Mountain View football to play as independent, likely headed to Class 1A
Mountain View’s football team probably has played its last Class 2A Southern League football game.
At least for a while.
The Saints, who have struggled in recent years to even fill out a team, were granted independent status in football for the 2019 season at Thursday’s Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association board of control meeting at Palace Station.
“We’re moving toward Class 1A,” Mountain View principal Ray LeBoeuf said.
It’s probably that the Saints will be a Class 1A school in the next realignment cycle as the school’s enrollment has declined and should be below the 1A/2A threshold.
The football team, though, has struggled mightly in recent years.
After advancing to the Class 2A state title game in 2013 for the third time in four years, the Saints have won just seven games since. The team’s last win came in the final game of the 2015 season.
Mountain View joins Laughlin and The Meadows as 2A schools that have been granted independent status for next season.
“Mountain View is the most deserving of the independent status,” said Needles athletic director Bill Darrow, who also serves as the Southern League president. “They have the 2A’s blessing, and they will be leaving the 2A after a year.”
Equipo gains full membership
Equipo Academy was granted full NIAA membership beginning with the 2019-20 school year.
A charter school, Equipo offers the minimum number of sports to qualify for membership. The school competes in one sport per gender per season — boys and girls soccer in the fall, boys basketball and girls bowling in the winter, and boys and girls track in the spring.
“We’re not a school that recruits from across the valley,” Equipo principal Benjamin Salkowe said. “We want to be a neighborhood school. If we are going to be accused of being singly-focused on anything, it’s college and grades.”
Equipo is completing its second season of associate membership in the NIAA this year and has not been eligible for postseason competition.
A strong student contingent from Equipo attended the meeting to show support for its school.
“They have met the requirements based on what our association has as a member,” board of control member Rollins Stallworth said.
The board, though, is considering raising its requirements for membership as more charter schools with limited sports programs have applied to join the association.
State baseball at new park
NIAA executive director Bart Thompson told the board the bulk of the Class 4A state baseball tournament will be played at Las Vegas Ballpark, the home of the Las Vegas Aviators.
A format for the six-team tournament hasn’t been finalized yet, though Centennial coach Charlie Cerrone proposed the tournament remain double-elimination. The board will hold a special meeting on March 28 to make a determination.
The Class 1A, 2A and 3A state tournaments will be held in Mesquite and Overton.
