Nevada Preps football predictions: Will Mater East challenge Bishop Gorman?

Your eyes don’t deceive you.

There only two high school football games involving Class 5A and 4A Southern Nevada teams this week. And no playoff games.

The 30 Clark County School District independent football teams ended their seasons last Friday in the final week of competition allowed for independent teams and are not eligible to compete in the NIAA postseason.

The 4A-1A playoffs don’t begin until Nov. 6 and the Open Division state tournament begins Nov. 13.

All games this week are on Thursday because of the Nevada Day holiday. There are eight total games on the Week 12 schedule, with six games involving 2A and 1A Southern schools.

Sloan Canyon hosts CIVICA Academy at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. It’s the final regular-season game for Sloan Canyon (6-2) before the 4A Southern Region playoffs begin Nov. 6.

The 4A playoff bracket and seeds will be set Sunday afternoon after the NIAA calculates the final HRM scores.

CIVICA Academy (6-2) is a second-year football program led by longtime area coach Gus McNair. The Wolves are independent and ineligible for postseason competition. CIVICA Academy is outscoring opponents 287-93 this year.

The game everyone will have their eyes on is Bishop Gorman (7-1) hosting Mater East (7-2) at 7 p.m.

Mater East, a charter school in 4A, has been on a fast rise to be one of the most competitive football programs in the state under head coach Tim Hough (a Desert Pines graduate and former UNLV football player) and an influx of transfers from the offseason.

In a year where Bishop Gorman will not play Liberty or Arbor View — as the CCSD public schools banded together to not play any private or charter schools — Mater East will have a chance Thursday to see where it stands compared to the Gaels in the first matchup between the two schools.

High school reporters Alex Wright and Jeff Wollard predict the winners of select football games each week.

Here are their picks for Week 12’s Southern Nevada high school football action.

CIVICA Academy at Sloan Canyon

Wright: Sloan Canyon

Wollard: Sloan Canyon

Mater East at Bishop Gorman

Wright: Bishop Gorman

Wollard: Bishop Gorman

Last week: Wright 13-8; Wollard 11-10

Season: Wright 173-47; Wollard 159-61

Contact Alex Wright at [email protected]. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.

Week 12 schedule

All games at 7 p.m. Thursday unless otherwise noted

Thursday

5A/4A

CIVICA Academy at Sloan Canyon, 5:30 p.m.

Mater East at Bishop Gorman

2A/1A

Tonopah at Beaver Dam, 6 p.m.

Needles at Lake Mead Academy

Lincoln County at White Pine

Indian Springs at Sandy Valley

Round Mountain at Pahranagat Valley

Laughlin at Beatty