THE ELEVATOR

Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006 | 7:12 a.m.

GOING UP

Las Vegas High

Two consecutive 4A state football championships. Three titles in six years. Four consecutive state championship game appearances. Five state title berths in six years. Move over, Ming. Step aside, Ottoman. Raise the steel curtain, Chuck Noll. It's time to celebrate a new dynasty.

Air Force basketball

First UNR, now Air Force. If these once-moribund college basketball programs can transform themselves into top-25 teams - I mean, how many 6-foot-10 pilots have you bumped into recently? - then why can't UNLV?

Ryan Wolfe

Maybe he's not that big and bad, but say this about the UNLV pass receiver: When somebody cries Wolfe or at least throws the ball his way, he usually catches it. Wolfe was named a second-team freshman All-American this week after leading the Mountain West Conference in receiving yards.

GOING DOWN

Magnetic-resonance imaging

Apparently, an MRI isn't all it's cracked up to be. Why else would UNLV jeopardize the futures of standout players such as quarterback Rocky Hinds, kicker Sergio Aguayo and running back David Peeples, all of whom will require postseason surgery, by continuing to play them during a 2-10 season?

Traffic on I-15 north

According to an actual crowd count, there were fewer than 600 people at Saturday's UNLV basketball game against Northern Arizona at St. George, Utah. I can remember when 600 people would drive two hours to watch the Rebels practice.

Joel Anthony's minutes

Apparently, that year in the practice gym hasn't helped the UNLV center as much as we were told. Keep your chin up, big man. The Rebels are going to require your presence under the basket a lot sooner rather than later.