Sloan Canyon-Mater East showdown highlights top Week 6 football storylines

Sloan Canyon-Mater East showdown highlights top Week 6 football storylines The offseason shift in Southern Nevada high school football, with 30 CCSD programs moving to autarkic status, has clarified the race for the top of the Class 4A Southern Region. Sloan Canyon and Mater East, regardless of other contenders in 4A, entered the season as the preseason favorites to vie for the Southern Region title and a berth in the state championship game. A preview of the 4A Southern Region showdown arrives this year when Sloan Canyon, ranked No. 3 in the Review-Journal’s Southern Nevada poll, hosts No. 5 Mater East at 7 p.m. Thursday. The victor of Thursday’s meeting is likely to claim the No. 1 seed in the 4A Southern Region playoffs and host the rematch on Nov. 13 for a chance to advance to the 4A state title game. Sloan Canyon head coach Nate Oishi, who also serves as the school’s athletic director, anticipates a sold‑out, standing‑room‑only crowd at the small charter school in south Henderson. The former UNLV offensive lineman emphasized the team’s one‑day‑at‑a‑time mindset as vital in a high‑intensity contest. “The saying on our squad is each game is the most important game because it’s the next, so that we don’t let our emotions or anything like that dictate how we prepare,” Oishi said. “That’s key for any team we play.” He added, “That always makes it fun and competitive. … We have fun, competitive talk with each other,” Oishi said. “But at the end of the day, it’s always great to see them and my teammates on the Sloan Canyon staff have a passion for giving back to grow and assist the football culture in Vegas and help the athletes.” Both squads share notable similarities. Each is guided by former UNLV football players—Oishi and Desert Pines graduate Tim Hough, who played at UNLV and Arizona, in his first full season as Mater East’s head coach. Oishi’s staff includes several of his former UNLV teammates: offensive coordinator JD Alexander, son of UNLV wide receivers coach Del Alexander, and defensive coordinator Mike Hughes. Former UNLV tight end Gio Fauolo serves on Hough’s staff as Mater East’s offensive coordinator. “That always makes it fun and competitive. … We have fun, competitive talk with each other,” Oishi said. “But at the end of the day, it’s always great to see them and my teammates on the Sloan Canyon staff have a passion for giving back to grow and assist the football culture in Vegas and help the athletes.” Mater East boasts a wealth of talent. Senior running back Marcus Williams leads the ground attack, averaging 118.7 rushing yards per game. Three‑star prospects Justin McCullah and Mike Taylor, each holding multiple Division I offers, rank among the Knights’ top receivers. Sloan Canyon returned most of its roster from last season’s 50‑22 semifinal victory over Mater East, a campaign that ended 12‑1 with the sole loss coming in the state title game. Senior Jermaine Wilson Jr. averages 151.7 rushing yards with five touchdowns, while senior Brandon Quaglio posts 103.3 receiving yards per game as the Pirates’ leading target behind Cade Hoshino. “Last year we were a younger team, only had about four seniors in the starting lineup, and this year we returned a lot of the starters from last year,” Oishi said. “Having that senior leadership and having guys who started in our system and know our system has truly helped the improvement of our team.” Other storylines to watch in Week 6 - Arbor View secured its first win of the season last week with a 55‑34 triumph over Centennial to open Division I West League play. The Aggies face an additional out‑of‑state test when they host Lincoln (San Diego, California) at 7 p.m. Friday. Arbor View’s offense showed against Centennial, with Oregon State commit Thaddeus Thatcher accounting for six touchdowns. Texas A&M commit Damani Warren added four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown as the Aggies aim to apply lessons from a tough out‑of‑state slate to prepare for Liberty in the Division I Superintendents Cup. - Del Sol eyes a 4‑0 start. The Dragons (3‑0, 1‑0 Division III East) have matched their win total from last season and can reach 4‑0 when they host Chaparral at 6 p.m. Friday. Zachary Blanchard is in his first year as Del Sol’s head coach. The team averages 223 rushing yards per game, while its defense allows just 12.6 points per game. CCSD’s move to independence grouped teams by competitive balance to give squads like Del Sol more competitive games, and it is paying off. Del Sol will still meet Sunrise Mountain and Valley in the Division III East League, setting up a compelling battle for the Division III Superintendents Cup. - Can Rancho win the Bone Game? Rancho and Las Vegas High renew their rivalry in the annual “Bone Game” at 6 p.m. Friday at Rancho. The Rams (1‑3) earned their first win in over a year with a 31‑14 victory at Cheyenne last week, but this week they face a step up in competition against Las Vegas (1‑3), which dropped a 35‑28 decision to Foothill. Rancho has not defeated Las Vegas in the Bone Game on the field since 1995, though it was awarded a win in 1998 after Las Vegas fielded an ineligible player. The Bone Game remains the oldest rivalry in Las Vegas high school football, dating back to 1957. Week 6 Southern Nevada high school football schedule All games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted *Denotes a league game for CCSD independent teams **Thursday** Mater East at Sloan Canyon **Friday** Desert Pines at Shadow Ridge*, 6 p.m. Coronado at Desert Oasis*, 6 p.m. Centennial at Mojave*, 6 p.m. Legacy at Clark*, 6 p.m. Las Vegas High at Rancho, 6 p.m. Basic at Canyon Springs*, 6 p.m. Silverado at Durango*, 6 p.m. Chaparral at Del Sol*, 6 p.m. Bonanza at Cimarron‑Memorial*, 6 p.m. Pahrump Valley at Valley, 6 p.m. Laughlin at Beaver Dam, 6 p.m. Bishop Gorman at Mater Dei (California) Foothill at Liberty* Lincoln (California) at Arbor View SLAM! Nevada at Faith Lutheran Spring Valley at Green Valley* Palo Verde at Moapa Valley Sierra Vista at Boulder City Eldorado at Sunrise Mountain* Western at Cheyenne* The Meadows at White Pine Spring Mountain at Round Mountain Beatty at Sandy Valley