Nevada Preps: Top 5 football games for Week 10

Las Vegas Review-Journal

2 years ago

Moapa Valley quarterback Peyton Neilson (1) rushes through Virgin Valley defenders for a touchd ... — Moapa Valley quarterback Peyton Neilson (1) rushes through Virgin Valley defenders for a touchdown during the first half of the Class 3A football state championship game at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt

Top 5 games

All games at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted

Desert Pines at Liberty

The winner takes the Class 5A Mountain League title, and the loser will be the second seed in the playoffs. That’s important because the top seed will be on the opposite side of the bracket from Bishop Gorman. Liberty (5-3, 3-0) has won four consecutive games, with 30 points the closest margin in league play. Desert Pines (7-1, 3-0) is on a seven-game winning streak, with 18 points its closest margin over that span.

Coronado at Sierra Vista

The Class 4A Sky League second seed is on the line when Coronado (6-2, 3-1) and Sierra Vista (6-3, 3-1) meet. Shadow Ridge (8-1, 4-0) already has clinched the top seed. For comparison’s sake, Shadow Ridge beat Sierra Vista 53-7 and Coronado 28-21. Coronado, however, is far from completely healthy, as was evident in its 21-19 victory over Spring Valley last week. Sierra Vista has won three games in a row, the past two by a combined 70-0.

Moapa Valley at Virgin Valley, 7 p.m.

Defending Class 3A state champion Moapa Valley (9-0, 4-0) plays a winner-take-all game for the Desert League against Virgin Valley (7-1, 4-0). Moapa Valley won its 17th state title last season at the expense of Virgin Valley, rallying to win 27-14. The Pirates take a 24-game winning streak into this matchup, and have won their past four games by a combined 189-23. Virgin Valley is on a four-game winning streak, outscoring its opponents 167-12 with three consecutive shutouts.

Silverado at Desert Oasis

Hard to believe, but Silverado (8-0, 4-0) hasn’t clinched the Class 4A Desert League. The Skyhawks will accomplish that if they beat Desert Oasis (4-4, 3-1). Should Desert Oasis pull off the upset, the Diamondbacks will win the league if Cimarron-Memorial (3-5, 3-1) loses to Sunrise Mountain (4-5, 2-2). If Desert Oasis and Cimarron win, then it would be a three-way tie, with the winner decided by margin of victory among the three.

Green Valley at Faith Lutheran, 7 p.m.

The winner is the third seed in the Class 5A Mountain League, and the loser is looking at the fourth seed and a first-round matchup with Gorman. Faith Lutheran (6-2, 1-2) has lost two of its past three games, but the defeats were to powers Liberty and Desert Pines. Green Valley (2-6, 1-2) clearly isn’t having a good season, but the Gators have mostly been sneaky competitive.

Mark Anderson Las Vegas Review-Journal