With the regular season hitting the final stretch, there is still a lot on the line for all the teams in the San Fernando Valley. The list of must-see action includes three Homecoming matchups with high stakes, a “Senior Night” battle in the West Valley, and a battle in Sun Valley for the annual Victory cup for two East Valley foes. Here are the games you do not want to miss in the SFV in week number Eight of the football season:

Arleta Mustangs (5-2) at Poly Parrots (4-3) – 7pm kickoff, Poly High School

The Victory cup is on the line when Arleta and Poly renew their rivalry in Sun Valley this evening. The Mustangs have rebounded well from their early season inconsistencies and look like the Arleta team we have grown accustomed to seeing in the East Valley. That does not mean that this will be an easy game by any stretch of the imagination, as this Poly bunch has something to prove after coming up short on the road at Verdugo Hills last week. I fully expect a slugfest between these two teams.

Granada Hills Highlanders (2-5) at El Camino Real Royals – 7pm kickoff, El Camino Real High School

The Highlanders ahve not had the easiest season, but there is still excitement around what could be to come as the season wounds down. They head on the road to face a motivated ElCo team on their Senior Night, so expect emotions to be runiing high in this one. Beyond just the West valley, these are two teams that figure into the D-I plans when the postseason starts, so a win here for either could do wonders for their position amongst the group of teams that will be jockeying for potential home games when the playoffs begin.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3) at Birmingham Patriots (2-4) – 7pm kickoff, Birmingham High School

The Cavaliers have been a team seemingly on the doorstep of success for a few seasons now. To get where they want to go, they know that Birmingham is a mountain tha tmust be conquered. Cleveland will get their chance to spoil the Patriots Homecoming festivities when they face off tonight. That will be easier said than done, seeing as Birmingham has won their first two West Valley Matchups by a combined score of 121-7. Dont count this Cavs bunch out though. they have already shown this season that they can deliver a counter punch with the best the city has to offer.

VST CO-Games of The Week

Sylmar Spartans (5-3) at Kennedy Cougars (5-2) – 7 pm kickoff, Sylmar High School

The Spartans have been a pleasant surprise this season to me as i had them finishing fourth in the Valley Mission this year. After a 1-3 start in their non-league slate, the Spartans have hit the ground running in the Valley Mission. They beat their first three league opponents by an average of 35 points, before pulling the upset over San Fernando to move to 4-0 in the Valley Mission. Their dreams of winning the league hit a huge roadblock tonight when they face the Kennedy Cougars who have racked up a 42-point margin of victory over their first three league opponents this season. It is hard to predict which way this game will go, but the biggest factor will be who controls the tempo. Kennedy will never shy away from a track meet with the weapons they have on offense, so it will be imperative for the Spartans to keep the game very deilibrate and control possesion. Montes cant beat you stanfing on the sidelines. Either way expect a lot of highlights from this contest.

Verdugo Hills Dons (5-2) at Grant Lancers (4-3) – 7pm kickoff, Grant High School

The Dons were a pillar of inconsistency the last two seasons, but Coach Jackson has re wired the Verdugo Hills program and the results are showing on the field. The most impressive aspect of Verdugo’s succes this season has been resiliency. After a tough 20-18 loss on the road at Roybal to open the season, they bounced back by winning their next four games by an average of 24 points. They followed a rough outing on the road at Arleta with a gritty 17-14 victory last week over Poly. They will have to prove their ability to counter puch again this week on the road at Grant. The Lancers have run hot and cold this season, but when Franco Stasilli’s offense is in gear they put up big numbers. If the Dons can keep them in check and come away from this game with a victory, the conversation around their league title chances will get consideraly louder.