High School football:

Thursday Night Roundup: Arbor View edges Centennial for Northwest League title

Arbor View High players and students celebrate a 17-14 victory over the Centennial Bulldogs on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, at Arbor View.

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Published Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 | 7 p.m.

Updated Friday, Oct. 30, 2015 | 12:31 a.m.

Arbor View Beats Centennial 17-14

Centennial's Savon Scarver (11) is taken down by Arbor View's Alex Sims (21) during a game against the Centennial at Arbor View Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015.

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The Biggest Game

Centennial at Arbor View is here, so Ray Brewer and Case Keefer celebrate accordingly. They also look over the Division 1A playoff picture and go through the weekly picks.

You could argue this is the most anticipated game of the high school football season.

When Centennial visits Arbor View tonight in a battle of top-5 ranked teams to close the regular season, more will be on than line than bragging rights — even though those rights last all year. The winner is the Northwest League champion and No. 1 seed in the Sunset Regional playoffs.

The schools are located less than five miles apart. Some players have competed against each other, or in some cases on the same team, since youth football.

And both teams have talented players.

Centennial is led by three juniors in four-star recruit Greg Rogers on the defensive line, dual-threat quarterback Jamaal Evans and wide receiver Savon Scarver. They also have seasoned players such as senior linebacker Tishawn Barnaby.

Arbor View is led by senior offensive lineman Keenen King, who has scholarship offers from multiple Pac-12 Conference schools, and linebacker Bishop Jones, a Southern Utah commit. They are solid defensively with linebacker Gage Motl and seniors Noah Noce and Alex Sims in the backfield.

Arbor View won by five points last season and another close game is expected.

It’s not the lone game of interest.

In the Southwest League championship game, Palo Verde visits Bishop Gorman in a game of teams undefeated in league play. Palo Verde, of course, was the last local team to beat Gorman, but that was in 2008.

The Division I-A playoffs begin with a pair of interesting first-round matchups. Desert Pines, who most believe is the favorite to win state, opens at Cheyenne, who has recorded four straight shutouts. In another first round game, Mojave looks to continue its domination at Chaparral. In the second opener, Mojave beat Chaparral 25-0.

We’ll keep everyone posted as scores become final. Send us game information on Twitter using #sunstandout.

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Stories from games across the valley:

• Legacy runs away with win against Shadow Ridge

• Rivalry no longer: Gorman football puts up 70 against Palo Verde

• ‘Things starting to click’ for Green Valley QB in lopsided victory

• Silverado relies on its undersized running back, tops Las Vegas

• Moapa Valley passes through first round of the playoffs

• Justice Jackson goes off again as Foothill beats Coronado

• Desert Pines wears down Cheyenne, sets sights on Moapa

• Chaparral one win away from first state semifinal berth since 1990

• Faith Lutheran eliminates Sunrise Mountain, 36-14