Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Faith Lutheran football players, from left, Danny Otuwa, Hayden Solis, Keenan Smith and Vinny DeGeorge on July 30, 2013.
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Prep Sports Now
Coaching, throwing and handicapping
Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer recount their second loss in as many years as coaches in Halloween Hoops against Findlay Prep before transitioning into football. Among their numerous disagreements are a debate on the current value of the run and a discussion on the odds for the Sunrise region.
We are getting to the part of the high school football season where rankings won’t be necessary. The best team will be determined on the field in the postseason.
The Division I-A playoffs begin Friday with Sunrise champ Moapa Valley and Sunset champ Faith Lutheran as No. 1 seeds. Faith Lutheran, which is riding an eight-game winning streak, has done enough to enter our top 10 rankings. After Desert Pines lost last week, the Crusaders enter the rankings for the first time this fall at No. 10.
This is the last week of games in the Division-I Sunrise Region with No. 2 Liberty playing at Foothill for the Southeast League title. It should be the start of an entertaining final few weeks of the season.
Here are the rankings:
1. Bishop Gorman (7-2): Gorman has surrendered 25 points in three games against local opponents. Up next: Friday vs. Centennial.
2. Liberty (6-3): Liberty has posted 54, 45, 62, 54 and 63 points in its past five games. Up next: Friday at Foothill.
3. Green Valley (6-2): Green Valley captured its second straight Northeast League crown last week. Up next: Friday vs. Silverado.
4. Palo Verde (6-1): Palo Verde’s defense has been the difference the past two weeks, helping the Panthers open Northwest League play undefeated with a pair of shutouts. Up next: Friday vs. Durango.
5. Arbor View (6-1): Next week we’ll be talking about Arbor View’s game against Palo Verde for the Northwest League crown. Finally. Up next: Friday at Sierra Vista.
6. Canyon Springs (7-1): The Pioneers drop three spots after losing to Green Valley for the second straight season on a last-second field goal. Up next: Friday at Las Vegas.
7. Moapa Valley (9-0): Some feel Moapa Valley is the favorite to win the Division I-A state championship. They sure played like the state’s best team last week in dominating Desert Pines. Up next: Friday vs. Cheyenne, Division I-A playoffs.
8. Legacy (5-2): Legacy control its own destiny to host a Sunset Regional playoff game in two weeks. Up next: Friday vs Cimarron-Memorial.
9. Las Vegas (5-3): Las Vegas hosts Canyon Springs this week in one of the Las Vegas area’s best annual games. Always seems to be closely contested. Up next: Friday vs. Canyon Springs.
10. Faith Lutheran (8-2): The Crusaders enter the Division I-A playoffs on an eight-game winning streak. This spot could have easily gone to higher-classification schools such as Centennial or Coronado. But neither team will accomplish what Faith Lutheran did this fall — the Crusaders won their league title. Up next: Friday vs. Boulder City, Division I-A playoffs.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
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