Desert Oasis’ flag football team defeated Palo Verde twice in the regular season, giving the top-seeded Panthers their only two losses of the year.
It would appear Desert Oasis would have an edge in Thursday’s Class 5A state championship game. But not to Diamondbacks coach Todd Thomson.
“You could take the first two (games) and throw it out,” Thomson said. “They always say it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season, so we know we got a big challenge ahead of us.”
The Nevada high school flag football state title games are Thursday at Allegiant Stadium. Desert Oasis, the No. 3 seed, and No. 1 Palo Verde will finish off a tripleheader when they play for the 5A championship at 7:30 p.m.
The day begins with Virgin Valley and Boulder City battling for the 3A crown at 3 p.m., followed by Foothill and Arbor View facing off for the 4A title at 5:15 p.m. Allegiant Stadium is hosting the flag football state championship games for the first time.
“It’s made it a bigger game than I think it would have normally been and that’s awesome,” Palo Verde coach Rick Eurich said. “We’ve been hoping it’d be there the last three or four years and it never worked out, so it’s a cool thing.”
Desert Oasis (22-2) and Palo Verde (21-2) tied with Shadow Ridge for first place in the 5A Southern League regular-season standings. The Panthers got the No. 1 seed on a tiebreaker, despite losing to the Diamondbacks 33-6 in a tournament Dec. 7 and 20-19 on Feb. 3.
Palo Verde is looking to finish the job this season after losing 19-2 to Shadow Ridge in last year’s state title game at Shadow Ridge. The Mustangs, who had won three state championships in a row, lost to Desert Oasis in the semifinals this year.
Eurich said the Panthers’ 11 seniors took the loss in last season’s state title game “personal.” They’ve used it as motivation all year.
“They are dialed in and excited to be back to prove last year — we kind of got embarrassed in that game — (wasn’t them), so we’ve got something to prove to ourselves,” Eurich said. “They’ve prepared as good as I’ve seen a team prepare.”
Palo Verde and Desert Oasis’ offenses have beaten teams in different ways.
The Panthers have a balanced attack, with seniors Alexis and Samantha Manzo leading the way. Alexis Manzo has 27 receiving touchdowns, while Samantha Manzo has 1,903 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.
The Diamondbacks have put up points through their aerial attack. Junior quarterback Akemi Higa ranks first in the state in passing yards with 5,848 and has thrown 97 touchdowns.
Thomson said Higa’s athleticism plays a huge role in making Desert Oasis’ offense go.
Higa has “gotten better every year she’s played,” Thomson said. “She can make all the throws, she makes all the reads, she’s very athletic. She doesn’t get enough credit for how fast and athletic she is. She’s really developed other aspects of her game.”
Desert Oasis won the 2023 4A title, which was played at the Raiders headquarters in Henderson. Palo Verde won a CCSD title in 2013 before the sport was officially sanctioned by the NIAA.
In 4A, Arbor View (18-9), the Desert League champion, and Foothill (13-5), the Mountain League champion, are each seeking their first flag football title.
Arbor View lost to Coronado in last year’s 4A title game. Aggies running back Danielle Morales leads the state with 3,301 rushing yards.
In 3A, Virgin Valley (20-1) will be going for its fourth straight state title. Virgin Valley has outscored its opponents 809-89. Boulder City (17-3) lost at Virgin Valley 40-12 on Jan. 29.
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Nevada high school flag football state championship game schedule
At Allegiant Stadium
Thursday
3A: Virgin Valley vs. Boulder City, 3 p.m.
4A: Arbor View vs. Foothill, 5:15 p.m.
5A: Palo Verde vs. Desert Oasis, 7:30 p.m.
