Las Vegas, Mesquite Virgin Valley, Yerington Rite of Passage and Pahranagat Valley Alamo lead the Pahrump Valley Times preseason Nevada high school football ratings.

All four are defending state champions and will be ranked No. 1 in the poll until their worthiness is questioned because of a loss.

Familiar teams will be in pursuit in each of the four classes.

In Class 4-A, Galena, Las Vegas Cimarron-Memorial, and Reno will be the primary challengers for Las Vegas.

Overton Moapa Valley, Dayton and Sparks will battle Virgin Valley for supremacy in the 3-A ratings.

Rite of Passage won the 2-A state championship last fall, beating Lincoln County in the finals. Both teams should be contenders for the top spot, in both the poll and the playoffs.

Alamo is riding a 24-game unbeaten streak and will be after its third consecutive playoff championship. Tonopah, Carlin, and Wells figure to be the best of the rest in Class A, the eight-man football division in Nevada.

The Times ratings will be published each Friday throughout the regular season, with the last poll to be published Nov. 2.

Times preseason 2007 high school football ratings

The Pahrump Valley Times Nevada High School football ratings. The ratings will be published each Friday during the regular season.

CLASS 4-A

1. Las Vegas

2. Cimarron-Memorial

3. Galena

4. Reno

5. Reno McQueen

6. Sparks Reed

7. Canyon Springs

8. Bishop Gorman

9. Reno Bishop Manogue

10. Douglas Minden

CHALLENGERS -- Reno North Valleys, Spring Valley, Del Sol, Elko.

CLASS 3-A

1. Virgin Valley

2. Moapa Valley

3. Dayton

4. Sparks

5. Spring Creek

6. LV Faith Lutheran

CHALLENGERS -- Truckee, Calif.; Winnemucca Lowry.

CLASS 2-A

1. Rite of Passage

2. Lincoln County

3. Battle Mountain

4. Lovelock

5. The Meadows

6. West Wendover

CHALLENGERS -- Needles, Calif.; Mineral County Hawthorne.

CLASS A

1. Alamo

2. Tonopah

3. Carlin

4. Wells

5. Eureka

6. Laughlin

7. Smith Valley

8. LV Calvary Chapel

CHALLENGERS -- Spring Mountain, Indian Springs.