Highlights from Week 8 of high school football
Here’s a look at what happened during Week 8 of the high school football season.
What we learned
1. Faith Lutheran could be a dangerous team in the playoffs.
After an 0-3 start, the Crusaders have won four straight, and no win was more impressive than the team’s 43-8 drubbing of Shadow Ridge on Friday night.
The Mustangs entered the game averaging 44.5 points, and even scored 26 against undefeated Arbor View. But the Crusaders never let Shadow Ridge get going offensively, and quarterback Sagan Gronauer threw four touchdown passes.
Receiver Peyton Thornton had 10 catches for 159 yards and two TDs. The 6-foot-3-inch Thornton (40 catches, 486 yards) and 6-5 Dalton Kincaid (27 catches, 551 yards) give Gronauer two legitimate targets even without star wideout Elijah Kothe, who is out with a broken collarbone.
2. Sierra Vista will host a playoff game.
No, the Mountain Lions haven’t officially clinched a top-two finish in the Southwest League, but Durango would have to knock off top-ranked Bishop Gorman to throw things into a three-team tie, and that seems unlikely.
Sierra Vista fell behind early against Durango, but managed to force four turnovers and hold on for a 34-26 win to move to 5-0 in the Southwest. The Mountain Lions have a bye next week, giving them plenty of time to prepare for their matchup with Gorman on Oct. 26.
Coach John Foss said he thinks his team has improved from last season when the Gaels won 56-7.
3. Pahranagat Valley is once again the class of the 1A Southern League.
Spring Mountain ended the Panthers’ 104-game win streak in last year’s 1A state title game, but the Golden Eagles were no match on Friday.
Pahranagat Valley outscored Spring Mountain 30-0 in the third quarter, and 38-0 in the second half en route to a 74-26 win.
The Panthers racked up 555 total yards, and had a pair of rushers top 150 yards.
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Upset of the week
Virgin Valley 26, Moapa Valley 14 — Moapa Valley had taken the “Victory Hammer” in two of the past three seasons, but the Bulldogs pulled the road upset to take the rivalry game on Friday.
Running back Jayden Perkins continues to do a little bit of everything for Virgin Valley, ranked No. 5 in Class 3A. He rushed for 214 yards and two scores, caught a TD pass, had six tackles and a sack to lead the Bulldogs.
All four teams in the Class 3A Sunrise League make the playoffs, but the Bulldogs now are the favorite to win the league. They are 1-0 heading into a game at No. 4 Chaparral on Thursday. Moapa Valley, ranked No. 3, beat the Cowboys last week, and both teams are 1-1 in the league.
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Standout performances
Passing
Dillan Otteson, Tonopah — 42-57 passing, 581 yards, 9 TDs
Dylan Sims, Calvary Chapel — 17-33 passing, 352 yards, 3 TDs
Sagan Gronauer, Faith Lutheran — 20-30 passing, 281 yards, 4 TDs
A.J. Barilla, Green Valley — 19-32 passing, 253 yards, 1 TD
Dorian Thompson-Robinson — Bishop Gorman, 9-11 passing, 247 yards, 3 TDs
Andre Navares, Del Sol — 14-23 passing, 228 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing
Elijah Hicks, Las Vegas — 23 carries, 265 yards, 3 TDs
Jayden Perkins, Virgin Valley — 22 carries, 214 yards, 2 TDs
Hunter Hollingshead, Pahranagat Valley — 12 carries, 201 yards, 3 TDs
Josh Navallo, The Meadows — 14 carries, 190 yards, 4 TDs
Trayvon Ward, Sunrise Mountain — 16 carries, 171 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving
Vance Day, Tonopah — 23 catches, 323 yards, 6 TDs
Kevin Pope, Tonopah — 15 catches, 215 yards, 3 TDs
Peyton Thornton, Faith Lutheran — 10 catches, 159 yards, 2 TDs
Paul Yoo, Calvary Chapel — 4 catches, 129 yards, 2 TDs
Brevin Jordan, Bishop Gorman — 5 catches, 127 yards, 1 TD
Braedan Wilson, Foothill — 4 catches, 114 yards, 2 TDs
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Quotable
“We want to show that we’re actually a team that’s just as good as some of those Northwest (League) teams. I know their division’s a lot better, but that’s our goal. Everybody says the Southwest is really weak, and (that’s) probably true. But we just want to show that we’re an up-and-coming program in the city.”
— Sierra Vista coach John Foss after the Mountain Lions beat Durango 34-26 to move to 5-0 in the Southwest League.
“Them horns felt great. It’s good to come out here, get a rival game victory. On to the next game.”
