Action to shift into high gear

Adam Candee

Monday, May 5, 2003 | 9:56 a.m.

The Nevada prep sports year comes to a momentous close over the next two weeks as regional and state tournaments in six sports hit the Valley.

The action gets under way today at Boulder Creek Golf Course in Boulder City, where the Sunrise Regional boys' lf tournament begins a fortnight that closes with the 4A state baseball and softball championships May 17.

In baseball and softball, the competition will be a bit more fierce in the Sunrise Region, where only the top two finishers will qualify for next week's state tournament.

The Sunrise and Sunset baseball playoffs get under way Wednesday across Las Vegas and Henderson, and the competition looks to be wide open. The entire Southeast division lineup of Green Valley, Silverado, Foothill, and Basic should be strong on the Sunrise side, and Centennial, Cimarron-Memorial, Bishop Gorman, Sierra Vista and Durango are ready to battle for the crown in the Sunset.

On the softball diamond, Green Valley and Silverado again pace the pack in the Sunrise Region, with the Gators scoring a surprise as top seed by upsetting the Skyhawks late in the season. Las Vegas also figures to be in the mix for one of two state berths.

Centennial again appears to be the class of the Sunset Region softball contenders, with Sierra Vista a step behind. Cimarron-Memorial and Palo Verde have a good chance as well.

Green Valley leads the pack in today's golf, but the individual crown is wide open. In tomorrow's Sunset Regional tournament at Paiute, Bishop Gorman appears to be the team to beat, along with Palo Verde and Bonanza.

Boys' volleyball begins regional tournaments Tuesday at Chaparral, which also will host state competition. Centennial enters as the prohibitive favorite for both regional and state honors, while fellow Sunset entrant Bonanza is also in contention. Chaparral is the cream of the Sunrise crop, with Silverado also near the top.