Rain and lightning disrupted the Class 5A baseball and softball state championship games in Reno.
Conditions in Las Vegas were cloudy and windy for the 4A baseball and softball title games and the 5A and 4A state track meet.
But none of that ruined the shine of Nevada’s top high school athletes finishing their seasons with state titles.
The high school sports season is over after state champions in all eight spring sports were crowned last week.
Here are three takeaways from the all the action:
1. Thrilling redemption
Basic’s baseball team and Coronado’s boys volleyball team were both looking for redemption heading into their 5A state title games, but for different reasons.
In the end, both teams got what they were looking for.
Basic won a thrilling title game 3-2 over Reno High on a walk-off wild pitch with the bases loaded in extra innings Saturday at UNR. Coronado won a five-set thriller over Palo Verde for the 5A crown May 13 at Sunrise Mountain.
Basic couldn’t play for the title last year after forfeiting most of its league games for using an ineligible player. The Wolves also dealt with a coaching change when Gino DiMaria replaced Scott Baker midseason.
Basic, with most of its players back this year, won the 5A Southern Region title and did not lose a game in the state tournament.
Coronado was swept by Palo Verde in the 2024 state title game. The two teams met again for the 5A crown this season.
The Cougars fell behind 2-1 after the first three sets, but won the next two to clinch the championship.
2. Panther perfection
Palo Verde’s softball team earned its 5A state title by being unbeatable. Literally.
A rainstorm and lightning delay couldn’t disrupt the Panthers, who defeated Centennial 7-3 on Saturday at UNR to finish off a 25-0 season.
Palo Verde is the first undefeated state champion in the sport, according to known Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association records.
The win was a little sweeter because the Panthers reached the state tournament in 2023 and 2024 but were eliminated before the title game.
Palo Verde will be tough to beat again next year. Some of the Panthers top players return, like rising seniors Taylor Johns and Ava Koenig.
Johns, a Georgia commit, hit .642 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. Koenig, a Boston University commit, went 20-0 with a 1.46 ERA.
3. Southern domination
For the second straight season, all eight 5A team state champions are Southern Nevada schools.
Centennial (girls track) and Shadow Ridge (boys track) successfully defended their team titles Saturday at Desert Oasis. Coronado’s boys golf team battled difficult weather conditions in Sparks to win the title May 13.
Coronado’s girls swim team cruised to its fourth straight team title at the state meet Saturday in Reno. Things were closer for the boys, but Palo Verde scored 92 points to win its 11th straight team title by two points over Reed.
The NIAA Realignment Committee will get together Wednesday to begin the process of setting classes for spring sports teams for the next three school years.
The top Northern schools have decided to avoid the top Southern teams in girls soccer, boys and girls tennis and boys and girls basketball. The North also elected to not be a part of football’s new Open Division state championship, which will feature the top four Southern 5A teams based on a points rating system.
Contact Alex Wright at [email protected]. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
