By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
Each year the Moapa Valley High School Boys’ Basketball program inducts a former athlete from Moapa Valley to be included into its Wall of Fame. This year Logandale resident Nick Bowler was selected for this honor.
Bowler has been a life long Pirate. He entered his high school career as a freshman in 1963 and graduated as the Valedictorian of his class in 1968.
Bowler played three varsity sports for Moapa Valley, becoming a star player in Football, Basketball and Baseball. He was the starting quarterback for two of the Pirates state championship teams: the back to back champions in 1966 and 1967. He was the quarterback in the legendary game that beat Virgin Valley 103-0. He was named the Nevada offensive player of the year in his senior season.
Bowler also played on two state championship basketball teams that also won back to back championships in 1967 and 1968. He was selected to the All-state team both seasons.
In addition, Nick was the student body president and was a member of the Speech and Debate team. He played the lead role in two school musicals, was a member of the FFA and earned his Eagle Scout award.
After high school Nick attended UNLV where he earned his Bachelor and Master’s degrees. Nick is a devoted UNLV Rebel football and basketball fan. He rarely misses a Rebels home game.
Nick began his teaching career at Clark High School in 1977. In 1980 he moved back to Moapa Valley where he taught and coached football, boys and girls’ basketball, volleyball, baseball and golf. During his coaching career, Bowler’s football team won the state championship twice: the first in 1992 and the second in 1995.
Nick was undefeated as the head coach of the Moapa Valley boys’ basketball team, he was 1-0. He had to travel to Lovelock Nevada to coach a game after both Coach Keel and Mattson were ejected from a game against Dixie High School. The two were required to sit out of the next game which was a tournament game in Lovelock.
As an educator, Bowler was awarded the CCSD distinguished educator award in 2010, the veterans of foreign wars national citizenship education teacher award for 2009-10 and the UNLV outstanding faculty award in 1991-92. Nick was a teacher and coach for 35 years.
