Do high schools out of state compete for Nevada state titles?
High school teams across the state are getting in the swing of the fall sports season to compete for Nevada state championships. So are some teams not in Nevada.
Athletic teams at six high schools — five in California and one in Arizona — are members of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, the state’s high school sports governing body, and compete for state titles against other high schools in Nevada.
Due to these schools being geographically isolated from other schools in their states, the NIAA has allowed them to compete in Nevada with schools closer to them.
Here are the six schools outside of Nevada that compete for state titles:
Beaver Dam (Littlefield, Arizona)
Just on the northwest corner of Arizona, Beaver Dam opened in 2004 and is the only school from Arizona that competes for Nevada state titles. Before the school opened, students in Littlefield had to attend Virgin Valley High School in Mesquite.
Beaver Dam started as an independent in Nevada during the 2013-14 season and became a full member the following season. The school has yet to win a team state championship since joining the NIAA.
Coleville (California)
Continue south on U.S. Route 395 through Carson City and Minden, and past Topaz Lake on the Nevada-California border and you’ll reach Colville High School, which is about 15 minutes past the border.
According to the NIAA, its earliest records show Coleville being a member by at least the 1959-60 season but could have joined earlier. The Wolves have won several state titles in their time competing against Nevada schools.
Needles (California)
The small California town sits on historic Route 66 on the Arizona-California border just off the Colorado River. Needles used to compete as members of the California Interscholastic Federation but joined the NIAA for the 1985-86 season.
Needles is over half an hour away from Laughlin, the nearest Nevada city, and has been one of the longstanding members of the 2A Southern League.
North Tahoe (Tahoe City, California)
North Tahoe High School sits in the northwest corner of Lake Tahoe. The school is less than an hour away from the Nevada border. The school became full NIAA members for the 1981-82 season.
The Lakers have dominated in several sports in Class 2A, including cross country and skiing, which is a Northern sport only.
South Tahoe (South Lake Tahoe, California)
South of Lake Tahoe is South Tahoe High School, less than an hour from Stateline, Nevada. The school opened in 1952 and was an affiliate member of the NIAA and became a full member for the 1982-83 season.
Like its rival North of Lake Tahoe, the Vikings have found success in skiing with notable alumni including 2014 Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson and Maddie Bowman.
Truckee (California)
Truckee High School is one of the out-of-state teams most commonly known given its dominance in football, winning 13 state titles. Truckee won 41 straight games, tied for the third longest streak in state history as it won four straight state titles (2009-12).
The school opened in 1951 and became a full NIAA member for the 1981-82 school year alongside North Tahoe. Truckee is about 45 minutes from Reno.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
