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StumblePublished Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 | 3:58 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 | 4:04 p.m.
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The Nevada Interscholastic Athletics Association announced Wednesday that the 4A state semifinal game between the Sunrise and Sunset Regional champions will be played at Arbor View High School on Saturday Nov. 29 at 1 p.m.
Based on the annual rotation of the state bracket, the Sunrise Regional champion will be the home team.
The regional semifinals are Friday night at 7 p.m. Green Valley faces Las Vegas and Del Sol travels to Basic in the Sunrise bracket. Cimarron-Memorial will square off with Palo Verde while Cheyenne heads to Bishop Gorman in the Sunset region.
The Sunset/Sunrise winner will advance to the state title game at Mackay Stadium in Reno on Saturday Dec. 6 at 12:07 p.m.
If the rotation is in favor of the Sunrise and they will be the host team, then shouldn't the game be played at Valley High School, which is a location in the Sunrise Region. That's quite a long way to go for a defacto "home" game if you're Las Vegas, Green Valley, Del Sol, or Basic.
In addition, if there was a year that the Sunrise needed to host this game from one of the schools mentioned above, it is this year. The Sunset boats the top 3 teams in the city! Make it interesting and have the Sunset Champion travel the furthest point across the valley since the rotation is in favor of the Sunrise. Don't have the game in the far reaches of the Northwest Division and make it less accessible to the Sunrise Champion.
Due to the rotation, the Sunrise "home" team should be playing in a comfortable environment, not one they don't know or have never played at. And to add, the Sunset team will be on the visitor's side at Arbor View. Well, Cheyenne, Cimarron and Palo Verde are already used to that, only Bishop Gorman hasn't played there. So who's really the home team here?
For one, I am not in favor of the "alternate" environment, and here are some images to take in if you will.
Look at the teams left in the mix for the Sunrise title:
Las Vegas, their tradition is well known as well as their fan base, and the last time an undefeated Sunset team (Palo Verde in '03) went into Nails Stadium for a State Semi, the Wildcats sent them home convincingly in large part due to their home field advantage and large crowd.
Green Valley would love to host a State semi with their large spectator area and continue their cinderella run at home with LaQuan Phillips in attendance, although I don't see it happening. Sorry Gators fans, but you barely got by Bonanza and lost to Arbor View, the Northwest's 5th place team.
Del Sol would cherish the opportunity as the young school had one of the most spirited crowds I've seen this year, and relish the fact the Dragons weren't being beaten by Las Vegas again to end their season. Just as long as they didn't have to face Palo again after falling to the Panthers at home 34-6 in week 3.
Finally, and most notably, at Basic there wouldn't be an open seat left in the house. The fans of the oldest Henderson school would probably pack the visitors side as well and create a standing room only atmosphere. Since I am the Palo broadcaster, and if we can get by our opponents, this is the match-up I was hoping for, and at Basic!!! In front of a boisterous true "HOME" crowd.
What better way to watch a meaningful high school playoff game then to have all of the stands full, rather than a "home" game over 20 miles, if not more, from the Sunrise Champions "home" field and campus with just half of the stand full on each side.
David Bell -- Panthers Live play by play
www.network1sports.com/schools/paloverde...
David, I definitely understand your point. Unfortunately the NIAA tries to find a neutral site and then pick the home team for more official purposes than actual crowd/fan advantage.
I do not know all of the details of the selection of a school so far from the current semifinalists, but I do know that a large part of the decision to hold the state semifinal at Arbor View is because the Arbor View staff/administrators were willing to work on the weekend after Thanksgiving.
I suspect the NIAA did not have many choices in the matter.
I partly agree with you Dave. I agree that since the Sunrise Region team is the designated "home" team in this year's state semifinal, that a SUNRISE Region school should be hosting this game. I don't agree, however, that a team should have home field advantage in any state tournament game. It should be at a neutral site that is easily accessible and fair to everyone. Arbor View has a nice field and all, but there is no logic reason that they should be hosting this game, considering its location and the favoritism it gives to the Sunset Region team in a game where they are supposed to be the "visiting" team.
The only logical reason I believe that Arbor View is hosting this is because none of the Sunrise Region athletic administrators wanted to give up their Saturday during Thanksgiving weekend to have to work. I'm very surprised Valley wasn't the choice here, quite frankly. Ron Montoya (principal) usually steps up to the plate with things like this, but nowadays he has more of a basketball bias since he runs the adidas Super 64.
Steve this is the first neutral site game in Southern Nevada that I know of in quite some time between Las Vegas/Henderson schools in the 4A division leading to a possible state finals appearance. So "no", the NIAA doesn't try to find a neutral site all of the time.
I mentioned the '03 season earlier. In '02 Palo played at McQueen in a State semi, while in '04 Palo played McQueen in a State semi at PVHS, and Las Vegas travelled north to play at the Northern Regions other school in the snow, and won.
In '05 Palo Verde travelled to Las Vegas in a State semi, while Cimarron hosted Hug. In '06 Palo travelled to Reno to play at Galena. In '07 Palo was again on the road this time to play at Fertitta Field against Bishop Gorman in last year's classic.
So when it is a Vegas vs. Vegas game, a neutral site hasn't been employed. I know they have done this up in Reno using Damonte Ranch, but this is the first one in Vegas in a while.
DCVegas: I agree with the neutral site theory if it were say, the Silver Bowl. One school is always going to have the advantage of playing at a school more that the other team due to the division alignment. A school from the Sunrise Region definitely needs to step up here for the Sunrise schools still in the running and get this game changed.
Palo has been on the losing end of 5 straight games that they have had to travel to the opposing teams field for a state semi, however, I have thoroughly enjoyed going to those games for the ambience that is high school football. Yes, Palo lost on all 5 accounts, but two were great games.
I just believe if the game is in fact played at Arbor View, with the Sunrise as the "home" team, it is a joke and unfair to the Sunrise team, who ever makes it. Prior to the announcement, the Sunrise was going to host the game at the champions field.
Why all of the sudden the change? Yes, Valley or even Rancho would have been a great choice since all three schools mentioned have the artificial grass.
What if Basic makes it to that game? That would have been an awesome game for them to host, and the citizens of that Henderson area would have been able to stay at home and view a game against a team possibly ranked as the #1 team in Southern Nevada.
I just think it is a shame that LV, Green Valley, Del Sol or Basic don't get that opportunity, after it has been the norm for the last 7 + years.
David Bell --- Panthers Live Play by Play