Preps: New zone benefits Southern Nevada schools

Spencer Patterson

Tuesday, March 23, 1999 | 10:17 a.m.

Las Vegas-area high schools won a major victory off the field on Monday, as the state's governing body voted in favor of a realignment proposal that will increase local participation in state playoff events.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) Board of Control voted 8-1 to split the state into three regions (or zones) beginning in the fall of 2000. Currently, Nevada is divided into two zones -- northern and southern.

Under the new system, Southern Nevada will be home to two of the three regions -- the Sunrise Region and the Sunset Region. That means that Las Vegas-area schools' representation in state playoff events will double that of northern schools.

"I think it's a fair and equitable way to go into the 21st century," Larry McKay, Clark County School District Athletic Director, said. "It goes a long way to equating the number of schools in both parts of the state."

The new plan, which will be in place from 2000 until the end of the 2003-2004 academic year, came in response to Southern Nevada's recent population boom. Next year, the Las Vegas area will be home to 21 4A high schools, compared with 12 in all of Northern Nevada.

"I think it's certainly fair, and anybody that looks at it carefully will see that," NIAA Executive Director Jerry Hughes said.

Although exact state tournament formats have yet to be determined, one thing is certain: the new plan will mean the end of Las Vegas' long-standing tradition of crowning a zone or city champion in each sport.

"Traditions die hard, but they have to change when they have to change," Hughes said.

"I'll miss it because I'm kind of used to it," Durango volleyball coach Bob Kelly said. "But it will shift the feelings from a city championship to a state tournament, and that will make the state tournament more exciting."

In a survey taken last month, 4A schools voted 26-6 in favor of the new plan, with Vo-Tech the only Southern Nevada school opposed.

"Something had to be done, obviously," Mojave football coach Mike Gutowski said. "We felt we should have more teams in the playoffs since we'll have more than 20 schools down here next year."

And although northern schools Carson, Churchill County, Douglas, Elko and South Tahoe originally voted against the proposal, Hughes said there was little opposition at Tuesday's board meeting.

"I think when you look at the whole picture, this was a fair way to do it," Nick Brockovich, McQueen's athletic director and girls basketball coach, said.

In the coming months, the NIAA will choose between two playoff options -- one that would rotate an uneven number of state tournament berths between the three regions and another that would give each region equal representation but would require the use of byes in state brackets.

Also on Tuesday, the NIAA voted to eliminate the "super-state" wrestling tournament, which gave the top wrestlers from Class 1A, 2A and 3A a chance to compete at the 4A state tournament.

Beginning next year, 1A and 2A schools will have a combined state wrestling tournament, while Class 3A and 4A will each hold their own events. The sites of those tournaments have yet to be determined.

The NIAA also voted to keep the 4A boys and girls state basketball tournament in Reno and to move the 4A baseball and softball state tournaments to Las Vegas permanently.

The 4A state football championship will rotate between Reno and Las Vegas on an annual basis, with next year's game slated to be played in Reno. If two teams from the same part of the state make the finals, however, the game will be played in their region, regardless of whose turn it is in the rotation.

In other moves, Lowry High dropped from Class 4A to 3A, while 3A schools Incline, Whittell, Pershing County, Mineral County, Battle Mountain and White Pine dropped into Class 2A. Lincoln County, Beatty and Wells dropped from 2A into 1A.