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March 28, 2024

high school football:

Friday night roundup: Liberty tops Centennial; Gorman beats another out-of-state foe

Liberty Beats CentennialHigh School Football

L.E. Baskow

Liberty’s Bryan Roland Jr. (1) reaches to pull in a deflected pass against Centennial during their high school football game on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015.

Updated Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015 | 1:18 a.m.

Liberty Football Downs Centennial

Liberty's Nayton Koki, 43, reaches out for a long pass defended well by Centennial's J.J. Johnson, 12, during their high school football game on Friday, September 18, 2015. Launch slideshow »
Prep Sports Now

The Bulldogs' Bite

Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer engage in their weekly high school football discussion highlighted by a debate whether or not Centennial's season has been disappointing so far.

They are two of the best high school football teams in Las Vegas.

Liberty, the five-time defending Sunrise Region champions, is arguably the second best team in Southern Nevada behind defending mythical national champion Bishop Gorman.

Tonight, the Patriots can cement their status with a win against another power, No. 4 Centennial.

With Division I recruits on each team and a big crowd anticipated, it’s the unquestioned top game of the night. And you could easily argue it’s one of the top nonleague games of the season.

Centennial enters with a 3-0 record, but is fortunate to be undefeated and has much to prove. Centennial needed overtime last week to defeat Palo Verde, and escaped with a one-point victory in the season opener against Legacy.

The Bulldogs have talented players on each side of the ball, especially defensively with tackle Greg Rogers leading the way. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Rogers is a four-star recruiting prospect with multiple scholarship offers. He combines with senior linebacker Tishawn Barnaby to give Centennial a significant edge.

The Bulldogs will need it in trying to stop the Liberty offense.

Two weeks ago, the Patriots scored 76 points against Mililani of Hawaii, the defending state champions who were ranked nationally in the top 25. Wide receiver Ethan Dedeaux, just a junior, had seven touchdowns in win, and has the speed and elusiveness to frustrate Centennial all night.

Sophomore quarterback Kenyon Oblad, who has a BYU scholarship offer, has four touchdown passes in two games with no interceptions. Expect Oblad and the Patriots to air it out.

It’s not the lone game of interest tonight.

Gorman, ranked No. 1 in most national polls, hosts Long Beach Poly in one of the games of the week nationally. Gorman (3-0) enters having won consecutive games out of state, giving them a legit chance to repeat as national champions.

The Gaels, whose defense has surrendered just 41 points in three games, mostly when reserves are playing out the clock, have three games against national opponents remaining. All three are at Fertitta Field.

Long Beach Poly, a California power whose rise to prominence includes scoring an Adidas sponsorship and appearing in the company’s commercials, is led by quarterback Malik Henry. The senior Henry is ranked as the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback and committed to Florida State.

We’ll keep everyone posted as scores become final. Send us your game information and photos on Twitter using #sunstandout or #702hsfb.

• • •

Stories from games across the valley:

Silverado takes down Palo Verde in OT, 13-7

Spring Valley’s Moore leads charge against Clark

Virgin Valley records another shutout, beats Rancho

Gaudy numbers for Legacy, Geeslin in blowout victory

Basic extends shutout streak to eight quarters against Bonanza

Moapa Valley gets back on track with win at Sunrise Mountain

Desert Oasis turns alignment and assignment into annihilation

Desert Pines continues on blowout winning ways against Chaparral

Game delays didn’t slow Las Vegas in win over Cimarron-Memorial

Mojave edges Sierra Vista in defensive battle

Pahrump Valley gets back on track by beating Western

Faith Lutheran erupts in second half, rolls to win at Cheyenne

Coronado hands Canyon Springs its first loss

RB Flowers powers Del Sol into the win column

Gorman sophomore shows flashes of potential, helps Gaels beat Long Beach Poly

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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