The Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association announced the realignment of high school sports teams after recently releasing ‘rubric scores’ that affects sports divisions across the state. Rubric scores are determined by how teams finished in 22 organized sports the past two years. Schools were divided by divisions, Division 1, Division 1-A, Division 11, 111 etc.

Beginning in the school year 2016-2017, schools will be classified as division 4-A, 3-A, 2-A and 1-A. Division 1-A schools that scored 150 ‘rubric’ points or better fall into the Division 4-A category and those under into Division 3-A. Division 1 schools that had less than 15 ‘rubric’ points would drop to Division 3-A. Those schools receiving more points over 15 would have Division 4-A designations. No Division 1 school fell in this category.

Five Division 1-A schools Faith Lutheran (377 points), Clark (187 points), Boulder City (180 points), Sierra Vista (165 points) and Spring Valley (159 points) would move to Division 4-A except for Boulder City. Boulder City is exempt along with Moapa and Virgin Valley High Schools because of the schools’ lower enrollment.

VVHS finished in the twelfth spot out of 16 1-A schools with 26 ‘rubric’ points. The realignment changes leaves the old Division 1-A with 12 schools for the 2016-2018 school years.

On Tuesday May 24, the NIAA announced the Clark County School District athletic office has set the following league alignments for 3-A schools for the next two years.

Schools in the Sunrise League include Boulder City, Chaparral, Del Sol, Moapa Valley, Virgin Valley, and SECTA.

Boulder City, Desert Pines, Chaparral and Moapa Valley finished with 180, 109, 93 and 82 points respectively. Desert Pines, the big dog the past two years in football and men’s basketball, will move to the Sunset League.

In addition to Desert Pines, schools in the Sunset League include Cheyenne, Mojave, Pahrump Valley, Sunrise Mountain and Western.

Realignment should affect Bulldog sports as follows:

FOOTBALL

The VVHS football program went 2-4 in league play and 4-5 overall under coach, Yori Ludvigson in 2015. Meaning the Sunrise League playoffs could be a lot easier in 2016 as Sunrise League football will only have five members as SECTA does not have a program. In past years four teams in each league qualified for the playoffs.

The Bulldogs lost to Sunrise League members Moapa Valley and Chaparral High Schools last season. The Bulldogs will host five games in 2016 beginning with Utah’s Cedar City on Aug. 26. The Dawgs will host Sunset League member Western on Sep. 16 and Division 4-A member Spring Valley during the Sep. 23 annual homecoming game. Archrival Moapa Valley comes to town on Sep. 30 and Chaparral ends the Bulldog home schedule on Oct. 14. Desert Pines and Moapa Valley will again be the favorite to play for the Southern Division 3-A Championship.

MENS’ BASKETBALL

Coach Sean FitzSimons program finished third in last year’s 1-A Sunrise league with a 9-5 record. With Desert Pines moving to the Sunset Division, only Chaparral remains from Division 1-A teams that finished ahead of the Dawgs.

“I feel the new realignment is more balanced,” said Bulldog Coach FitzSimons. “The advantage includes getting more non-conference games in pre-season. Hopefully league games will begin in January since there will only be ten of them. I like the idea of having a more balanced competitive Sunrise league. Still we have to work to beat everyone in league play.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Bulldog Coach Chimane Creer along with many other coaches in the old Division 1-A must be happy to see Spring Valley and Faith Lutheran moving up to 4-A sports. Both teams traded state championships the past two years while dominating 1-A basketball from the Sunset division. Chaparral will still be around to harass teams with their smothering defense.

With Clark, Faith Lutheran, Spring Valley and Sierra Vista moving up to the new Division 4-A all 22 men’s and women’s sports should be more competitive except for the present Desert Pines teams who should dominate men’s football, basketball and track for the foreseeable future. Only time will tell.