High school football will look different in Southern Nevada in 2026.
Thirty Clark County School District football programs in the 5A and 4A classifications in March will not compete for a state championship.
Meanwhile, the remaining seven private and charter schools in the 5A and 4A will all play one another to fill the voids left by the CCSD teams, and all teams will make the playoffs.
The new NIAA playoff format and CCSD grouping placements and schedule might cause some confusion, but they haven’t affected who the top high school football teams in Southern Nevada should be when the games get going.
Here is the Review-Journal’s preseason top 10 high school rankings:
1. Bishop Gorman
Season outlook: No matter the opponents, Bishop Gorman is the overwhelming favorite to win a sixth straight state title. The Gaels’ bigger task will be winning a fifth mythical national title. Their nonleague schedule includes a showdown with St. John Bosco on Aug. 21 at Gorman’s Fertitta Field. The Gaels follow with road games at Columbus (Florida) on Aug. 29, Lone Peak (Utah) on Sept. 4 and Mater Dei (California) on Sept. 18. At the end of Gorman’s schedule, it’s expected that the Gaels could participate in a four-team Overtime Nationals tournament with teams from around the country that will crown a national champion. Gorman is ranked No. 2 nationally by MaxPreps and No. 3 by USA Today.
2. Liberty
Season outlook: Liberty lost a heartbreaker to Arbor View in the Open Division state semifinals. This year, the Patriots are expected to be the top local public school and should be the favorite in the playoff-like format for the top group of CCSD independent teams. The Patriots will play Foothill, Coronado, Desert Oasis and Las Vegas High in their group and could match up with Arbor View and/or Centennial in the battle for the Superintendents Cup.
Despite being independent, Liberty will still play quality out-of-state teams this year, including a road game at Mililani (Hawaii) on Aug. 14 and a home game with Skyridge (Utah) on Sept. 14. The Patriots have eight returning starters on defense and one of the top QB-RB duos in the area with QB Selby Griego and BYU commit Ezra Sanelivi at RB.
3. Arbor View
Season outlook: Over the last two seasons, Arbor View has been the top public school in Southern Nevada with the Aggies reaching the state title game in the top classification in 2024 and 2025. Arbor View lost to Gorman both times, falling to the Gaels 44-7 in the Open Division state title game last year. This year Arbor View will play top out-of-state teams like Hamilton (Arizona), West (Utah), Lincoln (California) and Carlsbad (California). The Aggies are in a group with Centennial, Shadow Ridge, Mojave and Desert Pines.
Despite beating northwest rival Centennial 45-6, it’s expected Centennial and Arbor View will battle for the top spot in the group and could challenge Liberty for the Superintendents Cup in the top grouping of teams. The Aggies’ offense is one of the best in the state with Oregon State commit Thaddeus Thatcher at QB, WRs Damani Warren (Texas A&M commit) and Kai Cypher (UNLV), and TE Zac Fares (UCLA).
4. Centennial
Season outlook: Centennial came up a game short of reaching its third straight state title game after surrendering a 28-point lead to Faith Lutheran in the 5A Southern Region title game. But with a lot of returners from its 2025 team, Centennial is expected to be one of the top CCSD programs this season. One of the top games of the year will be a road game for the Bulldogs at Arbor View on Sept. 10 that could determine first place in their respective CCSD group.
Centennial opens its season with Coronado and out-of-state games with Cathedral (California), Burbank (California) and Perry (Arizona). The Bulldogs feature some top Division I talent with three-star Minnesota commits Jayden Thomas and Maxwell Miles, and OL Laseth Bryant, a UNLV commit among the notable multi-year varsity starters.
5. Sloan Canyon
Season outlook: Sloan Canyon showed last year in its third season of football that the Pirates can compete with the area’s top teams. Sloan Canyon’s lone loss was to McQueen in the 4A state title game. The Pirates return 39 players from last year’s team that outscored teams 557-21 and brought in several high-profile transfers who should help the continue their dominance.
Sloan Canyon will get a rematch with McQueen on Aug. 29 at UNR and open the season with Central East (California), ranked nationally No. 89 by MaxPreps on Aug. 14. As a charter school, Sloan Canyon will get a shot at 5A teams in the regular season – Bishop Gorman on Oct. 9 and Faith Lutheran on Oct. 23. With four teams in 4A – Sloan Canyon, Mater East, SLAM! Nevada and Cadence – all four teams will qualify for the 4A Southern Region playoffs.
6. Foothill
Season outlook: Foothill was caught in the middle of the wild controversy surrounding the NIAA’s HRM system last year that made multiple changes to the Open Division and 5A Southern Region playoff bracket. This year, the Falcons, known for their dynamic passing attack, should be one of the top CCSD independent schools with most of their offensive skill position players returning.
Foothill, known for its dynamic passing attack, is expected to put up a lot of points again with returning QB Ryder Dobbs, who threw 24 touchdowns and averaged 18.5 yards per completion.
7. Faith Lutheran
Season outlook: Faith Lutheran found its groove late in 2025 and made an incredible run to the 5A state title game for the program’s third straight appearance in the title game. In coach Jay Staggs’ first season in 2025, the Crusaders set a strong foundation that makes them one of the top teams in 2026.
With only three teams in the 5A Southern Region, the first and second-place teams will play in a state semifinal. The winner advances to play the third-place team in the Open Division state title game and the loser drops to the 5A state title game to play the Northern champion, so Faith Lutheran will reach a state title game for a fourth straight year and could challenge for the 5A title.
8. Mater East
Season outlook: There is another charter school football program on the rise led by a group of former UNLV players. Mater East boasts one of the more talented rosters, with several Division I prospects, in the area with former UNLV football player and Desert Pines graduate Tim Hough entering his first full season coaching the program. The Knights feature 20 returners from last year’s team that lost to eventual 4A Southern Region champion Sloan Canyon in the region semifinals. Mater East will get a test in its season opener with a game at Faith Lutheran on Aug. 14, and out-of-state opponents in California schools Victor Valley, University City and Grant, and Layton Christian (Utah).
9. Desert Oasis
Season outlook: Desert Oasis is in what might be the most challenging CCSD group with Liberty, Foothill, Coronado and Las Vegas High, but the Diamondbacks have returning starters at offensive skill positions and on defense who make the Diamondbacks one of the more complete teams and a challenger in the group. The Diamondbacks will have a new quarterback in Preston Helsham, but the senior has been the team’s quarterback-in-waiting the last two seasons and is expected to keep up the team’s offensive production.
10. Moapa Valley
Season outlook: Moapa Valley is the standard in 3A and the Pirates can compete with some teams in the higher classifications in the area. Moapa Valley came up short in last year’s 3A title game. The Pirates are primed to make another run at the title game with many returners from last year.
The 3A was not impacted by the CCSD independence movement, but the classification will have four teams – Moapa Valley, Virgin Valley, Boulder City and Pahrump Valley. Moapa Valley should battle with rival Virgin Valley for the top spot, where the regular-season champion hosts a 3A state semifinal against a Northern team.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
