Desert Oasis’ first-year playoff berth a rarity

First-year schools aren’t supposed to have success in sports. They’re certainly not supposed to qualify for the postseason.

No one told Desert Oasis that. In the Diamondbacks’ first season, they finished 11-5 in the Southwest League and will make their Sunset Region playoff debut Tuesday.

The Class 4A playoff pairings are set, pending approval by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association on Friday.

Here’s an look at the likely first-round matchups in each double-elimination tournament. Both tournaments will be held at Majestic Park starting Tuesday and running through Friday.

Sunset Region

Northwest No. 4 Arbor View (8-6) vs. Southwest No. 1 Durango (15-1)

Northwest No. 3 Cimarron-Memorial (10-4) vs. Southwest No. 2 Bonanza (13-3)

Southwest No. 3 Desert Oasis (11-5) vs. Northwest No. 2 Centennial (11-3)

Southwest No. 4 Clark (11-5) vs. Northwest No. 1 Shadow Ridge (13-1)

Desert Oasis earned the No. 3 seed over Clark. The teams split regular-season meetings, but the Diamondbacks’ beaten opponents had more wins than Clark’s.

Sunrise Region

Northeast No. 4 Rancho (5-7) vs. Southeast No. 1 Green Valley (12-2)

Northeast No. 3 Eldorado (7-5) vs. Southeast No. 2 Foothill (10-4)

Southeast No. 3 Liberty (10-4) vs. Northeast No. 2 Las Vegas (10-2)

Southeast No. 4 Silverado (9-5) vs. Northeast No. 1 Valley (12-0)

Foothill and Liberty tied for second in the Southeast, but Foothill won the tiebreaker. The teams split their season series, but Foothill’s beaten opponents had more wins than Liberty’s.