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Nevada high school girls basketball team refutes governing body's forfeiture ruling

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby:Lawrence Fernandez•about 21 hours•

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Nevada High School Girls Basketball

A Nevada high school girls basketball team is contesting a forfeiture of win ruling by the Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association. Centennial, ranked first in the Nevada On3 Composite Team Rankings, must forfeit 18 wins due to an ineligible player.

Zoning issues led the NIAA to bestow the unfortunate decision on the Bulldogs. As KNTV 13’s Nick Walters wrote, the player in question was a player who lived within the school’s zoning area and played for the football team since his sophomore year.

However, Centennial argues that there’s an issue regarding the NIAA’s Register My Athlete system, which they use to track player eligibility. While the Bulldogs are appealing against the decision, they’re finding it hard to keep their spirits up because the same board members will review their case.

Centennial’s head coach, Karen Weitz, expressed her dismay about the decision. She also lamented the fact that they have no way to verify a player’s eligibility. Instead, they rely on their administration to say that a certain player is cleared.

If the decision sticks, the Bulldogs will go from 19-1 to 2-18. They were 17-1 before their January 10 victory over Coronado. Likewise, the NIAA forfeited their Las Vegas Prep Tournament championship last December.

However, Centennial can still qualify for the Nevada high school girls basketball playoffs if they win their six remaining games. Sweeping their schedule improves their record to 8-18, putting them among one of the eight playoff teams from Class 5A Southern. The Bulldogs finished their 2023-24 season at 19-6. However, they lost in the Class 5A state championship game against Bishop Gorman.

The On3 Composite High School Football Team Ranking is a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings listed in the public domain by respected High School media and data companies. It includes Massey, Max Preps, Cal Preps, ESPN, and SI, creating the industry’s most comprehensive and geographically balanced High School Team Ranking.