Top 5 high school football games to watch this week

All games Friday at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Lone Peak (Utah) at Bishop Gorman

The Knights have a strong reputation and 3-0 record, but they have not played a team like Bishop Gorman. The Gaels (2-0) are ranked No. 3 nationally by MaxPreps and should have little trouble against Lone Peak, Utah’s second-ranked team.

Gorman’s feared defense could keep Lone Peak out of the end zone, and quarterback Maika Eugenio (352 yards, three touchdowns Saturday against Kahuku, Hawaii) will help the Gaels dominate offensively. Gorman totaled 455 yards against Kahuku while giving up 172.

The Knights will use the game as a learning experience in preparation for their league schedule. Gorman will use it to prepare for next week’s home game against No. 26 East St. Louis (Illinois) and the following week’s home showdown against No. 1 Mater Dei (California).

Mojave at Desert Pines

The Rattlers (0-2) have struggled since moving to Class 5A this season, and they will be looking for a chance to rebuild momentum with their league opener two weeks away. They will particularly look for consistency, as they hung with Queen Creek (Arizona) last week before collapsing in the third quarter of a 42-19 loss.

Mojave quarterback Mark Ames completed eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown in that game, but he threw two costly interceptions and will need a strong performance to help his team look like the one that won the 4A state championship a year ago.

Though the Jaguars (1-1) fell 44-21 to Red Mountain (Arizona) last week, their 62-7 stomping of Durango on Aug. 22 showed signs of improvement over last season’s 2-9 record. A big game by running back Marcus Williams could be the key to victory for Desert Pines.

SLAM! Nevada at Moapa Valley

The Pirates are ranked No. 2 despite losing their first three games. But their schedule has included games against tough Utah opponents, ones they hope have prepared them for local competition. Running back Briggs Hickman carried 24 times for 142 yards and a touchdown against Canyon View (Utah) last week.

SLAM! Nevada (1-2) also has losses against challenging programs. The Bulls’ 36-33 road victory over Virgin Valley on Aug. 22 showed they are capable of competing, but that will require stronger defense than they’ve shown.

Palo Verde at Green Valley, 6 p.m.

The ninth-ranked Gators (0-1) will have the home-field advantage, but the Panthers (0-2) will be hungry after losing last season’s game between the teams 10-7.

Palo Verde has lost two close ones, a 33-20 setback to Las Vegas and a 25-19 loss to Reno. The Panthers might need to score more than their 19.5 average and will have to eliminate mistakes. Quarterback Stockton Baird was intercepted three times against Reno.

Green Valley quarterback Michael Lewis completed 12 passes for 179 yards in a season-opening loss to Northview (California).

If Palo Verde can keep the score low, this should be a close game.

Eldorado at Chaparral, 6 p.m.

The Cowboys (0-2) appeared to be an up-and-coming team last season with their 6-5 record, but started this season with lopsided losses to Mater East and Pahrump Valley. The Firehawks (1-0) opened with a 7-6 win over Democracy Prep last week.

Chaparral has allowed 47 points per game. Quarterback Hayden Rogers has completed 43 percent of his passes.

Chaparral’s high-yielding defense might be just what Eldorado needs after its seven-point effort in the opener. Chaparral got a 12-7 victory in last season’s meeting, and another low-scoring game could play into Eldorado’s hands.

Jeff Wollard Las Vegas Review-Journal