This is the way it’s supposed to be.
We are six weeks into the DI North prep boys basketball season and the list of legitimate regional title contenders is anywhere from five to seven teams long.
That isn’t to say all those teams have equal odds.
As teams prepare now for the most important portion of the season, it is obvious that Carson is the front runner. The Senators beat all six of the High Desert League’s teams and did it convincingly.
The Senators have as much talent as anyone in Northern Nevada but what sets them apart is the coaching of Carlos Mendeguia. The Senators are the most patient, fundamental team in the region.
They are also experienced. They have six seniors—a rarity in this year’s particularly young DI North.
Behind Carson is a pack of teams that are on relatively level footing with just five weeks of regular season play remaining. They aren’t miles behind Carson. But it is obvious the Senators are on a slightly higher tier.
Bishop Manogue has maybe the most depth of anyone in the region but has come back to the mean with back-to-back losses to McQueen and Reno.
Reno sits in first place in the High Desert League after going 5-1 against the Sierra League.
McQueen is capable of looking like a regional champion one night and looking like a third or fourth seed the next. That kind of inconsistency is scary come playoff time. That kind of potential is also scary. For opponents.
Spanish Springs is the defending HDL champ and has arguably the best player in Northern Nevada in Marcus Loadholt. The Cougs appear to be rebounding from their slow start. They beat Douglas and Galena last week. Both were on the road.
Behind those five teams are a pair of Sierra League teams who make up a third tier of capable squads.
Galena is clearly a different team this year. Things have changed since winning last year’s DI North title. But you can never count out the defending champs. And Dillon Voyles and Zach Johnson are just as good a tandem as any in the region.
The Grizzlies just need to get into the postseason and nobody will be excited to see them. They won the regional title last year as the Sierra League No. 2 seed.
Douglas is quietly tied for second in the Sierra League at 4-2. One of those wins came by 15 at McQueen a month ago.
So buckle up.
It’s anyone’s race. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.
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