By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
3A Boys
In 2013, the NIAA decided on the infamous realignment to bring underachieving 4A schools down to the southern 3A. Since then, the existing 3A schools: Moapa Valley, Virgin Valley and Boulder City have been eliminated from the basketball state tournament on the boy’s side.
The 2011 season was the last year that a true southern 3A school won the state championship. That was Moapa Valley.
Times have changed since then. The boy’s state tournament has been owned and operated by the former 4A. Desert Pines, Clark, Elko and Lowry, all former 4A schools, have been regulars ever since.
The point is, for many years now the small schools have been denied a chance to fairly compete in a state championship in basketball. The question is, will it continue? Of course, it will!
Regional Championships
Boulder City Vs. Mojave
Boulder City started off by hosting the Mojave Rattlers. The Eagles had finished as the second seed in the Sunrise with an overall record of 20-6 and a league record of 10-2. The Rattlers were the third seed from the Sunset with an overall record of 16-10 and finished 5-5 in league.
The game between the Eagles and Rattlers started off fast. Both teams found the basket often ending up tied, 18-18, by the end of the first quarter.
Mojave took control of the second quarter holding the Eagles to eight-points for a twelve-point 38-26 lead by halftime.
The Eagles cut the Rattler lead to eight-points by the end of the third then tied the game at the end of regulation to send it into overtime by scoring a 27-19 advantage during the fourth quarter.
Noah Sherrand of Mojave would end the dreams of the Eagles when he made the shot that gave the Rattlers the win in the closing seconds of the game.
The Eagles, 20-7 overall, were the only team in the southern 3A with 20 wins in the regular season. They were also the only true 3A team to play in the tournament.
Del Sol Vs. Cheyenne
Cheyenne came away with a 74-60 win over the Dragons eliminating Del Sol from the post season.
Cheyenne started the game with a 24-11 run for a big lead. Del Sol could never catch the Desert Shields.
Chaparral vs Sunrise Mtn.
Chaparral hosted the fourth seed from the Sunset, Sunrise Mountain. The Cowboys would come away as the only team for the Sunrise to get a win in the first round of the regional tournament.
But the Miners didn’t make it easy. They led 31-26 at half time building the small lead in the second quarter after a 13-13 tie to start the quarter.
Chaparral went on a 21-9 run through the third quarter and finished with a 13-6 fourth quarter to advance to the regional semi-finals.
SECTA vs. Desert Pines
Not much to mention about the Roadrunners in this one as they were held to just 16-points for the whole game. Desert Pines beat them 61-16. The Jaguars scored 17-4 first quarter then a 26-2 second quarter for a 43-6 halftime lead.
Semifinals
Chaparral vs Cheyenne
Chaparral was beaten by the 2nd seed from the Sunset, 64-50. It was a 12-4 second quarter run for Cheyenne that was the difference.
Chaparral got hot in the fourth quarter scoring 24-points, but they could not stop the Desert Storm as they scored 25.
Desert Pines vs. Mojave
In the other semi-final game Desert Pines was not going to allow the Mojave Rattlers any chance to hang around as they had a couple of weeks ago. The Jaguars were consistent and solid as they scored 15-15-15 and 17-points respectively during the four quarters. Mojave was consistent also; just not as strong. They scored 8-9-9 and 10-points during the same four quarters.
Southern Championships
In what may be a preview of the state championship game this week, Desert Pines defense turned up the heat and held the Desert Storm to five-points in the first quarter and just four-points in the second quarter for a halftime lead of 25-9.
The pace picked up in the third quarter as Cheyenne made a valiant attempt to get back into the game. They outscored the Jaguars 22-16 for a 41-31 Jaguar lead.
Cheyenne continued the hot hand but could not stop the Jaguars. The Jaguars finished the game with a 25-point fourth quarter with Cheyenne scoring 21 of their own for a 66-52 Jaguar win and the top seed from the south.
Northern Championships
Elko continued to dominate the northern 3A on the boy’s side.
The Indians started the northern regional tournament with a win over Fernley. The Elko Indians had won a first-round bye with the league championship. They beat Fernley 62-46 in Elko where the tournament was held.
With the win the Indians played rival Spring Creek in the regional final. They beat the Spartans 55-44 to win the top seed from the north in the state tournament.
Spring Creek became the second seed. The Spartans started the tournament as the fourth seed and played the Dayton Dust Devils to start the tournament. The beat Dayton 47-35 in the first-round game, then beat the second seed Fallon 57-55 to qualify for the state tournament and play Elko.
Outlook for State Finals
Desert Pines will face Spring Creek in the first round of the state playoffs this Friday. Sound familiar? It does to Spring Creek as they travelled to Desert Pines for the state football semi-finals this year and the state football championship last year where they were beaten handily. It will be the final thing the seniors of Spring Creek will remember. They will likely be beaten unless they are provided with a miracle.
Cheyenne will play Elko in the first round, the same team they beat last year in the first round of the state tournament last year.
Southern 3A Girls
In the first playoff round, Boulder City played Mojave. The Eagles had an eight-point 23-15 lead at halftime. It was a seven-point lead by the end of their third quarter. Then Mojave outscored the Eagles 20-11 in the fourth quarter for the 50-48 win.
In the second round the Rattlers squeezed a win in a triple overtime thriller over Moapa Valley in the regional semi-final.
In the regional final, the Rattlers went up against Virgin Valley. They trailed the Bulldogs 33-23 by the end of the third quarter. That’s when Mojave turned up the heat and pressure and outscored the Dawgs 29-10 for a 52-43 championship win and the top seed from the south.
The Rattlers will face the second seed from the north Lowry.
Virgin Valley is the second seed and will play the favorite and defending state champion, Fallon, in the first round of the state tournament.
Virgin Valley made it to the regional final by beating Cheyenne in Mesquite on a last second put back by Jessica Barnum as the horn sounded in the first round of the regional tournament.
The Bulldogs were trailing 38-35 to start the fourth quarter. Alexis Boatright was the leading scorer for Virgin Valley with 17-points. Brielle Jefferson led Cheyenne with 14-points.
In the regional semi-final Virgin Valley beat Chaparral 56-50. Savanah Price lead the Dawgs with 16-points. Riahana Davis scored 21-points for Chaparral.
Chaparral had beaten the Sunset league regular season champion Pahrump Valley 46-43 in the first round. Chaparral held a brief 47-45 lead with about three minutes to play in the game but fell apart as they turned the ball over four times and did not score again.
