It’s the final Week of the regular season, and while two of the three league titles in the SFV are locked up, the East Valley championship will be decided in a rivalry matchup in Sun Valley. The postseason begins next week, but playoff positioning still has a lot to be decided, with several key matchups that will shape where teams land when the brackets are released this weekend. Here is what you need to be paying attention to as action gets going tonight in the Valley:

Taft Toreadors (4-5) at Granada Hills Highlanders (4-5) – 7 pm kickoff, Granada Hills High School

Both Taft and Granada Hills have had seasons that mirror each other. Both squads have felt the highs of quality victories and the disappointment that comes with defeat. Despite the rollercoaster ride both teams have been on, Week Ten offers a chance for two teams to head into the postseason riding the positive momentum that only beating a league rival can provide. This game promises to be a back-and-forth affair that should get both sides primed for next week when the playoffs begin.

Chatsworth Chancellors (5-4) at Cleveland Cavaliers (9-0) – 7 pm kickoff, Cleveland High School

In what promises to be an emotional night in Reseda, the Cavaliers will celebrate their seniors and their first-ever West Valley League championship. The Cavs have dominated the competition all season long and are sure to be an Open Division playoff participant. You could argue that, with everything going on at the school and the festive atmosphere and excitement of what’s to come, Cleveland might not have its focus fully on its opponent this evening. Can the Chancellors capitalize on the distractions and steal their sixth win of the season? We shall see.

Birmingham Patriots (4-5) at El Camino Real Royals (4-5) – 7 pm kickoff, El Camino Real High School

The Pats have had an uncharacteristic campaign. They struggled to find their identity early in the season. They didn’t quite look like themselves for a while, and ultimately, they will head into the postseason not as the West Valley Champs for the first time since 2017. While this is uncharted territory for Birmingham, it has seemed to refocus the team, as they have been a wrecking ball since dropping their league opener to Cleveland. They will look to finish strong this week, challenging an Elco squad that is young but has shown in the last two weeks that the youthful talent permeating this team might be ready to take a big step forward. They can prove that tonight by pulling off an upset at home versus the Pats.

Panorama Pythons (6-3) at Sylmar Spartans (5-4) – 7 pm kickoff, Sylmar High School

It’s easy to look past the Panorama Pythons, since they’ve had to share real estate with one of the dominant programs in the City Section for the last three years: the Kennedy Cougars. In 2026, the Pythons are the only team in the Valley Mission that has played relatively close to the Cougars. The Pythons are a tough bunch and poised to make a solid run at a city championship, and the same can be said for their opponent this evening, the Sylmar Spartans. Tim Tanner Jr. has carried the offensive load since returning to the lineup, and if the Spartans are to head into the postseason on a hot streak, they will need him to do it one more time to close out his regular-season career. Another caveat is that this game will likely decide who makes the DI playoff bracket and who slides down into DII next week.

VST Game of the Week

Arleta Mustangs (7-2) at Poly Parrots (8-1) – 7 pm kickoff, Polytechnic High School

When the regular season began, we all saw the wide-open East Valley League race as one that would come down to the final week, with the championship possibly decided on the field at Sun Valley Poly. We have arrived at just that scenario. The Arleta Mustangs looked like they may have blown their chance to take the league when they lost at home to Verdugo Hills two weeks ago. Still, by virtue of Poly beating the Dons last week, the Mustangs’ league title dreams remained alive, and now they head to Sun Valley looking to snatch two trophies away from the Parrots to close the regular season. That will be easier said than done, though, as the Parrots have looked as impressive as any team in the city this season, coming into the contest having won eight in a row and beating opponents by an average of 35 points. Coach Boo Williams made it very clear that he wanted to take over the East Valley and make the Poly program the standard for other teams in the league to chase. They can make that mission statement a reality with a home win tonight.