By Breven Honda

Winning state championships are never easy, no matter the sport, in addition to high school athletes that also play multiple sports in other seasons.

From 2018-21, the Virgin Valley high school girls flag football team lost the state championship in each of those seasons.

However, on Feb. 20, and four years later, the Bulldogs captured their fourth consecutive NIAA 3A State title in a 19-6 win at Allegiant Stadium over Boulder City, who was the top team from the 3A Mountain Division.

“Girls were excited. Coaches are excited,” head coach Joey Bowler said on Feb. 21. “Anytime you win a state title, it’s a big accomplishment.”

The Bulldogs were led by junior Davie Slack, who completed 10-of-16 passes for 125 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. She also added seven carries for 54 yards.

However, her production did not stop there as Slack added three solo tackles, three pass deflections and two critical interceptions.

“Davie’s a great athlete anywhere on the field,” Bowler said. “She’s going to be one of the best athletes out there. She’s a heck of a receiver, heck of a quarterback, and obviously a heck of a defensive back. She played outstanding last night, both sides of the ball.

“Those interceptions are huge. There were both down in the red zone, one, for sure. It stops their drives. Those two picks keeps them away from the end zone.”

Slack has needed to fill in defensively for senior Ari Easton, who suffered a spiral injury in December and had recorded nine interceptions and 14 touchdowns. However, it was a big hole to fill in the middle of the season as Easton also broke the state’s career interception record before getting hurt.

Slack was able to step up. According to MaxPreps, in seven games since Jan. 10, Slack had 12 pass deflections, including at least one in each of those games. She also registered seven interceptions, including six in the final four games.

Despite being hurt with the spiral fracture, Easton had the mentality of returning for the playoffs, even if doctors thought her high school flag football career was over. She would return for the state championship game against the Eagles, catching two passes for 34 yards, including a touchdown in the third quarter to extend the lead.

“Just really proud of her that she was able to come back. She told me, ‘Coach, I’m going to be back for the playoffs,’” Bowler said. “And I’m like, ‘Okay, I hope you are, I love optimism.’ She made it back, and she made a difference.

“I don’t think she was at full strength after an injury like that. Her heart’s 110% and it was really good to have her back, and really good to see her catch a touchdown in the state game.”

Then, it was the defense’s turn to hold off the Eagles, which they were able to do in the fourth quarter and all season long. In the 22 games the Bulldogs played this season, they only allowed 95 points, which is a new state record (since flag football became a sanctioned sport during the 2016-17 school year).

Virgin Valley allowed 107 points in 2022, which was the same season Desert Oasis limited opponents to 106 points.

“I trust our defense,” Bowler said. “Even though we were up seven (entering the fourth quarter) before we got that touchdown, I felt fairly confident that we play our defense, we don’t get anything up over the top deep, we’re in good shape. But if they score, they go for two and get it, you’re down a point.”

As the defense stood tall, the offense grew their lead as Slack pitched the ball to fellow junior Linita Kioa to give the Bulldogs a two-possession lead, en route to winning.

Kioa, who led the 3A with 35 total touchdowns, recorded six rushes for 70 yards and a touchdown with one reception for 27 yards in the state title game.

“She’s an absolute warrior,” Bowler said of Kioa. “If there’s a big game, you want Linita in the game because she absolutely steps it up in the big games. Big time, big game player.”

Getting to play inside Allegiant Stadium was a memory in itself. Virgin Valley, who is sponsored by the Las Vegas Raiders and Nike, had a great experience taking in the venue of playing the championship inside an NFL stadium.

“We’ve always hoped that we get to play there someday,” Bowler said. “It was cool. We got to go and change, get ready in an NFL locker room and use their whiteboards to write our plays down and pregame.

“One of the underclassmen girls said, ‘Coach, we better play good next year, because I want to come back.’ I’m ‘Like, yeah, I agree. I want to come back too.’”

In addition, Raiders guard Jackson Powers-Johnson represented the organization by presenting the trophies.

“(Powers-Johnson) acted like he was happy to do it, which was really cool,” Bowler said. “You know, to take time off and come do that for the girls was really nice.”

The reigning four-time flag football state champions celebrated on Feb. 25 with a parade on a town fire truck. That was followed by being invited by Councilwoman Karen Fielding to City Hall for the City Council meeting, in addition to the ring fitting.

Woods wins first girls wrestling championship in school history

Also winning a state championship during the winter sports season was freshman Raylynn Woods in girls wrestling on Feb. 8. She defeated Centennial’s Tylene Tran in a 6-4 tiebreak in the 110-pound weight class to be the school’s first ever female athlete to win state in girls wrestling.

She defeated her two other wrestlers by falls before reaching the finals.

In the seven tournaments Woods competed in, she won three individual tournaments, including the state championship. She also won the NIAA All Girls Southern Regional in 110 pounds a couple weeks before state.