In the end, the ride was worth the result.
High School
This past week, Boulder City was one of two athletic programs in Clark County facing a promotion to the larger Division I at the end of the school year in June. It is a division where most of the Eagles’ athletic teams would struggle to find success against the larger schools.
The Eagles’ season ended Feb. 19 with a 70-60 loss to Cheyenne in the opening round of the Division 1-A Southern Region boys’ basketball playoffs.
The Boulder City girls basketball team will play in the NIAA Division 1-A state tournament Friday and could have its chance to reach its preseason goal of winning the state title Saturday.
For the first time in five seasons, Team Boulder walked out of the Division 1-A state tournament without an individual champion.
The Boulder City girls flag football team was the surprise of the season in Clark County as the Lady Eagles reeled off 20 consecutive victories. But the improbable season ended two victories short of its goal Monday when the Lady Eagles lost 18-13 to Green Valley in the Sunrise Region championship game played at Arbor View.
The Eagles rallied during the second half of the season to climb into third place in the Sunrise League and clinch a playoff spot. A victory over second-place Virgin Valley Feb. 11 allowed the Eagles to clinch third place and escape a log jam of what would have been a four-team tie between the Eagles, Chaparral, Sunrise Mountain and Moapa Valley requiring a complicated tiebreak to choose two teams.
Team Boulder’s Patrick Garvin, Collin Fox and Nelson Van Diest each finished in second place and four other teammates placed in the top four as Team Boulder captured third place in the Southern Region Division 1-A wrestling championships Saturday at Mojave High.
The Boulder City girls basketball team can earn a trip to the state tournament today with a victory against Clark High in the Southern Region semifinal being played at Sunrise Mountain.
It is hard to tell who enjoyed Teagan Smale’s two-week run best. It could have been Smale, a 15-year-old-sophomore at Boulder City High who had the incredible run on the bowling lanes, or his father cheering every frame along the way, or his coach who hasn’t stopped bragging about his young talent.
Heading into the season more than two months ago, head coach Chris Morelli expected a better season than his first as coach of the Boulder City girls flag football team.
Winning the Division 1-A state bowling championship two weeks ago was not enough. Three Eagles are poised to make a run at the boys individual state title, too.
The theme for the Boulder City girls basketball team this season has been “together.”
Sophomore Jeanne Carmell ran for three touchdowns and passed for another three scores as Boulder City defeated visiting Chaparral 51-7 in girls flag football Friday.
The Eagles are getting healthier and recovering from injuries, and that is translating to better play on the court and important league wins.
