Desert Pines forfeits two wins for using ineligible player

Division I-A Sunrise leader Desert Pines High School has forfeit two games for using an ineligible .

According to a press release from the NIAA Executive Director Bart Thompson, NIAA notified personnel at Desert Pines (3-2 Sunrise League), Moapa Valley High School (4-0) and Chaparral High School (4-0) on Wednesday afternoon that the Jaguars would be forfeiting the two wins against Moapa Valley and Chaparral in September due to an ineligible offensive player that played against the two schools. This player didn't play in any other games.

This means that Desert Pines can do no better than third place in their division because they would lose a tiebreaker to the Pirates and the Cowboys. Despite the two losses, the Jaguars have clinched a Division I-A playoff spot.

According to Nevada Preps, Desert Pines will appeal the decision and believes the offensive player didn't have a bearing on the outcome of the two games. Desert Pines beat Moapa Valley 34-20 and beat Chaparral 60-13.

The Jaguars have torn up the Sunrise League, beating Boulder City (64-0), Virgin Valley (48-0) and Del Sol (76-6).

-Contact sports editor Vern Hee at vhee@pvtimes.com