Nevada Preps football predictions: Who advances to the state title games?

The Nevada high school football state championship games will be set after Friday and Saturday’s action.

Highlighting this week’s state semifinal matchups is the Open Division state semifinal between Bishop Gorman and Faith Lutheran at 7 p.m. Friday at Gorman.

The game of the year might be the Class 4A Southern Region final between Mater East and Sloan Canyon at 6 p.m. Friday at Mater East between the budding rival charter schools.

Regardless of Friday’s result, both Gorman and Faith Lutheran will play for a state championship. The winner advances to play Losee in the Open Division state title game on Nov. 20 at Allegiant Stadium. The loser will face the 5A Northern Region champion for the 5A state title on Friday, Nov. 20.

“We’re going to prepare like we prepare for everybody else,” Gorman coach Brent Browner said last Friday after the Gaels’ 54-0 home win over CIVICA Academy in their regular-season finale. “Everybody’s excited to keep playing football.”

The move to independence by 30 CCSD 5A/4A football programs led to the NIAA and remaining three 5A Southern schools — Gorman, Faith Lutheran and Losee — to come up with a unique playoff format, which allowed the top two teams to be able to compete for a state championship.

“We’re kind of the only show in town right now,” Browner said. “We’re lucky and blessed to even still be playing football. A lot of kids in the valley have been done for almost a month now. Their seasons have been stripped from them, not by their own choice or doing.”

The 3A, 2A and 1A state semifinals are Saturday, except for Tonopah and Mineral County’s 1A state semifinal game, which will be on Friday.

McQueen High School in Reno will host the 2A (10 a.m.) and 4A (1:30 p.m.) state title games on Saturday, Nov. 21. Allegiant Stadium will host the 1A (9 a.m.), 3A (12:20 or 3:40 p.m.), 5A (12:20 or 3:40 p.m.) and Open Division (7 p.m.) state title games on Nov. 20.

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

Here are their picks for Week 14’s 5A-3A Southern Nevada high school football playoff action.

Faith Lutheran at Bishop Gorman

Wright: Bishop Gorman

Wollard: Bishop Gorman

Sloan Canyon at Mater East

Wright: Mater East

Wollard: Sloan Canyon

Spring Creek at Moapa Valley

Wright: Moapa Valley

Wollard: Moapa Valley

Pahrump Valley at Churchill County

Wright: Churchill County

Wollard: Churchill County

Last week: Wright 4-1; Wollard 5-0

Season: Wright 179-48; Wollard 166-61

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

Week 14 schedule

Friday

Open/5A state semifinal

No. 2 Faith Lutheran at No. 1 Bishop Gorman, 7 p.m.

4A Southern Region final

No. 2 Sloan Canyon at No. 1 Mater East, 6 p.m.

1A state semifinal

No. 2N Mineral County at No. 1S Tonopah, 6 p.m.

Saturday

All games at 1 p.m.

3A state semifinals

No. 3N Spring Creek at No. 1S Moapa Valley

No. 2S Pahrump Valley at No. 1N Churchill County

2A state semifinals

No. 3S Lake Mead Academy at No. 1N Pershing County

No. 2N Coral Academy Reno at No. 1S Lincoln County, noon

1A state semifinal

No. 2S Pahranagat Valley at No. 1N Eureka