Canyon Springs-Rancho game to determine final playoff spot

It’s not often that Canyon Springs’ softball team is a participant in the game of the day. But that’s exactly where the Pioneers find themselves Thursday.

Canyon Springs (4-7 Northeast), which won only six games last season, visits Rancho (4-7) to determine the final playoff berth in Southern Nevada’s Class 4A leagues. The winner is in and the loser is out.

The other 15 playoff spots are set, with the Rancho-Canyon Springs winner awaiting the Northeast’s No. 4 seed and a meeting with Green Valley in the first round of the Sunrise Region playoffs Tuesday at Majestic Park.

Here’s a quick look at each class’ unofficial playoff picture through Wednesday. The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association is expected to finalize the pairings by Monday.

In the Sunrise Region, Valley (11-0) has clinched the top seed and will shoot for an undefeated record in league play when it hosts Chaparral on Thursday.

Las Vegas (10-2) is the No. 2 seed, followed by Eldorado (6-5).

The Rancho-Canyon Springs winner will round out the league’s playoff qualifiers.

Green Valley (12-2) won the Southeast League and earned the No. 1 seed.

Foothill (10-4) and Liberty (10-4) tied for second, but Foothill gets the No. 2 seed on the tiebreaker. The teams split head-to-head meetings, but Foothill’s beaten opponents won more games than those of Liberty, the No. 3 seed.

Silverado (9-5) is the No. 4 seed and is Valley’s first-round opponent.

In the Sunset Region, two-time defending region champion Shadow Ridge (13-1) won the Northwest League and is bidding for a third straight trip to state.

Centennial (11-3) is the Northwest’s No. 2 seed, followed by Cimarron-Memorial (10-4) and Arbor View (8-6), the latter making its first postseason appearance.

Durango (15-1) is the Southwest League champion and No. 1 seed, despite being riddled with injuries throughout the year.

Bonanza (12-3) has locked up the second seed. Desert Oasis (10-5) and Clark (10-5) are tied for third with most of the potential tiebreakers favoring the first-year Diamondbacks.

For Clark to gain the No. 3 seed, it must beat Western and have Bishop Gorman beat Desert Oasis or have all of the following teams win Thursday: Gorman, Western, Bonanza and Parhump Valley.

Nothing will change in the small-school ranks until Friday, when league play will largely finish.

Boulder City (10-0) has stormed through the Class 3A Southern League and will host fourth-place Moapa Valley (0-10) in a best-of-3 series.

Faith Lutheran and Virgin Valley (both 5-5) will meet in the other series. Faith Lutheran won three of four against the Bulldogs and wins any tiebreaker, so two wins by the Crusaders against Moapa Valley on Friday would sew up the No. 2 seed and home games in the region series.

In Class 2A, Needles (10-0) has won the league title and the No. 1 seed for the region tournament.

Lincoln County and White Pine (7-3) are tied for second, with Lincoln County holding the tiebreaker edge after its series sweep.
Calvary Chapel (6-4) is fourth, but could move up if it sweeps The Meadows this weekend.

In Class 1A, Pahranagat Valley (10-0) is in the driver’s seat and needs one win over second-place Indian Springs (7-1) on Friday to wrap up the No. 1 seed.

The Thunderbirds also have a doubleheader against Sandy Valley on Monday.

Lake Mead (7-3) is third, but will have trouble moving up because doesn’t hold the tiebreaker against Indian Springs, which beat the Eagles in the second game of their doubleheader.

Lake Mead needs a win over Tonopah (6-4) to wrap up the No. 3 seed. If that happens, Tonopah will be the No. 4 seed. Tonopah must sweep to move up.