6 high school football games to watch this weekend

We’re down to region semifinals in Division I and state semifinals in Division I-A, so here’s a look at this week’s games in the state’s top two divisions. The Division I games will be Friday, with the I-A games on Saturday afternoon.

SUNSET REGION

Palo Verde (7-3) at Arbor View (10-0) — Those who like to see the ball in the air should head elsewhere, as both teams run tightly-packed, double-wing offenses. Palo Verde averages 277.1 rushing yards, and the Aggies average 327.4 yards on the ground. The Panthers have made a habit of making it to the region final, having been to the Sunset Region title game 10 times since 2002. Arbor View’s never been to a region final, but the Aggies have to be the favorite here as they are one of just four undefeated Nevada teams in any division.

Centennial (9-1) at Bishop Gorman (11-0) — Usually a matchup of an undefeated team and a one-loss team would bring plenty of excitement. But Gorman is ranked No. 1 in the nation for a reason, and it’s hard to imagine Centennial upsetting the five-time defending state champion Gaels. Centennial has a strong defense, but the Gaels have outscored Nevada opponents 315-13 this season.

SUNRISE REGION

Liberty (8-2) at Coronado (7-3) — Liberty escaped with a 14-13 win over the Cougars when the team’s met on Sept. 12, and you had to figure there would be a sequel at some point in the playoffs. These are two of the area’s best defensive teams. Liberty has allowed an average of 12.9 points, and Coronado has been even better, yielding 12.8. The Cougars have given up just 20 points over the past four games. The team’s offense also has improved since Spencer Cofer took over at quarterback. Coronado has scored 30 or more in three of its last four games.

Basic (5-5) at Las Vegas (6-4) — Basic is the team that wasn’t supposed to be here, but the Wolves shocked Northeast League No. 1 seed Canyon Springs last week to advance. Receiver Josh Villaros has been a big offensive threat all season for Basic with 34 catches for 667 yards and nine TDs. Injuries forced Las Vegas to turn to standout linebacker Jacob Littlefield at running back last week. Littlefield responded despite not having carried the ball in the regular season. He rushed for 181 yards and two TDs.

DIVISION I-A

Elko (9-1) at Moapa Valley (11-0) — The Pirates saw their streak of seven straight appearances in a state title game end last season in the state semifinals, so they’re anxious to get back to the title game. Quarterback Zach Hymas missed some time this season, but was back under center last week and has been one of the area’s most efficient passers, throwing for 1,518 yards and 20 TDs with just two interceptions. Moapa Valley also has been stingy on defense, allowing an average of 10.5 points. Elko doesn’t feature a 1,000-yard rusher, passer or receiver, but the Indians still have scored an average of 35.9 points.

Desert Pines (10-1) at Churchill County (10-1) — The Jaguars lost a ton of talent off of last year’s team, but have responded by advancing a step farther in the playoffs this season. A win Saturday would put Desert Pines in a state final for the first time since 2002. Sophomores Marckell Grayson and Isaiah Morris have provided plenty of firepower for the Jaguars, who have scored 30 or more points in 10 of 11 games. Grayson has passed for 1,769 yards and 25 TDs, and Morris has rushed for 1,327 yards and 14 scores. Churchill County has won 10 straight since a 56-32 loss to Cardinal Newman (Calif.) on Aug. 30. And the Greenwave also features a pair of strong offensive players in Joe Pyle (1,724 passing yards, 20 TDs) and Nathan Heck (1,436 rushing yards, 19 TDs). A trip north at this time of year often means battling the elements, but forecasts for kickoff have temperatures around 53 degrees in Fallon.