Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
From left, Liberty High School football players Joshua Bernard, Bryan Roland and Calvin Tubbs July 21, 2014.
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014 | 2 a.m.
Prep Sports Now
West Side Story
Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer debate over whether the four best teams in town all reside in the Sunset Region — Bishop Gorman, Arbor View, Centennial and Palo Verde. They then get into all of their big games this week that should provide the answers, including a Bishop Gorman vs. Saint John Bosco (California) matchup that may decide the mythical national championship.
The Liberty High football team had five turnovers last week in losing 21-0 at Hamilton High of Arizona. Still, the Patriots will remain at No. 2 in the Sun’s top-10 rankings.
While Arbor View more than deserves being elevated to No. 2, it’s still Liberty’s spot — well, at least for one week. We’ll never knock a team down in the rankings for losing to an out-of-state team, especially one such as regional power Hamilton.
But Liberty will have its hands full this week when it hosts No. 5 Palo Verde. Palo Verde was impressive last week in limiting Las Vegas to less than 100 yards and has the players defensively to give Liberty fits.
Some people feel Arbor View should have been ranked ahead of Liberty all season. The Aggies have won all three of its games in blowout fashion, while Liberty struggled to a one-point victory two weeks ago against Coronado.
Arbor View will get a crack at Coronado this week, meaning the debate for No. 2 between Arbor View and Liberty will soon be settled.
Here’s the rest of the rankings:
1. Bishop Gorman (5-0): Bishop Gorman’s Friday game against St. John Bosco of California has the makings of a classic. It’s a battle of the nation’s top-ranked teams. Up next: Friday vs. St. John Bosco of California
2. Liberty (3-1): There is no shame in losing to an out-of-state opponent. Liberty should be praised for scheduling quality regional opponents, even if they were shut out last week at Hamilton of Arizona. Up next: Saturday vs. Palo Verde
3. Arbor View (3-0): Most feel Arbor View is the state’s best team not named Bishop Gorman. Up next: Saturday vs. Coronado
4. Centennial (3-0): The Centennial offense is catching up to its defense with the development of Rhamondre Stevenson at running back and Juan Rodriguez at quarterback. Up next: Saturday at Las Vegas
5. Palo Verde (2-1): Palo Verde has wins against a pair of top-10 ranked teams, shutting out Las Vegas last week to jump to No. 5 in the rankings. No other team has beaten two teams in the top 10. Saturday vs. Liberty
6. Coronado (2-1): Coronado can shake up the rankings this week with a win at Arbor View. It should be the game of the week. Up next: Saturday at Arbor View
7. Green Valley (3-1): Let the countdown to Henderson Bowl begin. Green Valley has a bye this week, meaning it can start preparing for rivalry game with Basic. Up next: Oct. 2 at Basic in Henderson Bowl
8. Canyon Springs (2-1): Canyon Springs got back on track last week with a good win against Foothill. They are far from a finished product, though. And that’s not a bad thing — it’s still September, after all. Up next: Saturday vs. Eldorado
9. Moapa Valley (4-0): Moapa Valley has performed this season like a team expected to win a state championship. Up next: Saturday at Rancho
10. Las Vegas (2-1): After falling to score last week against Palo Verde, Las Vegas drops five spots. Up next: Saturday vs. Centennial
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
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