Nevada 4A football playoffs start to heat up

The first week of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Class 4A football playoffs went according to form. But with all three regions now in the postseason, it's time to expect the unexpected.

Click here to view MaxPreps' Nevada football playoff brackets.

Here is a quick look at all eight 4A playoff games:

SUNRISE REGION
Foothill (Henderson) at Las Vegas
This is a game Las Vegas (10-1) has wanted for more than a year. The Wildcats were the No. 1 seed from the Northeast League last season, but Foothill pulled off a 27-20 upset when Wildcats quarterback Hasaan Henderson was stopped short of the goal line on the final play to halt Las Vegas' streak of six straight region championships. Many of the same players from that game are back, which adds to the intrigue of this semifinal matchup.

Foothill (10-1) held off Desert Pines (Las Vegas) 35-26 in the opening round as Kyle Keplinger scored all five of the Falcons' touchdowns, including a 98-yard kickoff return after Desert Pines cut Foothill's lead to 21-20 in the third quarter. He will no doubt be a focal point for the Las Vegas defense, which allowed 108 total yards in a 37-10 victory over defending region champion Del Sol (Las Vegas). The Wildcats have shown excellent balance on offense, including last week when running backs Lamond Powe (168 yards) and Farrell Victor (139 yards) had big games, and that should prove to be the difference in this one.

Prediction: Las Vegas 35, Foothill 21

Canyon Springs (North Las Vegas) at Liberty (Henderson)
The Pioneers (7-3) finally got over the hump last week against a team from the Southeast League as they stopped Silverado (Las Vegas) 20-17. Now, Canyon Springs, which was 0-2 against the Southeast during the regular season, faces the top team from that league in the semifinals.

Canyon Springs forced two key turnovers in the fourth quarter against Silverado and will need to be opportunistic against a Liberty team that does not make many mistakes. The Patriots (9-1) have won nine straight, including last week's 34-6 victory over Rancho (Las Vegas), which was the first home playoff victory in school history.
Running back Niko Kapeli had 91 yards and leads the Patriots on offense, but the key matchup will come on the other side of the ball as the Canyon Springs ground attack featuring Malik Brown and Donnel Pumphrey butts heads with the Patriots' run defense. Liberty shut down Rancho in the quarterfinals, allowing 34 yards rushing.
Liberty is looking to advance past the semifinals for the first time in school history.

Prediction: Liberty 24, Canyon Springs 14

NORTHERN REGION
Bishop Manogue (Reno) at McQueen (Reno)
The Miners (8-2) have won three straight games since suffering a 38-0 thumping at the hands of top-seeded McQueen back on Oct. 15, but this will undoubtedly be their stiffest test in the last month. Fourth-seeded Manogue needed overtime to beat Reno 20-14 in the quarterfinals as quarterback Zach McElroy scored on a 4-yard run on third-and-goal. Running back Gino Rossi ran for 158 yards, but the Miners continued their habit of inconsistent play and that won't fly against McQueen.

The Lancers (9-1) are riding a six-game winning streak and have been the hottest team in northern Nevada the last two months thanks largely to a dominating defense. McQueen beat North Valleys (Reno) 42-20 in the quarterfinals and the 20 points allowed was the most the Lancers have given up since their 28-7 loss to Reed (Sparks) on Sept. 17. In fact, McQueen gave up 27 points combined in its five previous games. North Valleys threw 48 passes against McQueen, but Manogue is a much more favorable matchup for the Lancers.

Prediction: McQueen 35, Bishop Manogue 7

Reed (Sparks) at Carson (Carson City)
While McQueen has been the hottest team up north, third-seeded Reed has been nearly as good in the last couple of months. The defending region champion Raiders (9-2) have won four straight, including last week's 20-18 nailbiter against Douglas (Minden) in the quarterfinals when Reed stopped Douglas quarterback Zack Williams near the goal line on a 2-point conversion with 41.3 seconds left.

This represents the biggest test of the season for the second-seeded Senators (9-1), who bounced Spanish Springs (Sparks) 28-21 last week. Carson welcomed back junior running back Dylan Sawyers after the standout missed four weeks with a hip flexor injury, and he scored four touchdowns - two rushing, one receiving and one on a 69-yard punt return. Most concerning for Carson fans is the way Spanish Springs was able to pound the ball at the Senators defense in the first half on the way to a 14-7 halftime lead.

Reed is capable of doing the same thing with running back John Covello. Carson did not play Reed or McQueen in the regular season and will have to take its play up a notch if it is going to record the first 10-win season in school history.

Prediction: Reed 24, Carson 21

SUNSET REGION
Southwest League No. 4 Spring Valley (Las Vegas) at Northwest League No. 1 Palo Verde (Las Vegas)
Spring Valley (6-4) snagged the last playoff berth from the Southwest League and is fresh off a 38-12 win over Clark (Las Vegas). The Grizzlies, who are led by running back Austyn Wallace and quarterback Jordan Cox, have won three in a row, but are heavy underdogs against Palo Verde.

The Panthers (10-0) scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to beat Arbor View (Las Vegas) 17-0 in a showdown for the Northwest title. Running back Brandon Wright broke the deadlock with a 51-yard touchdown bolt and will be a load for Spring Valley.

Prediction: Palo Verde 49, Spring Valley 7

NW No. 4 Shadow Ridge (Las Vegas) at SW No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
Much of the focus for the Northwest's final playoff berth centered around Legacy (North Las Vegas) and Cimarron-Memorial (Las Vegas), but it was the Mustangs who earned the spot thanks to a 43-30 win over Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas) and Legacy's 52-28 loss to Cheyenne (North Las Vegas). The Mustangs (6-4) rely heavily on dual-threat quarterback Nick McDearmon.

Gorman (9-2) cruised to a 56-6 win over Durango (Las Vegas) as quarterback Jarrett Solomon continued his fine play with 243 yards and three touchdowns. The Gaels should have no problems here, even if standout junior Shaquille Powell continues to be sidelined.

Prediction: Bishop Gorman 56, Shadow Ridge 7

NW No. 3 Centennial (Las Vegas) at SW No. 2 Desert Oasis (Las Vegas)
The Bulldogs (7-3) are making their first postseason appearance since 2003 and have won three straight games. Centennial has made a habit of winning close games lately, which is an important trait in the playoffs. Running backs Taj Cole, Jacobi Owens and Willie White will test the Desert Oasis defense.

The Diamondbacks (8-2) had two weeks to prepare for the first home playoff game in school history. Desert Oasis features an explosive running game led by Devin Fortenberry and Brandon Andrews, and is on a four-game winning streak. The question will be whether the Diamondbacks defense, which has been pourous at times this season, can get off the field.

Prediction: Centennial 21, Desert Oasis 17

SW No. 3 Durango (Las Vegas) at NW No. 2 Arbor View (Las Vegas)
The Trailblazers (7-3) became the first team to score against Bishop Gorman since Oct. 1, but that was little consolation in a 56-6 loss. Running back Julio Mora, who gained 133 yards against Gorman and has 1,562 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, will test Arbor View.

The Aggies (9-1), meanwhile, are making the first playoff appearance in school history. Arbor View outgained Palo Verde 138-64 in the first half of a 17-0 loss but was unable to capitalize on two chances in Palo territory and was shut down in the second half. Expect Arbor View to come out fired up for this one.

Prediction: Arbor View 28, Durango 14