Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

high school football:

Top 10 rankings: It was only a matter of time until Cheyenne cracked the list

The Desert Shields have been impressive the past two weeks in proving they are the team to beat in the Division I-A

2012 Prep Football Teams

Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

Cheyenne football players Darius Gantt, Devin Tatum and Dylan Power Thursday, July 26, 2012.

Prep Sports Now

Are Centennial, Canyon Springs in the elite?

There are topics aplenty on this week's episode after an eventful slate of games. Centennial and Canyon Springs, most notably, presented arguments for being included with the best teams in town. Are Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer buying the Bulldogs and Pioneers? Listen in on the debate, a discussion on touchdown celebrations and a breakdown of this week's games.

When the Sun released its preseason high school football rankings last month, several readers emailed asking why schools such as Cheyenne and Moapa Valley high didn’t crack the top 10.

The general consensus was they were two of the top teams in Southern Nevada but were excluded from the rankings because they compete in the newly formed Division 1-A. Schools in the league won’t compete against powers such as Bishop Gorman and Liberty for a championship.

Cheyenne and Moapa Valley showed the past two weeks they are worthy of joining the rankings. Cheyenne beat Cimarron-Memorial — a higher classification school — last week in winning its second straight game in impressive fashion. Simply put, Cheyenne is one of the area’s best.

It seems only fitting the Desert Shields join the rankings at No. 10. Here’s the rest of the list, which will be updated weekly.

1. Bishop Gorman (2-0): Wins against out-of-state competition in consecutive weeks to open the season have helped Gorman rise in several national rankings. In Las Vegas, they’ve been No. 1 every week the past four years. UP NEXT: Sept. 14 vs. Bergen Catholic.

2. Liberty (0-1): While Liberty came up short last week in California against Crespi High, the Patriots still were able to control the line of scrimmage and rush for about 350 yards. Last year, they dropped their opener before going undefeated until the state semifinals. Can they duplicate the run? UP NEXT: Sept. 13 vs Palo Verde.

3. Arbor View (1-0): The Aggies opened the season with a big-time statement in easily beating a team they were supposed to win against. The 46-0 victory against Desert Oasis gives Arbor View much momentum for the rest of the season. UP NEXT: Friday vs. Green Valley High.

4. Centennial (1-0): Centennial showed last week by beating Palo Verde it will be a major player in the Sunset Region. UP NEXT: Friday at Durango

5. Canyon Springs (1-0) The Pioneers had the most impressive performance last week in its opener, using 347 rushing yards and five touchdowns from Donnel Pumphrey in topping then No. 9 Foothill with a 47-6 victory. UP NEXT: Sept. 14 vs. Cheyenne.

6. Basic (0-0): Despite not playing a game, the Wolves jump one spot from their preseason ranking to No. 6. Now, they have to prove they are one of the area’s elite teams. UP NEXT: Friday vs. Rancho.

7. Palo Verde(0-2): There is no reason for the Palo Verde players and coaches to hit the panic button. After all, it’s still early September and most of the area’s teams still haven’t played a game. Two defeats by a combined 14 points to open the season shouldn’t signal a disaster for the Panthers. In both games, they arguably were a bounce away from winning. UP NEXT: Friday vs. Bonanza.

8. Las Vegas High (0-0): Las Vegas, which like most teams in the Sunrise Region opens play Friday, holds steady at No. 8 in the rankings. UP NEXT: Friday at Desert Oasis.

9. Durango (1-0): Durango will go as far as Marcus Williams and Arie McQuaig takes them. Last week, the duo accounted for five touchdowns in a 54-6 win against Bonanza. The competition get significantly better this week. UP NEXT: Friday vs. Centennial

10. Cheyenne (2-0): Cheyenne is arguably the team to defeat in the Division I-A. UP NEXT: Friday vs. Ayala, Calif.

OUT: Foothill, after an awful loss to Canyon Springs, falls from the No. 9 slot in the preseason.

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

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