The playoffs are right around the corner, and several matchups featuring teams with playoff aspirations are looking to build momentum during the final stretch. The Valley Mission leaders hit the road to take on a league rival riding a wave of energy following a memorable night at the Coliseum. The East Valley top dawgs face a road challenge in a battle of win streaks, and a West Valley matchup has playoff positioning implications in Woodland Hills. Here are the games you will not want to miss in the SFV this week:

North Hollywood Huskies (5-3) at Chavez Eagles (3-3) – at CCLA, 7 pm kickoff

On paper, this might feel like a one-sided affair. The North Hollywood Huskies haven’t lost a game in the East Valley since October of 2023, and they have not been challenged this season by anybody outside of the close victory over Arleta a few weeks ago. The Eagles have breathed new life into their season with the dominant wins over the bottom-half teams in the league over the last three weeks. The hope for Chavez to pull the upset is that while the competition may have been easier recently, the offense had time to figure some things out, as evidenced by the 118 points they have scored during their three-game win streak. The Eagles’ offense might be the least of their concerns this week, as their run defense faces a huge task. The Huskies have averaged 370 rush yards per game in their five contests against East Valley opponents in 2025.

Panorama Pythons (5-3) at #24 Van Nuys Wolves (8-1) – at Van Nuys HS, 7 pm kickoff

In what is most likely the most personal matchup on the slate this week happens in Van Nuys when the Pythons and the Wolves face off for the first time since the Panorama defeated Van Nuys in the D-III championship game last November. The Wolves come into this game as the favorites, having already posted 8 wins this season, but the argument can be made that this game for the Wolves is the one that matters the most. A win over their heated rivals on Senior night would give Van Nuys a ton of momentum heading into their bye week and would guarantee them their best finish in the Valley Mission in 13 years.

#5 Kennedy Cougars (7-1) at San Fernando Tigers (6-2) – at San Fernando HS, 7:30 pm kickoff

The Cougars have had a tremendous season and are one win away from locking up the Valley Mission crown. Standing in their way is a San Fernando team that has played great football of late, with their only loss in league play coming at the hands of the Van Nuys Wolves. The Tigers had a magical week eight, defeating Sylmar at the Coliseum. They can make the season even better if they can throw the Valley Mission into chaos by handing Kennedy a loss and inviting crazy tie-breaker scenarios heading into the final week of the regular season.

#2 Birmingham Patriots (5-3) at #18 Granada Hills Highlanders (4-4) – at Granada Hills HS, 7 pm kickoff

The Patriots are rolling as they usually are by this point in the season. They head to Granada Hills to face the Highlanders this week in a matchup that has provided interesting results in recent years. While the Stanley family may have been the catalyst for how formidable GHC was in past seasons, the current senior cast of the Highlanders has made its own mark this season. GHC will need a virtuoso performance from senior tailback Dean Rosales if the Highlanders want to keep this contest close. Kevin Hawkins and the Patriot offense have other plans, as the Pats know they can lock up not just the league,  but also home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the Open Division playoffs if they can take care of business in the final two weeks of the campaign.

#23 Cleveland Cavaliers (2-6) at #22 Taft Toreadors (5-3) – at Taft HS, 7:15 pm kickoff

The Cavs still hold their spot in the city section Top-25 despite their record because this team is far better than the record or even statistics would suggest. That is why this contest between Cleveland and Taft on Friday night is intriguing. Both teams sit in a position where they could end up either a top seed in D-II for playoffs, or a bottom seed in D-I in a couple of weeks. More importantly, these are two programs with head coaches in the second season that want to make noise and establish their programs as top threats to Birmingham in the years to come. To do that, you must put wins on the board in the West Valley. Both teams have squandered opportunities in league play, and this week is probably both teams’ final chance to notch a quality win that could change the perception of who they are, so close to playoff selection time.