— Arbor View defensive end Elijah Wade after the Aggies beat Legacy 28-14 in the “Battle of the Bulls.”
“I just saw the whole left side open up and I followed my blockers right through.”
— Green Valley running back Desmond Bowers on his 99-yard touchdown run that sealed a 35-21 home win over Basic.
“We came out today with more anger and more discipline. We were all focused on (Cimarron-Memorial) so we could win this game.”
— Palo Verde running back Chamere Thomas after the Panthers rolled to a 41-6 road win over Cimarron.
“We are right where we want to be. You want to be in position to win the division. I think we may have clinched a playoff berth tonight, and those are two of our goals. We really do just want to get better every game and peak at the right time.”
— Liberty coach Rich Muraco after his team’s 43-3 win over Coronado.
“Honestly, it’s not a single person, it’s more like my team. If I’m on a good level with my linemen and my blockers, I’ll be able to get through.”
— Spring Valley coach Kevin Benoza, who rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown in a 27-8 home win over Clark.
“He’s a special kid. He does it on offense, defense, special teams. He’s as good as anybody I’ve ever coached.”
— Virgin Valley coach Yori Ludvigson on running back Jayden Perkins, who rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns and added a 25-yard TD catch in a 26-14 road win over Moapa Valley.
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How they fared
A look at how the teams in the Review-Journal rankings fared in Week 8.
Class 4A
1. Bishop Gorman (5-2) beat Desert Oasis, 64-0. Next: at Durango, Friday.
2. Liberty (5-1) beat Coronado, 43-3. Next: at Silverado, Friday.
3. Arbor View (6-0) beat No. 8 Legacy, 28-14. Next: at Cimarron-Memorial, Friday, Oct. 26.
4. Green Valley (5-1) beat Basic, 35-21. Next: vs. Coronado, Friday.
5. Foothill (5-1) beat Silverado, 40-18. Next: at Basic, Friday.
6. Shadow Ridge (5-1) lost to No. 7 Faith Lutheran, 43-8. Next: at Palo Verde, Friday.
7. Faith Lutheran (3-3) beat No. 6 Shadow Ridge, 43-8. Next: at Centennial, Friday.
8. Legacy (4-2) lost to No. 3 Arbor View, 28-14. Next: vs. Cimarron-Memorial, Friday.
9. Sierra Vista (5-1) beat Durango, 34-26. Next: at Bishop Gorman, Thursday, Oct. 26.
10. Canyon Springs (3-4) was idle. Next: at Eldorado, Friday.
Class 3A
1. Desert Pines (3-2) beat Cheyenne, 29-0. Next: vs. Sunrise Mountain, Friday.
2. Mojave (5-2) beat Western, 36-0. Next: at Cheyenne, Friday.
3. Moapa Valley (5-1) lost to No. 5 Virgin Valley, 26-14. Next: at Del Sol, Friday.
4. Chaparral (5-2) beat Del Sol, 35-28. Next: vs. No. 5 Virgin Valley, Thursday.
5. Virgin Valley (4-2) beat No. 3 Moapa Valley, 26-14. Next: at No. 4 Chaparral, Thursday.
Class 2A
Needles (6-0) beat No. 2 Lincoln County, 32-20. Next: at No. 5 The Meadows, Friday.
Lincoln County (5-2) lost to No. 1 Needles, 32-20. Next: at Mountain View, Friday.
Democracy Prep (3-2) beat Laughlin, 42-0. Next: at Lake Mead, Friday.
Lake Mead (3-2) beat Mountain View, 42-6. Next: vs. Democracy Prep, Friday.
The Meadows (2-4) beat Calvary Chapel, 52-25. Next: vs. No. 1 Needles, Friday.
Class 1A
Pahranagat Valley (7-0) beat No. 2 Spring Mountain, 74-26. Next: vs. Beaver Dam, Friday.
Spring Mountain (4-2) lost to No. 1 Pahranagat Valley, 74-26. Next: vs. No. 3 Beatty, Friday.
Beatty (4-0) at Round Mountain. Next: at No. 2 Spring Mountain, Friday.
Tonopah (4-4) beat No. 5 Indian Springs, 68-34. Next: at Round Mountain, Friday.
Indian Springs (1-6) lost to No. 4 Tonopah, 68-34. Next: at Beaver Dam, Thursday, Oct. 26.
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Video coverage
See the following stories for some of the RJ’s video coverage from Week 8.
Deago Stubbs leads Arbor View to fourth straight league title
Sierra Vista holds on for 34-26 win over Durango
Roundup: Green Valley leans on running game to win Henderson Bowl
More preps: Follow all of our Nevada Preps coverage online at nevadapreps.com and @NevadaPreps on Twitter.
