Friday Night Roundup: Sierra Vista edges Durango in battle of unbeatens

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Published Friday, Oct. 21, 2016 | 7 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 | 1:08 a.m.

Stories from games across the valley:

• Palo Verde beats Cimarron-Memorial to break into win column

• Las Vegas wins 21st straight ‘Bone Game’ over Rancho

• Virgin Valley looks to playoffs after defeating Boulder City

• Desert Pines heads into playoffs with big win

• Leavitt runs all over Chaparral in Moapa Valley victory

• Gorman defense again stingy, helps blank Desert Oasis

• Offense takes charge for Cheyenne in win over Sunrise Mountain

• Comeback on Boulder Highway: Foothill erases 21-point hole to beat Basic

• Spring Valley wins wild, turnover-plagued game with Clark

• Trick play pulls Green Valley out of first-half funk in win against Coronado

• Hill shines in Bonanza victory over Del Sol

• Canyon Springs defense shuts down Eldorado in blowout win

• Liberty defender coming into his own, helps Pats handle Silverado

• Sierra Vista preserves perfect record with hard-fought win over Durango

• Faith Lutheran overwhelms Shadow Ridge

• • •

The high school football season has gone by quickly. For some Las Vegas-area programs, too quickly.

Tonight, in the second-to-last week in October, some schools in the 3A classification will play their last games. And in the biggest surprise of the season, tonight’s slate of games is highlighted by a large-school classification tilt between two unlikely undefeated teams.

Raise your hand if you had Durango and Sierra Vista entering tonight still unbeaten. Durango, after all, didn’t win a game in 2015 and Sierra Vista spent the past four seasons playing in the lower league.

Yet, many eyes will be on the Southwest League showdown tonight, where the winner will likely be the No. 2 seed for next week’s Sunset Regional playoffs. While neither team has lost, neither has played Bishop Gorman, the nation’s No. 1 ranked team and seven-time defending state champion.

Gorman will win the league, meaning the two undefeated teams are arguably playing for second place.

It’s not the lone game of the night.

In the competitive Southeast League, the playoffs unofficially begin when Green Valley meets Coronado. The loser will be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention heading into next week’s league finale.

Regardless of what happens in the league’s other two games tonight, the Battle for Boulder Highway between Basic and host Foothill, and Silverado at Liberty, next week’s regular season finale of Liberty at Basic will determine the league champ and No. 1 playoff seed.

On the other side of town, the winner of Shadow Ridge at Faith Lutheran will have the inside track at the No. 2 seed in the Northwest behind league champion Arbor View. Arbor View beat Legacy, 55-14, last night to capture the crown. All signs point to Arbor View and Bishop Gorman meeting over Thanksgiving weekend in a rematch of last year’s playoff game where the Aggies were just the second local team in seven seasons to lose by less than 20 points to Gorman.

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

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