DON McDERMOTT MORE COLUMNS HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT The Pahrump Valley High School football team will be the Southern Nevada Class 3-A League defending champions in the 2006 season, which starts with the Trojans playing at Las Vegas Chaparral Sept. 1. Matt Ligouri, 4, shown in action against Faith Lutheran, was one of the top running backs in the 2005 campaign. Advertisement

This has been a summer of discontent for this writer. So many questions to ask, and no one around to respond. Bummer ...

I've got the dime ... no one has the time.

I've got the cash ... no one has the dash ... metaphorically speaking.

The questions (as I prepare to take a few days off and trek to Reno, one of my favorite cities in the world -- along with Toronto, Copenhagen, and Dallas) ...

1. What is being done to recondition the football stadium -- its bleachers, the playing surface and the lights?

2. Who will be the assistants to head football coach Brian Hug? What is their background and experience in football?

3. The volleyball coach is to be named today at a meeting of the Nye County School District board. Who is he? What kind of experience does he have? Has he been successful? And why has there been a delay? Jill Harris resigned in November; workouts for the 2006 season begin Aug. 14, with the opening tournament -- the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational -- starting Aug. 25.

4. The same questions apply to cross country. Who will be the coach? Does the team have a schedule? And most important, who will run for the Trojans? Lack of personnel was one of the reasons why Ed Dabrowski reportedly wasn't retained as coach.

5. C.J. Johnson is the boys' soccer coach, but insiders say he won't be back because commitments to a family business require him to be there. In 2005, the Trojans put on a late-season surge to qualify for the Southern 3-A regionals, win that title, and advance to the state finals, where powerful Truckee, Calif., prevailed. So, what's the story?

6. Sherry Allison and Steve Coleman will be back to coach the girls' soccer team, which is coming off a record-setting season that included ending a long losing streak against 3-A rival Boulder City.

The question isn't about soccer, but about the status of Allison and her role with the athletics department. Will Allison be back as the spiritual and emotional leader of that organization -- especially in the wake of two events?

First, Rich Lauver relinquished his AD duties and is scheduled to return to the classroom; whether he will coach fast-pitch softball is still another question. The Lady Trojans won three straight state championships before fading to 19-17 last spring.

Second, Brian Hug, the Trojans' football coach, is now the athletics director. If I had that job, there are two people I would want working with me in what will be a year of transition. First, is my predecessor ... second, or 1-A if you will, is Sherry Allison, who deserves a pay raise and a hearty pat on the back for a job well done for the last several years. This is a case of "What have you done for us lately?" generating a positive response. "Plenty!' would be the answer.

7. What is the school's position on realignment? The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association has formed committees to study realignment, which will go into effect in the 2008-09 school year. Those in the know think Pahrump Valley will remain in 3-A, simply because Las Vegas schools don't want to travel over the 'Hump to Pahrump'.

Hey, there are many other questions, but it's time to pack and head for McCarran ... Maybe there will be some answers here next week. Can one only hope?