Friday Night Roundup: Canyon Springs tops Las Vegas, which might decide Northeast title

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Published Friday, Oct. 7, 2016 | 7 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016 | 12:47 a.m.

Stories from games across the valley:

• Desert Pines atop division with win over Cheyenne

• Durango beats Clark, improves record to 5-0

• Moapa Valley gets back on track with 40-point win vs. Rancho

• Offensive line key in Pahrump’s comeback win over Sunrise Mountain

• Liberty’s Oblad again passes for 6 TDs

• Faith Lutheran hands Legacy first loss of season

• Shadow Ridge jumps out to early lead in win against Cimarron-Memorial

• Sierra Vista remains perfect with wild win over Bonanza

• Bishop Gorman shakes off relatively slow start to pound Spring Valley

• Taiwan Braden accounts for three touchdowns as Mojave downs Western

• Basic flies high again against Coronado

• Eldorado puts away Valley in final seconds

• Virgin Valley leans on rushing attack to pull away from Del Sol

• Another close win for Canyon Springs likely enough for Northeast League title

• Dominant defense sets tone for Silverado against Green Valley

• • •

It’s safe to label this as the Northeast League championship game.

Canyon Springs and Las Vegas are the clear-cut top teams in the five-team high school football league, meeting tonight in the unofficial league championship game.

Sure, it is also the Northeast opener for Las Vegas. But when you consider the league’s other three teams — Eldorado, Rancho and Valley — have combined for two wins in the initial five weeks of the season, it’s fair to assume the winner tonight will be league champs and the No. 1 seed for next month’s Sunrise Regional playoffs.

It’s the first meeting in league play between the schools in four seasons. Before realignment split them up, the annual Canyon-Vegas showdown featured close finishes and strong play. Now, in the first year they’ve been realigned back together, another epic game is expected.

Both teams enter with just one loss and each has standout players, especially at the skilled positions.

It’s not the lone game of interest.

In the Northwest League, neighborhood rivals Arbor VIew and host Centennial get together in one of the most anticipated games of the season. With both schools having strong fan bases and student populations, it’s typically the best-attended game of the year.

Last year, Arbor View hung on to win, 17-14.

Centennial has speed with quarterback Jamaal Evans and wide receiver Savon Scarver, and Arbor View relies on its power running game with running back Deago Stubbs. And one of Arbor View’s top defenders in lineman Greg Rogers, who played at Centennial last season to add more intrigue to a rivalry that was already heated.

Other games of note include: Silverado at Green Valley in a must-win Southeast League game for both, undefeated Legacy hosting Faith Lutheran and seven-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman High returning to local competition to face Spring Valley.

We’ll keep you posted all night. Send game information and photos on Twitter using #702hsfb or #sunstandout.

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