VVHS Flag Football Shooting For Elusive State Title

By BOB SNELL

The Progress

The Virgin Valley High School girls flag football team has reached the 3A state championship game for four successive years — 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. In each of those years, unfortunately, grasping the state title trophy has eluded the Lady Bulldogs.

After having last season canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Virgin Valley’s “Grid Iron Girls” are ready to resume their quest for that elusive state title.

“We’ve got a ton of talent on this team,” VVHS head coach Joey Bowler said. “This may be the best group of receivers and overall speed we’ve ever had.”

Calla Haviland and Malia McComie, who were all-state selections as sophomores, return in the defensive secondary along with newcomer Kelly Denninghoff. Linebackers Cheyanne Hafen, McKenzie Averett and Miriam Ramirez will help solidify the defense.

Getting the ball in the hands of Haviland, McComie, Denninghoff, Logan Cude, and Diana Rosales, along with running backs Abby Felix and Graciee Draney, will be a top priority.
“We’re deep at running back this year,” Bowler said. “They will complement our receivers.”

The Lady Bulldogs will use two quarterbacks this season – senior Nina Miramontes and junior Gabby Potter.

Not being able to play last season hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm for flag football at VVHS as the coaching staff had over 60 girls show up for tryouts.
“Not playing a season put a chink in our assembly line,” Bowler said. “It meant that the incoming freshmen and most of the sophomores hadn’t played before.”

Several of the upperclassmen were able to play on a Mesquite club team last winter that competed against mostly 5A teams in Las Vegas. They finished 7-1 overall with their only loss coming to Bishop Gorman. The junior varsity also fielded a team and went 4-0.

Another plus for the program is the Clark County School District adding boys and girls flag football as a middle school sport this school year. Bowler coached the Hughes Middle School girls to the inaugural CCSD championship last month.

The Lady Bulldogs will have a loaded preseason schedule this year with Centennial, Coronado, Del Sol Academy, Legacy, SECTA and Moapa Valley. VVHS will also participate in two tournaments – its own Lady Bulldog Invitational and the Mustang Rodeo at Shadow Ridge High School in North Las Vegas.

“This may be the toughest schedule we’ve ever had,” Bowler said. “The reason I scheduled so many 5A and 4A teams is that they all have freshmen teams. A lot of the 3A schools in our league don’t have freshmen teams. I wanted our freshmen to be able play eight to ten games this year.”

The Lady Bulldog Invitational will be held this Friday and Saturday at the Mesquite Sports and Events Complex. The 16-team tournament will feature 5A and 4A teams such as Bishop Gorman, Liberty, Green Valley, Las Vegas High, Clark, Shadow Ridge and Palo Verde.