Shields sweep state’s awards

Adam Candee

Thursday, April 1, 2004 | 10:10 a.m.

Team / Record

1. Reno 14-0

Many returners from state runner-up team

2. Green Valley 8-0

Dangerous from top to bottom

3. Centennial 13-2

Massanari a strong leader for Bulldogs

4. Cimarron-Memorial 11-1

Esquivel and Co. turning heads

5. Carson 10-2

Main Northern competition for Reno

6. Reed 8-3

Dropped tight one Tuesday to Huskies

7. Palo Verde 10-2

No surprise - Panthers can swing it

8. Sierra Vista 9-3

Darkhorse team in the Sunset

9. Douglas 7-0

Could be moving higher very soon

10. Spanish Springs 8-3

Surprise entrant gets the last spot

Team / Record

1. Centennial 11-2

Clearly the state's best right now

2. McQueen 11-3

Traditional power strong once again

3. Cimarron-Memorial 6-2

Don't bet against Kim Adams

4. Sierra Vista 8-5

Trust us - they'll be there at the end

5. Wooster 7-6

Natural hangover after losing McGowan

6. Reno 7-5

Huskies looking formidable up North

7. Las Vegas 14-6

Perhaps a contender from the Northeast

8. Douglas 4-3

Wait and see with the Tigers

9. Palo Verde 5-2

Panthers counting on young pitching

10. Fallon 6-2

A number of even teams at this level

Consider the basketball thirst quenched at Cheyenne.

Harvey Perry and Tulyah Gaines were recently named the Nevada High School Basketball Players of the Year by Gatorade. Both Perry, a standout on the boys' team, and Gaines, a leader for the girls' teams, stood out in their first year playing for the Desert Shields.

Perry, also a Sun All-State first teamer, earned the award after pacing the Desert Shields all year long. A 6-foot-4 guard with the ability to play multiple positions, Perry averaged 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Cheyenne advanced to the Sunset Region semifinals, where it fell to eventual state champion Palo Verde.

"Harvey is an outstanding player that makes everyone on his team better," Cheyenne coach Larry Johnson said.

David Padgett from Reno High, who now plays for Kansas, won the Gatorade award last year.

Gaines came in from out of state and made an immediate impact at Cheyenne. A Notre Dame signee, Gaines put up 20.5 points, 4 assists, 3.8 steals and 3.6 rebounds per game for the Desert Shields. She also carries a 3.7 grade point average.

"She has excellent court vision and displays great floor leadership," Desert Shields coach Marcus Conard said. "She makes all of her teammates better."

Both Perry and Gaines are now entered in the national competition for the country's best basketball player, an award slated to be announced within a couple of weeks.

Both the Reno baseball team and the Centennial softball team lost in the 4A state finals last season, and both open atop the Sun statewide rankings this year.

The Huskies are 14-0 and have earned national attention for their strong early play. They return a solid core of players from the team that challenged Green Valley for the state title.

Led by All-State pitcher Shannon Crisp, Centennial is 11-2 and has looked dominant in town. With Wooster's Brianne McGowan graduated, Crisp is likely the state's best pitcher and its most dominant player.

There will be good baseball to see all week long, beginning with the Blazer Sportco Spring Bash starting Monday. Hosted by Durango, the large tournament plays at a number of fields in town and will show off nine local teams. The tournament runs through Wednesday.

The Easter Classic Tournament at Cimarron-Memorial will operate from Monday through Thursday. Following through the weekend is the Baseball Easter Tournament at Chaparral from Thursday through Saturday.

The annual Fred Davison Memorial Softbal Tournament runs Monday through Wednesday and attracts a number of local teams. In boys' volleyball, the regular spring break event was scrapped in favor of a two-day affair at Basic, operating as the Las Vegas Easter Invitational on Monday and Tuesday.

The Southern Nevada Relays are scheduled for Tuesday at Centennial as well.