If the field for this year’s Mesquite Cup girls’ soccer tournament looks a lot like last year, you’re right. In fact, it’s exactly the same.
All eight teams that participated in the tournament last year have confirmed again for this year’s event, which will be held Aug. 25-26 at the Mesquite Sports and Events Complex.
As one of his last acts, out-going tournament director Sean FitzSimons confirmed the eight-team field before leaving Virgin Valley High School to return to his alma mater at Lincoln County High School in Panaca.
“All eight schools told me after last year’s Cup that they wanted to come back this year,” FitzSimons said. “When we put the invite out for this year’s Cup, all eight quickly said yes. That says a lot for this tournament.”
The eight teams that will participate in the fifth annual Mesquite Cup are defending champion Desert Oasis of Las Vegas; Bonanza of Las Vegas; Cheyenne of North Las Vegas; Clark of Las Vegas; Las Vegas High; Pahrump Valley; Moapa Valley and host Virgin Valley.
The field features four class 4A schools and four 3A schools. Six of the eight teams reached postseason play last year.
“All eight teams will play a different opponent in the first round than they did last year,” FitzSimons said. “We’ve got a 4A versus 3A matchup in all four of those games which should make things interesting.”
The tentative opening round schedule on Aug. 25 will have Cheyenne vs. Clark and Virgin Valley vs. Bonanza at 5 p.m. followed by Las Vegas vs. Moapa Valley and Desert Oasis vs. Pahrump Valley at 6:15 p.m. Two games will be played at 7:45 p.m. with two more at 9 p.m.
Saturday’s final day will have games scheduled at 8:30, 9 and 10 a.m. with the championship contest at 10:30 a.m.
The four previous Cup champions have been Notre Dame Academy of Staten Island, New York (2013); Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas (2014); Foothill of Henderson (2015) and Desert Oasis, which defeated Las Vegas in last year’s title contest.
