Only 10 high school football teams in Las Vegas are left standing across various classifications as we get down to crunch time in the postseason.
There were a few upsets last week with lower-seeded Green Valley and Faith Lutheran winning games in the Class 5A-Division II regional semifinals.
The picks column went 10-2 last week and stands at 164-25 for the season. Let’s take a look at this week’s slate
Green Valley at Faith Lutheran
Faith Lutheran has won seven of its last eight games, including a 30-14 victory against Green Valley. The Crusaders will be the more physical team, especially with running the ball. Faith Lutheran 27, Green Valley 19
Canyon Springs at Sunrise Mountain
The initial meeting between the schools wasn’t decided until the fourth quarter with Sunrise Mountain pulling out a narrow win. Make no doubt about it, Canyon Springs is the better team — if it limits the mistakes. Canyon Springs 31, Sunrise Mountain 26
Somerset Losee at Centennial
Second-year Somerset is one of the feel-good stories of the season, winning 10 games and advancing through two rounds of the playoffs. But they’ll again struggle with Centennial, a program with four times the amount of players and five years removed from playing in the large-school state title game. Centennial 27, Somerset 23
Palo Verde at Legacy
I’m sticking with my pick from August. This is Palo Verde’s state championship to win, even after losing in the regular season to Legacy. Palo Verde 21, Legacy 20
Moapa Valley at Truckee
Closer than you think. Moapa Valley is much improved from the beginning of the season and will bring a physical style of play Truckee has rarely seen this season. But Truckee is the better team and has the advantage of not having to travel eight hours to play. Truckee 32, Moapa Valley 26
Elko vs. SLAM Nevada
Slam is better at the skilled positions. And Slam doesn’t have to travel — that’s massively important. Slam 33, Elko 20