Week Nine of the regular season serves up plenty of hearty matchups that could decide just how dramatic things could be when we hit the final week. The Valley Mission and East Valley feature battles that could set up winner-take-all scenarios in Week ten. The West Valley features a showdown between two squads looking to better their playoff positions, while the Southern Section gives us a Homecoming matchup at LAVC that will decide the winner of the Camino Real League. Here’s what’s on tap that you need to see in the SFV this week:

Grant Lancers (4-4) at #23 Arleta Mustangs (6-2) – 10/25, Arleta High School, 3:30 pm kickoff

Its been a roller coaster of a season for the Lancers and this game should be a microcosm of that. the Mustangs have been rolling since dropping their opener in the East Valley to North Hollywood. If Arleta doesn’t come with their A-game, this is definitely a Lancer team that can take advantage of that. this game feels like it could be very similar to the contest Arleta played against Taft a few weeks ago. Last team to have the ball could win it.

#24 El Camino Real Royals (3-5) at #16 Cleveland Cavaliers (4-4) – 10/25, Cleveland High School, 7 pm kickoff

It is an absolutely guantlet in the West Valley this season, and just about every team (not named Birmingham) seemingly can beat the other on any given week. but this matchup is about a lot more than just second place in the West Valley. The winner of this contest puts themselves in a prime opportunity to grab a higher seed in the D-I playoffs, and getting that first game at home gives yopu the best route to making a deeper run. Expect a dogfight between these two teams with the outcome being too close for me to even think abut predicting.

Chavez Eagles (4-3) at Verdugo Hills Dons (6-2) – 10/25, Verdugo Hills High School, 7 pm kickoff

The Dons have quietly put together a season that could be one to remember if they can find a way to get it done this week. The Huskies and a shiot at the Least Valley championship are looming in Week Ten, but before that happens the Dons have to take care of business at home against Chavez. The Eagles are not in contention to win the league, but a chance to get to five wins puts them in position to have a chance to be a top seed in Division II in two weeks.

St Monica Mariners (6-1) at St. Genevieve Valiants (5-1) – 10/25, LA Valley College, 7 pm kickoff

The Southern Section offers upa big matchup in the Camino Real League between the Valley’s Saint Genevieve Valiants and Saint Monica at LAVC. These two teams have looked like the class of the league all season, and this battle will decide who gets the crown. This has been a season of resurgence for both schools, and what way to cap iy off than to win the league. This is St Gen’s first season back in the Camino Real after spending the last two seasons in the Del Rey. This is the Mariners third season in the league after playing in the Santa Fe league previously. A win today would not only ruin the Valiants Homecoming celebration, but put the bow on what St. Monica has been building towards the last two seasons.

Granada Hills Highlanders (2-6) at Chatsworth Chancellors (4-4) – 10/25, Chatsworth high School, 7 pm kickoff

Most of the season the conversation around the Highlanders has focused around the rebuilding efforts with so many central figures now gone from the Granada Hills program that dominated competition the last few seasons. They have shown glimpses of brilliance this season, but with one of the toughest schedules in the city and a handful of inexperienced players getting prominent time, it has been an uphill struggle. With just two games left in the regular season, the Highlanders find themselves out of the top-25 rankings and potentially sliding out of Division I come postseason. If the Highlanders have any chance of making noise in the postseason, it has to start this week on the road at league rival Chatsworth. The Chancellors also find themselves looking for consistency and will look to build on a good team effort at Taft with a win against an opponent they have not beaten since 2015. Neither of these teams are built to boat race anybody this year, so expect a tight battle that goes down to the wire.

VST Game of the Week

#24 El Camino Real Royals (3-5) at #16 Cleveland Cavaliers (4-4) – 10/25, Cleveland High School, 7 pm kickoff

It is an absolutely guantlet in the West Valley this season, and just about every team (not named Birmingham) seemingly can beat the other on any given week. but this matchup is about a lot more than just second place in the West Valley. The winner of this contest puts themselves in a prime opportunity to grab a higher seed in the D-I playoffs, and getting that first game at home gives yopu the best route to making a deeper run. Expect a dogfight between these two teams with the outcome being too close for me to even think abut predicting.