Durango, Coronado top picks to secure region championships

Adam Candee

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003 | 11:47 a.m.

In the role of favorite, Durango is used to seeing that brightly colored bull's-eye on its back. You might see Coronado scratching a bit at the target.

The Blazers and Cougars go into the Sunset and Sunrise Region playoffs, respectively, as the prohibitive favorites. Starting this afternoon at Coronado High School, both teams will look to avoid what would be startling upsets after going undefeated in division play.

"Every team we play is going to try to knock us out," Durango coach Bob Kelly said. "We have to take every team seriously because the potential is always there."

Not only has Durango (SW-1) not lost a match in Las Vegas this year, but the defending state champion is yet to drop a single game in town. Bishop Gorman extended the Blazers to a 33-31 game, but that is as much as any local team has made Durango sweat.

With senior leadership from setter Amy Schlauder and outside hitter Kelsey Johnson, Kelly feels that his team is ready to complete its second perfect mark against Nevada competition in as many years.

"I think we'll be fine," Kelly said. "It's really hard to tell until we actually play."

Kelly expects competition in the Sunset tournament, which begins today, from Bishop Gorman (SW-2), Centennial (NW-1), and Palo Verde (NW-3).

In the Sunrise playoffs, Coronado finds itself as the hunted for the first time in school history. Cougars coach Jay Renneker feels that a 12-0 mark in Southeast Division play shows that his team is a serious contender in the postseason.

"We're playing really confident," Renneker said. "We look really good."

Yet the top of the mountain is an unusual spot for the Cougars, who missed out on a trip to the 4A State Tournament last year by one match. Senior middle blocker Jenna Newman leads a Coronado team that learned early in the year what it meant to be a favorite.

"Almost every game we had was a championship-like atmosphere," Renneker said.

Las Vegas (NE-1), Green Valley (SE-2), and Silverado (SE-3) are expected to contend in the Sunrise playoffs, which start Wednesday.

"There are not very many weak teams in our conference," Renneker said.