Faith Lutheran and Bishop Gorman set for state soccer showdown

High school athletes in Clark County begin their state tournament runs this week with intense matches in soccer and volleyball. The season culminates in championship games scheduled for the coming days. Teams from the Southern Region face Northern opponents in several classifications. Local fans can watch top programs like Bishop Gorman and Faith Lutheran compete for hardware.

The 5A girls soccer state semifinals kick off Wednesday at Faith Lutheran. No. 1-seeded Bishop Gorman plays No. 4 Centennial at 5 p.m. No. 2 Faith Lutheran faces No. 3 Arbor View at 6:30 p.m. Both top seeds received byes to the final four. They have not played in nearly two weeks. This break follows a highly competitive season where Gorman, Faith Lutheran, and Arbor View were separated by just one game in the league standings.

Faith Lutheran aims to win its third consecutive 5A title. The Crusaders are 1-0-2 against Arbor View this season. Their last meeting resulted in a 2-2 draw on Oct. 19. Bishop Gorman defeated Centennial twice earlier in the year. Both victories were decided by a single goal. Gorman suffered a 5-1 loss to Arbor View on Oct. 21 in its final match before the break.

The 5A boys soccer tournament takes place at Faith Lutheran on Friday and Saturday. Arbor View, which won the Southern Region title over Palo Verde on penalty kicks, plays Sparks at 5 p.m. Friday. Palo Verde faces Northern champion Hug at 6:45 p.m. Arbor View seeks its first boys soccer state title. Palo Verde, making its fourth straight state tournament appearance, last won a championship in 2021.

Girls volleyball action also heats up this week. Faith Lutheran faces Carson at 7 p.m. Thursday in the 5A state semifinal at UNR’s Virginia Street Gym. Bishop Gorman plays Northern champion Manogue at 5:20 p.m. Gorman has won the state title in the top classification six of the last seven years. Faith Lutheran defeated Gorman 3-1 in the Southern Region final to advance. This is the first time since 2018 that Faith Lutheran has reached the state tournament.

The 4A girls volleyball state semifinals occur Wednesday at Sierra Vista. The Mountain Lions, who have not lost to a Nevada opponent this season, host Sky Pointe at 5 p.m. Silverado plays Desert Oasis at 6:30 p.m. Sierra Vista won the 4A title last year. Desert Oasis was the only team to push Sierra Vista to five sets in a match this season.

The 4A boys soccer tournament is hosted by Spring Valley. Defending champion Sunrise Mountain plays Cimarron-Memorial at 5 p.m. Thursday. Green Valley faces Chaparral at 6:30 p.m. Sunrise Mountain is seeking its fourth state title. Cimarron-Memorial has not reached a state semifinal since 2015. Green Valley was the state runner-up in both 2021 and 2022.

The 3A girls soccer state tournament begins Friday at Reed High School in Reno. Moapa Valley plays South Tahoe at 2 p.m. Boulder City faces Truckee at noon. Moapa Valley is making its first state semifinal appearance. Boulder City last reached the state tournament in 2021. The 3A boys tournament also takes place at Reed High School. Pahrump Valley plays Truckee at 6 p.m. Friday. Virgin Valley faces South Tahoe at 4 p.m. Both Pahrump Valley and Virgin Valley are seeking their first boys soccer state titles.