Friday Night Roundup: Las Vegas tops Canyon Springs in Northeast League rivalry

By Ray Brewer (contact), Case Keefer (contact)

Published Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 | 7 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 | 1:02 a.m.

The Canyon Springs High football team isn’t used to being in this position. The Pioneers enter tonight’s game at rival Las Vegas on a four-game losing streak, struggling to score points and find their identity.

Last year, they won the Northeast League title. They also beat five-time defending Sunrise Region champion Liberty in 2014, becoming the lone Sunrise program to knock off Liberty during its run.

This season, they’ve scored just 74 points in six games.

Las Vegas is the perfect opponent to get back on track. The Pioneers and Wildcats have a history of close games, typically playing for the league crown. It’s a series that’s produced some of the best back-and-forth games in recent history, and players on both teams expect a close contest tonight.

It doesn’t matter that Las Vegas (4-1) is one of the Sunrise’s top teams, and Canyon Springs will have its hands full returning to the postseason for a seventh straight year.

Plain and simple, the series brings out the best for players on both teams.

Other games of note tonight include: Green Valley at Coronado in a matchup of Henderson neighbors, Faith Lutheran at Pahrump Valley, and Clark versus Mojave in the Division I-A.

Top-10 teams Bishop Gorman, Arbor View, Desert Pines, Basic and Moapa Valley should each win convincingly.

We’ll keep you posted all night as scores become final. Send us game information and photos on Twitter using #702hsfb or #sunstandout.

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Stories from games across the valley:

• Dominant win keeps Basic atop league standings

• Desert Pines’ ‘Unfinished Business’ tour takes another unexpected turn, refocuses players in quest for state

• Sunrise Mountain posts first shutout in school history

• After hour delay, Faith Lutheran makes quick work of Pahrump Valley

• Sophomore QB Oblad leads Liberty to latest rout

• Desert Oasis’ blowout win over Cimarron called ‘biggest win in school history’

• Arbor View shows off special-teams prowess in shutout win over Bonanza

• Bishop Gorman goes airborne to fly past Legacy

• Palo Verde rolls to easy victory over Durango

• Sudden league leaders Moapa Valley waste no time in disposing of Boulder City

• Mojave backups step up in win over Clark

• Amelburu helps Green Valley bounce back at Coronado

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21