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A winter sports note ...

Pahrump Valley's girls' basketball team, under the direction of coach Bob Hopkins, starts preseason workouts at 8 a.m. Saturday in the Ninth Grade Academy gym. The boys, with Lonnie Shereck in charge, begin at 12:30 p.m.

No word on when the wrestlers start, but figure Craig Rieger will have his squad on the mats as soon as possible.

The final day for applying for Pahrump Valley High School football positions is Nov. 15.

The jobs have to be filled in a timely manner, yes, but still, what's the rush?

The high school season in Nevada is not close to ending, with at least another three weekends (including tonight and Saturday) remaining for playoff games.

Who can say which coaches might be interested in the PVHS job? Many are still involved in coaching teams in the playoffs and really can't be expected to take time out and apply.

One thing that cannot be denied. After two years of misdirection, Pahrump Valley needs someone to reorganize revitalize and re-direct the program that in 35 seasons has produced only 100 wins in 303 games.

There are people in the valley who are not aware that Pahrump Valley is moving into Class 4-A in the 2008-2009 school. That is amazing ... and disappointing ... considering how much publicity that switch has received over the last six months.

With that in mind, do you wonder how many people realize what this move means. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Pahrump students went to Death Valley High School. In 1973, PVHS opened and for more than 20 years had limited enrollment. Since the mid-1990s, Pahrump's population has proliferated, and so has the number of students at all valley schools.

More than 1,300 are currently in the high school and that mark is expected to hit 1,500 -- or more -- in 2008.

Next year, Trojan athletic teams are going to be playing with the big boys (and girls). This is not the time not to be paying attention.

And if you want to get an idea of what level one sport can achieve, go to Silverado High School today and watch the Class 4-A girls' volleyball teams compete in the state semifinals.

An aside ... thanks to everybody who wished me a happy birthday Wednesday ... turning 70 had me remembering much. In particular, I remember when parents were the boss, and so were teachers. Get in trouble at school, we had to worry about what the teacher was going to do. And most of the time, what the parents had in mind made infinitely greater impressions, if you know what I mean ...