Top 10: No change in this week’s rankings after all 10 teams win last week

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 | 2:05 a.m.

There is no change this week in the Sun’s top 10 high school football rankings — neither in the schools in the rankings nor the order they are ranked.

That’s what happens when each team in the rankings wins, which is a rarity that occurred last week.

That won’t be the case this week as No. 7 Green Valley plays at No. 8 Las Vegas High in a game with significant playoff implications.

You can easily assume defending Northeast League champ Canyon Springs is a favorite to repeat, meaning the winner of the Green Valley-Las Vegas game will have an inside track at the No. 2 playoff seed and a first-round home playoff game.

Here are the rest of the rankings, which are put together each week by the Sun’s Ray Brewer.

1. Bishop Gorman (5-1): Bishop Gorman High has surrendered just three points in the last 12 quarters, giving up a field goal in last week’s blowout victory against Cimarron-Memorial. This week, the Gaels will likely hold another opponent to single digits, or scoreless, when they host Bonanza.

2. Liberty (4-1): Liberty erased fourth-quarter deficits in three of its four victories this fall, picking up quality wins against Palo Verde, Canyon Springs and last week against Coronado. They likely won’t be tested again until late November in the playoffs, starting Friday at Del Sol.

3. Arbor View (6-0): There’s a good chance Arbor View will be undefeated and playing Bishop Gorman in the Sunset Regional championship game. This week, they shouldn’t be challenged against Shadow Ridge.

4. Centennial (5-1): Centennial scored 60-plus points last week against Desert Oasis in finally putting together a solid offensive performance. Cimarron-Memorial will provide a bigger challenge this week.

5. Palo Verde (4-3): For as difficult as the Palo Verde schedule was earlier in the season, it’s last three games haven’t been all that challenging. They’ve beat Shadow Ridge and Spring Valley in the last two weeks, and face another struggling program Friday when hosting Sierra Vista.

6. Canyon Springs (3-2): Turnovers and mental mistakes have spelled disaster the past three weeks for Canyon Springs, which had to hang on last week in beating Silverado to open Northeast League play and break a two-game losing skid. This week, they’ll get healthy against Rancho.

7. Green Valley (4-1): Green Valley is considered the future powerhouse school of the Northeast League. The Gators will have to earn that right Friday at perennial power Las Vegas. Expect a tightly played game, unlike last week when the Gators opened league play with an easy victory against Valley.

8. Las Vegas (4-1): With Vince Castro, Josh Mayfield and Andrew Moreland capable of scoring each time they touch the ball, Las Vegas will be tough to beat on most weeks. Just ask Rancho, which the Wildcats defeated last week for the 17th straight time in the ‘Bone Game’ rivalry.

9. Moapa Valley (7-1): Moapa Valley hasn’t been challenged in its last seven games, including blowing out previously undefeated Boulder City last week. This week, they play Virgin Valley in ‘The Hammer’ game.

10. Basic (4-1): Basic and Foothill on Thursday will renew their rivalry in the Battle for Boulder Highway. Does it get any better than this old-school Henderson gridiron game? Not for the kids in west Henderson.

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