Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

From the Press Box:

A new season of league play begins

Welcome to 2009.

The start of a new year always brings about talk of goals and resolutions, most of which are hardly thought of by the time February rolls around.

For the athletes at Boulder City High, the new year also marks the start of a new season. Kind of.

The boys and girls basketball teams start 3A Southern League on Jan. 9 hosting Moapa Valley. Both the wrestling squad and bowling teams started their league matches before the winter break.

Most coaches and athletes will say league games are the only ones that count, and they are right.

The goal of every team is to win the state title, and the path to getting there is pretty obvious. To reach the state tournament, a team must first make the regional tournament. Qualifying for the regional tournament is based on a team's play in regular season against division opponents.

Take a look at the NFL playoffs.

The New England Patriots went 11-5 and didn't make the postseason, while the San Diego Chargers went 8-8 and made it. The difference is how each team performed against the members of its respective division. The Patriots won more games, but the Chargers won the games that counted.

It's not much different at the high school level. It's nice to win the non-conference games that look flashy, but it's really not important.

Fortunately for the members of the 3A South, all four schools already have postseason berths because it is a four team league. While that may diminish some of the importance of league games, there are still plenty of reasons why league games are so important.

The first is seeding. The 3A Southern Division tournament is at a neutral site — Desert Oasis — this year. With state taking place in Las Vegas this year at the Orleans Arena, the two teams that reach the league championship game earn bids to the state tournament.

There's a greater chance of being one of those final two as the No. 1, 2 or 3 seed than the No. 4.

Another is rivalry. The Eagles' 50-47 win against Faith Lutheran last year was one of the team's biggest wins since capturing the state title in 1999. No doubt the Crusaders will be looking for payback, while Boulder City wants to make sure that wasn't a once in a lifetime occurrence.

There's also the games against Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley, which will both be difficult tests for Boulder City.

League play is under way and it's time to let the fun begin.

Brent Hinckley is the Boulder City News sports writer and can be reached at 990-7822 or [email protected].

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