Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 | 10:17 a.m.
Adam Candee covers high school sports for the Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4085 or by e-mail at [email protected].
We would be out of the playoffs in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball.
Four losses. Ugh. That was the disheartening tally from last week's picks, complete with another two games where we went against our gut instinct and lost. So much for taking our own advice.
There are a number of revealing division matchups on tap this week. The contenders -- namely Las Vegas, Palo Verde and Foothill -- are beginning to distinguish themselves. Upstarts like Coronado, Desert Pines and Rancho look to continue their hot streaks.
On to the predictions for Week 7 ... Today's games, 7 p.m.
Foothill (6-0) at Basic (5-1)
The skinny: Though Basic dropped its first game last week, this one will still likely decide the Southeast Division champion. Basic must get healthy and focused after the stunning upset by Silverado. Scrapping to the final seconds with Centennial awoke the Falcons, who will be primed for this one.
The pick: Foothill 28, Basic 21
Palo Verde (6-0) at Coronado (5-1)
The skinny: Consecutive big wins in the Northwest Division have the Panthers flying high coming into this non-conference matchup. Confidence is also in healthy supply at Coronado, where the Cougars are off to their best start. Coronado has something to prove here, so don't be shocked if this is close.
The pick: Palo Verde 23, Coronado 14
Green Valley (1-5) at Silverado (2-4)
The skinny: Desperation time is officially here for Green Valley. The Gators must win this game to have any shot at the postseason. They will find a scrappy and suddenly proud Silverado team across the field. The Skyhawks must avoid what would be a natural letdown.
The pick: Silverado 29, Green Valley 11
Chaparral (2-4) at Eldorado (1-5)
The skinny: The bad news for Chaparral is that it has allowed 140 points the past two weeks. The good news is that the Cowboys are not out of the playoff hunt. Eldorado's passing offense may find some room to operate here and the Sundevils are poised for overdue win No. 2.
The pick: Eldorado 23, Chaparral 16
Desert Pines (4-2) at Rancho (4-2)
The skinny: Kudos to the Jaguars and Rams, both sporting winning records deep into the season. Desert Pines won two weeks ago by scoring 72 points, then came back and held Valley to three points to win last week. Which Rancho team will show up? That question is enough to swing the pick to the Jaguars.
The pick: Desert Pines 35, Rancho 22
Las Vegas (6-0) at Valley (2-4)
The skinny: Look beyond the 2-4 record to see that Valley played Palo Verde to within six points and hung around with Desert Pines in two of those losses. The Vikings will be stepping into a different class this week, though, against the steamrolling Wildcats. Bank on Las Vegas through the regular season.
The pick: Las Vegas 45, Valley 14
Bishop Gorman (4-2) at Sierra Vista (2-4)
The skinny: The folks at Gorman might say that beating Bonanza and avoiding a big letdown was an even bigger step than the wins against Cheyenne and Durango. The Gaels are the hands-down division favorite now and that is not likely to change against the Lions.
The pick: Bishop Gorman 33, Sierra Vista 10
Bonanza (2-4) at Durango (2-4)
The skinny: We could not have imagined writing the following sentence before the season: Durango is in serious danger of missing the playoffs. The Blazers are playing no defense this season and that is a problem against Bonanza's potent attack. We're not sold on Durango rebounding from the depths just yet.
The pick: Bonanza 30, Durango 20
Clark (0-6) at Western (3-3)
The skinny: Give yourself a gold star if you knew that Western is tied with Gorman atop the Southwest at 2-0. The Warriors are that annual surprise team in this unpredictable division and they need this one to go into a showdown of unbeatens with the Gaels. Clark is simply stuck in neutral right now.
The pick: Western 31, Clark 6
Centennial (3-3) at Mojave (1-5)
The skinny: There is a lot of frustration in committing seven turnovers to lose by six points, then following it up by losing in the final seconds to one of the city's best teams. Expect Centennial to take out a bit of that anger this week against the Rattlers.
The pick: Centennial 34, Mojave 14
Cheyenne (3-3) at Cim.-Memorial (4-2)
The skinny: The pot is boiling at Cheyenne, where the Desert Shields are starting to play up to their talent level. There is no shame in losing to Palo Verde by a touchdown and Cheyenne gets no respite against the Spartans. It could be tough for Cimarron's small squad to chase the speedy Shields all night.
The pick: Cheyenne 24, Cimarron-Memorial 21
Pahrump (3-2) at Liberty (0-6)
The skinny: You heard it here first last week -- Liberty got on the board for the season with six points against Boulder City. Hey, it takes baby steps in a first-year program. The Patriots might not win this week either, but maybe they can keep moving forward with more points.
The pick: Pahrump 30, Liberty 6
Moapa Valley (5-0) at Shadow Ridge (1-5)
The skinny: Despite five losses, the Mustangs remain competitive and that will serve them well next year in the treacherous Northwest. After a whipping from Virgin Valley, the task gets no easier against a very strong Moapa Valley squad.
The pick: Moapa Valley 27, Shadow Ridge 13
archive
