tanner Vibabul will be key, as he leads Las Vegas in passing and rushing thus far.

Spring Valley at Bonanza

The “Banner Game” between the Grizzlies and the Bengals finishes out Friday’s slate of rivalry matchups.

Spring Valley (1-0) defeated Cimarron-Memorial 35-26 on the road last week. Bonanza (1-0) won 14-8 at Valley.

The Grizzlies are coming off a rough 2023 season in which they finished 1-8. Senior quarterback Adrian Oceguera is giving them some reason for optimism, however. He completed 16 of his 34 passes last week for 292 yards and four touchdowns.

The Bengals will need to show they can score enough to keep up. Running backs Jaylin Davis and Adrian Martinez are two players that will be tasked with keeping the offense moving.

Kailua (Hawaii) at Coronado, 4 p.m. Saturday

The fourth-ranked Cougars (1-0) face a Surfriders team that went 4-5 last year and has opened this season with two losses.

Coronado itself enters the game with momentum after defeating Sierra Vista 49-18 last week.

Cougars quarterback Aiden Krause completed 16 of his 23 passes for 261 yards and five touchdowns in the victory. Kailua has a strong defense, but Krause should be capable of leading his team to a massive pre-league victory.

Mililani (Hawaii) at Liberty, 7:30 p.m. Saturday

The No. 2 Patriots (0-1) opened their season with a 41-26 home loss to Skyridge (Utah) last week. Mililani could present an even stiffer challenge.

Liberty has become somewhat known for its slow starts, largely because coach Rich Muraco tends to load up his pre-league schedule with elite out-of-state opponents. That means Saturday’s game should be an important learning experience for the Patriots.

Mililani lost to Kahuku in last year’s Hawaii Open Division championship game, but the Trojans have bounced back to start this season 2-0.

Quarterback Elijah Espinoza will have to be sharp for Liberty to have a chance.

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com. More preps: Follow at reviewjournal.com/nevadapreps and @NevadaPreps on X.