Friday night roundup: All eyes on Green Valley, Las Vegas in Northeast League showdown

By Ray Brewer (contact), Paul Delos Santos

Published Friday, Oct. 11, 2013 | 7 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013 | 12:42 a.m.

The team with the ball last might win this high school football game.

When Las Vegas High takes on host Green Valley in a crucial Northeast League game today, it will be a battle of two of the top scoring teams in Southern Nevada. Las Vegas is averaging 44.6 points per game in five contests; Green Valley is scoring 37 points per game.

And both teams are surrendering points on defense at an alarming rate.

Green Valley has given up 40 or more points in two of five games, while Las Vegas has given up 168 points — including 66 three weeks ago.

That likely means the top two junior quarterbacks in the Las Vegas area, Green Valley’s Christian Lopez and Las Vegas’ Trevor Swenson, will add to the great numbers they’ve already posted this year. It also means one of them will be called upon late to lead their team to victory.

Lopez has already passed for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns and Swenson has been equally effective with 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Both teams are ranked (Green Valley at No. 4 and Las Vegas at No. 9) in the Sun’s weekly top 10, giving a rare league game of ranked foes.

The Northeast is arguably the top league in all of Nevada with four teams — Green Valley, Las Vegas, Canyon Springs and Silverado — capable of winning the league title. That puts extra significance on today’s game because the winner will have a leg up on the others in the standings and be in the driver’s seat to host a home playoff game next month.

Yes, it’s already time to start thinking about the playoffs.

The Sunrise Region — the Northeast and Southeast leagues — appears to be full of parity with most playoff-qualifying teams featuring enough talented players to make a deep playoff run. It’s much easier having success on those cold late fall Friday nights when playing at home.

This isn’t the lone game of importance.

The Sunset Region begins league play today with the Southwest League featuring the most interesting storyline — which team will take second behind four-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman? Centennial plays at Bonanza, and Desert Oasis travels to Cimarron-Memorial in two games that appear to be evenly matched. In the Southwest’s other game, Legacy will be the first local program to take a stab at beating Gorman, which went 4-2 to open the season against out-of-state opponents.

In the Division I-A Sunrise, Desert Pines travels to Virgin Valley in a battle of undefeated teams.

We’ll keep everyone posted on scores when they become final. Remember to send fan photos and game information to the Sun on Twitter @lasvegassun using the #sunstandout hashtag.

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Stories about other high school football games around the valley:

• Newman sets state mark in TD passes as Liberty routs Del Sol

• Corsey steps up to lead Desert Pines over Virgin Valley in battle of unbeaten teams

• Interception returns for TDs propel Palo Verde past Shadow Ridge

• Faith Lutheran finds balance offensively to pick up sixth consecutive win

• Mojave downs Cheyenne for first time in school history, back in the playoffs

• Clark scores plenty early in homecoming victory over Western

• Arbor View handles business against Spring Valley in 44-0 victory

• Moapa Valley victory against Boulder City sets up rivalry showdown

• Chaparral blanks Sunrise Mountain in second half, rallies for 34-13 win

• Coronado bounces back from early deficit to crush Eldorado 62-7

• Sierra Vista finds groove on both sides of ball to beat Durango

• Gorman fights off scare from Legacy, prevails by 13 points

• Cimarron-Memorial makes statement with win over Desert Oasis