5 high school football games to watch this week
Here’s a look at some of Friday’s most interesting high school football games.
Desert Pines (2-0) at Moapa Valley (1-1) — This one probably decides the Division I-A Sunrise League title, and the winner is probably the favorite to win it all in the I-A.
Moapa Valley won both meetings last year, including an overtime thriller in the state title game where the Pirates erased a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 42-36.
Desert Pines’ Isaiah Morris and Moapa Valley’s R.J. Hubert might be the two biggest offensive threats in all of Division I-A. Morris (336 rushing yards) is a threat to score each time he touches the ball. Hubert was an all-state selection on both sides of the ball last season, and is lining up at receiver and running back this year as the Pirates try to get him as many touches as possible.
Desert Oasis (2-0) at Basic (1-0) — The Diamondbacks have been a feel-good story through two weeks, as they’ve already matched their win total from last season.
The question is whether they’ll still feel good after meeting No. 5 Basic.
The Wolves are coming off a 31-23 win over Palo Verde last week, and must avoid overlooking Desert Oasis. But if Basic doesn’t take its opponent lightly, it has enough weapons to put the Diamondbacks away early.
Arbor View (1-1) at Green Valley (1-1) — On paper this looks like a contrast of styles, with Arbor View bringing it’s double-wing offense to take on the Gators’ spread.
But Green Valley has actually run the ball better than the Aggies through two weeks, racking up 592 yards on the ground. Austin Warhop (319 yards, 3 TDs) has been the workhorse with Nahzi Salih (185 yards) adding a nice change of pace.
Arbor View has rushed for 584 yards, with Curtis Jones (273 yards, 3 TDs) emerging as one of the area’s top big-play threats. He’s averaged 12.4 yards per carry. Morris Jackson has added 202 yards and three scores.
Bishop Gorman (2-0) at Bellevue (Wash.) (0-0) — The Gaels remain the nation’s top-ranked team according to USA Today, and will have to be careful against a team known for ending winning streaks and knocking off top programs.
The Wolverines were the team that beat De La Salle (Calif.) 39-20 in 2004, ending the team’s 151-game win streak.
Gorman isn’t approaching De La Salle numbers, but the Gaels have won 26 in a row and are looking to win a second straight mythical national championship.
Cheyenne (1-1) at Spring Valley (2-0) — The standings got crowded in the Sunset League last year, with five teams tied for second place at the end of the season and two of those missing the playoffs. So getting an early win could help boost these two squads as they look to earn postseason berths.
The Desert Shields have been up-and-down on offense through two weeks, scoring 38 in their opener against Cimarron-Memorial but just six last week against Canyon Springs. But defense has been constant, as Cheyenne has allowed just seven points.
Spring Valley’s offense should offer a good test, as the Grizzlies have averaged 35.5 points with a balanced attack that’s gained 310 yards on the ground and 405 through the air.
Go to nevadapreps.com for a full schedule and complete scoreboard.
