Prep playoffs produce few surprises; Green Valley QB improves

The archetypal week of the playoffs are successful the books for Class 5A, 4A and 3A, and determination weren’t galore surprises.

Bishop Gorman and Liberty cruised, arsenic expected. Thursday’s different 5A games — Foothill astatine Green Valley and Desert Pines astatine Arbor View — went down to the wire, with Foothill and Arbor View advancing.

In 4A, the location teams were 2-2, with Clark and Basic rolling, portion Cimarron-Memorial dropped a location crippled to Sierra Vista and Desert Oasis couldn’t travel backmost from a 21-0 shortage against Durango.

Virgin Valley and SLAM Nevada took attraction of concern astatine location successful 3A, with the second claiming the archetypal playoff triumph successful programme history.

Unfortunately, the nighttime took a crook for the worse erstwhile Green Valley elder backmost Josiah Kiaaina was injured successful the last infinitesimal of Thursday’s game. He was taken disconnected the tract connected a gurney and driven to a infirmary by ambulance.

Green Valley manager Brian Castro said Friday that Kiaaina’s information had improved.

“He’s doing well; he’s got question backmost successful each of his extremities,” Castro said. “They diagnosed it arsenic a spinal contusion.”

Castro said helium spoke to Kiaaina and his mother, “and it sounds similar they are conscionable waiting to get sent home” from the hospital.

“They’re finishing up a fewer much tests, and they’ve already taken the cervix brace disconnected him, truthful he’s doing well,” Castro said.

Kiaaina was injured erstwhile helium was tackled crossing the sideline adjacent the Green Valley bench. Castro said helium did not spot what happened.

“I conjecture there’s video somewhere, but I haven’t seen it,” helium said. “There was a collision connected the sideline, and from what I understand, it was benignant of a regular deal. There was decidedly caput interaction connected some sides. I conscionable consciousness that immoderate the space his caput was in, oregon his neck, was benignant of the issue.”

Castro said the nonaccomplishment was insignificant aft Kiaaina was injured.

“Scary woody for sure,” helium said. “It does enactment everything into position whether it’s our feline oregon different guy. These are kids playing a game, and you ne'er what to spot that happen.”

Game of the night

Can Arbor View and Desert Pines play each week? It seems arsenic if each clip they meet, it’s an implicit classical that isn’t decided until the last minutes.

That was the lawsuit Thursday, erstwhile Arbor View took a 17-7 lead, but had to travel up with a fourth-down halt astatine its 3-yard enactment and different aft a information made it a one-point game. The Aggies escaped with a 17-16 location win.

It’s the 2nd clip Arbor View defeated Desert Pines by 1 point. The Jaguars had a 21-7 halftime pb earlier the Aggies rallied for a 22-21 triumph Sept. 17.

Look-ahead

The 5A Southern Region semifinals are acceptable for Friday, with Foothill traveling to Gorman and Liberty hosting Arbor View. The Gaels and Patriots easy won the regular-season matchups.

In 4A and 3A, the apical seeds volition travel disconnected their bye weeks to big games Friday. In 4A, it volition beryllium Sierra Vista astatine Las Vegas, Durango astatine Shadow Ridge, Clark astatine Silverado and Basic astatine Coronado. In 3A, Moapa Valley hosts SLAM Nevada, and Pahrump Valley hosts Virgin Valley.

The 2A and 1A playoffs volition statesman adjacent week. The Meadows is the No. 1 effect from the 2A Southern Region, and Yerington tops the Northern Region.

In 1A, the 4 league champions are Pahranagat Valley (Central), Spring Mountain (South), Eureka (East) and Virginia City (West).

Contact Jason Orts astatine jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts connected Twitter.