Nevada high school football playoff preview: Shadow Ridge leads 5A

It took about a day longer than expected, but the high school football playoff field for Southern Nevada teams is set.

The NIAA released its initial final HRM rankings at noon Sunday, but had to adjust a few hours later after an unexpected update in MaxPreps’ rankings that impacted a few teams’ HRM scores.

Then, about 24 hours later Monday, there was another adjustment, with the NIAA citing an unreported forfeited game. That resulted with Foothill in the last spot in the Open Division after Shadow Ridge initially held that spot for a few hours Sunday, and then Las Vegas High for 24 hours before the change Monday.

The playoffs begin Thursday with Class 5A and 4A Southern Region quarterfinals, and two 3A Southern League quarterfinals. All games are at 6 p.m. Thursday, because of the Nevada Day holiday Friday. The Open Division state semifinals are Nov. 14.

Here’s a breakdown:

Class 5A

Favorite: Shadow Ridge

Shadow Ridge (8-2) had long been in the No. 4 spot in the HRM rankings until a 43-0 loss to Bishop Gorman on Friday. The defeat dropped the Mustangs into the 5A Southern Region playoffs, where they became the immediate favorite.

Shadow Ridge, running its triple option offense that’s tough for any opponent, averages 300.2 rushing yards per game. It’s led by Trevin Young’s 967 yards and 12 touchdowns and quarterback Isaiah Ruiz’s 802 yards and nine scores. On defense, the Mustangs have forced 15 turnovers.

Dark horse: Desert Oasis

Desert Oasis (5-4) was a game away from reaching last year’s 5A Division III state title game. The Diamondbacks have most of their team back this season, led by quarterback Vincent Hales.

Having a steady quarterback and talented skill players — such as receiver Anthony Sarracino and running back Kyair Thomas — could carry Desert Oasis to the region title game.

Potential first-round upset: Mojave over Las Vegas High

Mojave (5-5) has a lot of momentum. It has won four of its past five games to get into the playoffs and has a core of players back from last year’s 4A state-title-winning team.

S’marion Coleman is averaging 122.4 all-purpose yards and has scored eight touchdowns, and quarterback Rajahn Butler has seen solid with 11 touchdown passes and eight rushing scores. Las Vegas (9-1) is coming off a 57-28 loss to Arbor View and spending about 24 hours thinking it was going to prepare for Gorman.

Class 4A

Favorite: Sloan Canyon

Sloan Canyon (9-0) has rolled past everyone. The Pirates are outscoring their opponents 389-62 and have wins over 5A opponents Foothill and Losee. Under second-year coach Nate Oishi, the Pirates are as complete of a team in the state.

Junior quarterback Cade Hoshino has 2,280 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, with senior wide receiver Brandon Quaglio hauling in 1,028 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. Arizona commit and sophomore defensive end Simote Tupou has 13 sacks, and the Pirates’ defense has 18 interceptions.

Dark horse: Silverado

Sloan Canyon has dominated the 4A headlines, but Silverado might be just as talented. The Skyhawks (8-1) have outscored opponents 415-149 and snapped a nearly two-year-long losing streak earlier this season.

Quarterback Dillon Elliott, with 21 touchdowns and only two interceptions, has plenty of options. Silverado’s top skill players include Armani Combs, with seven rushing touchdowns, and Jersiah Eva, with 11 touchdown catches. On defense, Brandon Belyeu leads the state with 14 sacks, and the Skyhawks have 18 interceptions.

Potential first-round upset: SLAM! Nevada over Spring Valley

SLAM! Nevada, last year’s 3A state champion, is one of the hottest teams. The Bulls (6-4) have won five straight games to jump from outside of the 4A HRM rankings to the No. 6 seed.

Junior running back Greg Cortez leads SLAM! Nevada with 1,244 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns. The Bulls are deep at the skill positions with running back Anthony Edwards Jr. and wide receiver Malakai Boykin. Spring Valley (7-2) didn’t play last week after Cadence forfeited the teams’ regular-season finale.

Class 3A

Virgin Valley (7-3) earned the No. 1 seed in the Southern League playoffs after defeating Moapa Valley 18-17 on Friday in Overton in the Hammer Game. The Pirates (6-4) are the No. 2 seed.

Both teams have a bye and should win their league semifinals Nov. 7.

Virgin Valley, should it win, will host a Northern team in a 3A state semifinal. That makes the Bulldogs a favorite to get into the state title game. Junior running back Drew Dixon is averaging 118.1 rushing yards per game with 15 total touchdowns.

On Friday, Boulder City, hosting Democracy Prep, and Pahrump Valley, hosting The Meadows, should roll to the league semifinals, where they will have a tall task of facing Virgin Valley (for Boulder City) and Moapa Valley (for Pahrump Valley).

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.