Columnist Spencer Patterson: Three schools to battle in Sunrise

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, March 30, 2000 | 10:11 a.m.

Spencer Patterson's prep sports notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at spencer@lasvegassun.com or 259-4085.

After three weeks of appetizers, Nevada prep baseball fans finally get the main course they've been waiting for on Friday.

And when the regular season kicks off, there's no question where most of the attention will be for the next month: squarely on the Southeast Division.

So far, that division has been home to the area's top three squads -- Silverado, Green Valley and Basic, all currently ranked among the state's top four teams.

For the next four weeks, that trio of Henderson-area schools will jockey for position to give themselves the best chance to win the Sunrise Region Tournament and earn the east side's lone state berth.

Long before the season began, the Skyhawks and Gators were pegged as the state's top two clubs. So far, they've done nothing to disappoint, with each dropping just one decision.

Green Valley is ranked No. 16 in the nation by Baseball America. Silverado is No. 20.

The biggest surprise has been Basic. Though the Wolves were expected to be solid this season, few could have predicted they would handle Durango, Bonanza and Las Vegas the way they have this preseason.

Basic's major test will come on Friday, when the Wolves host Green Valley. Things don't get any easier for the Gators after that, with Silverado lying in wait for next Tuesday's clash of the titans.

To be sure, the other half of the Sunrise Region can't be overlooked completely, with Eldorado and Las Vegas showing signs of life this spring.

But when postseason rolls around, the Southeast trio will be battle tested from going head-to-head twice apiece. And for whomever emerges from that group, the prize just might be a 4A state championship trophy.

* CADY SWIMS TO TITLE: Silverado sophomore Kurt Cady captured the 200 breaststroke at last week's short-course National Junior Champions (formerly known as Junior Nationals) in Anchorage, Alaska. His time of 2:02.62 was a personal best, just .03 seconds off an Olympic Trail qualifying time.

Eight other local swimmers competed in the event, which showcases the nation's top 19-and-under competitors: Basic's Riva Davidson, Bonanza's Liane Publow, Boulder City's Katie Tyler, Durango's Emily Simon, Green Valley's Anette Pesci and Beatrice Szillard, Las Vegas' Ryan Swift and Palo Verde's Kevin Williams.

Davidson, Tyler, Pesci and Szillard teamed up for a 400 medley relay time that qualified the foursome for the upcoming National Championships.

* RETURN OF OAK HILL: After a one-year absence, four-time champion Oak Hill (Va.) has recommitted to the Reebok Holiday Prep Classic boys basketball tournament.

The Warriors, who last captured the Holiday Prep championship in 1998, opted to participate in Hawaii's Nike Iolani Classic last winter. After winning that tournament, Oak Hill contacted Holiday Prep organizers and signed a contract for 2000.

One of the nation's prep powers, Oak Hill has produced more than 90 Division I players, including such NBA notables as Rod Strickland, Jerry Stackhouse and Ron Mercer.

"Oak Hill always attracts a lot of attention here in Las Vegas," Holiday Prep co-director Larry McKay said. "One year they lost in the second round, and they had more fans at their consolation games than we did for the semifinals."

* SMALL SCHOOL PLAYOFF CHANGES: Starting next year, it will be a bit harder for Nevada's smaller schools to earn berths into state tournaments.

This week, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association voted to shrink the size of all 1A, 2A and 3A state events to four teams, down from eight teams in most cases.

"We had developed a rule that, based on the number of schools in a classification, that no more than 25 percent of the teams will make the state tournament," McKay said. "In the 3A, they have only 13 schools but eight were going to state."

* TIDBITS: Basic senior Danielle Dodgen has signed with Dakota Wesleyan University (S.D.), a team coached by former Las Vegas High coach Geno Frugoli. ...

Boulder City senior Lee Hafen has been named Gatorade's Nevada boys basketball player of the year. The leading scorer in school history, Hafen is also the valedictorian of his class.