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What a weekend!

The Pahrump Valley girls, led by the incomparable Dominique Maloy and eight teammates who wouldn't back off a challenge, won the Nevada Class 3-A State Track and Field title, knocking off favored adversaries Spring Creek and Boulder City.

The Trojans' baseball team, just 1-7 in the Southern League just a month ago, battled its way into the state finals, only to lose to always dangerous Las Vegas Faith Lutheran.

The youthful Lady Trojans' fast-pitch softball team -- it had only three seniors -- had to settle for third place in a tournament that Fernley -- led by sophomore slugger Severina Johnson and senior pitcher Heather Matthews -- dominated, outscoring three opponents 23-6.

State tournament time is always exciting, but when hometown teams are involved, we wished we could clone ourselves, so we could be at all of the venues.

It wasn't all that bad last weekend, when the baseball and softball tournaments were contested at Faith Lutheran High School and the track championships were being held just 35 minutes away at Del Sol High School -- located just a block north of the normal flight path to McCarran International Airport.

Maloy victories -- in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dashes and the long jump -- came with almost equal frequency to the number of planes landing. Wins by the 4x200 and 4x100 relay teams and McKenzie Dean, who repeated as the 3200-meter champion, put pressure on the Spring Creek's Spartans and Boulder City's Eagles, who couldn't match the Lady Trojans' intensity.

What the baseball team did in overcoming an 8-1 deficit and rallying past Northern champion Dayton 17-11 is stuff legends are made of. Only the tourney-tested Faith Lutheran Crusaders could slow them down, and even then, it wasn't over 'til the fat lady sang.

The Trojans' baseball team won 10 of 15 games over a three-week period to advance to the state championship game, played at Koerwitz Field, the Crusaders' home Faith won 6-1, giving the Crusaders their fourth state championship in five years and third since moving to Class 3-A.

The Pahrump Valley softball team was a year ahead of expectations when it made it to the state tournament. With only three seniors on the roster, and with Faith Lutheran and Boulder City fielding older, more experienced talent, the Trojans winning the league and regional titles and getting to state was an unexpected treat for their fans.

The softball team won state titles in 2003, 2004, and 2005, and after winning the Southern league and regional championships in comparatively easy fashion, it seemed possible that a fourth championship could be achieved. But Fernley prevailed because of solid pitching and clutch hitting.

It was amazing how involved Pahrump Valley teams were in state tournament competition the entire school year.

The first state tournament of the 2006-2007 school year was in October at Genoa Lakes Golf Club, where the Pahrump Valley girls' golf team claimed its third 3-A title in five years. It was cold, windy, and as uncomfortable as could be for the PVHS girls -- until they ventured into the clubhouse to receive the championship plaque.

Both the Pahrump Valley girls and boys basketball teams qualified for the state tournament, played at Green Valley High School and The Orleans Arena in February. The boys lost in a grueling semifinals defensive battle with Dayton, while the girls made it to the finals before bowing to repeat champion Spring Creek.

A 30-4 record this year, incidentally, gave the Class of 2007 a girls' basketball record of 109-23, with two state championships and a runnerup finish.

A week earlier, the Trojan wrestlers had lost by eight points to Spring Creek in the team title chase, but Pahrump Valley returned home from Spanish Springs High School in Sparks with three weight-class champions -- Elias Armendariz, James Chapman, and Jeremiah Ward.

Finally, another hurrah to Pahrump Valley High School girls' track team that began the state 3-A finals as underdogs to perennial title contender Spring Creek from the Northern League, and Boulder City, the Southern regional champion, but emerged as Nevada's best 3-A squad.

Seniors Dominique Maloy, Carrie Musick and Carrie Burtenshaw sparked the Lady Trojans, taking part in six first-place finishes. Maloy won four titles, giving her a remarkable total of 15 in a spectacular prep career. Burtenshaw and Musick were the leaders of winning relay teams that helped propel the Trojans to a comfortable lead against Spring Creek and Boulder City, which never did recover from being disqualified from one of the events.

The boys won the Southern regionals, but they had to battle the considerable depth and experience of teams from Dayton and Spring Creek. Still, Kyle Mills soared 46 feet, 3 1/4 inches in the triple jump in one of the more exciting performances of the meet.

Prep sports take a break for the summer, but Pahrump Valley will field American Legion and Senior Little League baseball teams. Stay tuned...