The Meadows rises in football with return of coach DeSantis

Frank DeSantis is back as football coach at The Meadows, and the Mustangs just might be back as well.

DeSantis left the school after the 2001 season, having won five consecutive state championships and 41 straight games at the Class 2A school.

He spent the next three years coaching 4A schools and coached middle school football in Texas last season.

While he was gone, the Mustangs missed the playoffs twice and won just one postseason game.

With DeSantis back on the sidelines, the team is off to a 4-1 start and is 1-0 in the 2A Southern League.

The Mustangs host Lucerne Valley (Calif.) this week before finishing the regular season with league games against Lincoln County, West Wendover and Needles (Calif.).

"There are six games left after this week -- three in league and then hopefully three in the playoffs," DeSantis said. "That's what everybody wants to shoot for."

DeSantis said the team's focus is on winning the league title, which would give the Mustangs two home playoff games should it win in the first round.

"We're shooting for No. 1, and that's all we're concentrating on right now," DeSantis said.

And DeSantis, 47, is concentrating on improving the program. He'd like to coax a few more players out for the program so that junior varsity could be added. And he said he's in it for the long haul.

"I'm staying here for a while," DeSantis said. "I'm in no hurry to go anywhere. They've been really good to me.

"I've done my share. I'm happy now."

• EARLY KICKOFFS -- Start times for area Class 4A football games will change beginning this week.

Games will kickoff at 6 p.m., rather than 7.

The Clark County School District originally moved the start times last October, citing safety concerns after several incidents of violence at games.

Games went back to 7 p.m. starts at the beginning of this season, but with the sun going down earlier and the heat of August and September gone, the games will move back to 6 p.m.

"I don't like it because it brings some inconvenience to the parents," said Bill Garis, executive director of athletics for the CCSD. "But if it saves lives and saves injury, it's worth it."

Garis said district police officers noted fewer incidents last season after the start times changed.

"They said they had fewer incidents and that most of the incidents occur later in the evening, especially from the influence in the neighborhoods," Garis said.

• VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT -- The annual Durango Fall Classic volleyball tournament will be Friday and Saturday at Durango and Green Valley.

Leading the field is Mira Costa (Calif.), ranked No. 2 in the country by prepvolleyball.com.

The tournament also includes three other teams ranked in the top 25 nationally.

Bishop Gorman, Durango, Green Valley and Silverado are the local teams involved.

Play begins at 3 p.m. at both sites Friday and at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

The championship division will be played at Durango, with the championship match scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Saturday.

• SOCCER FORFEIT -- Shadow Ridge's boys soccer team had to forfeit its 2-1 victory over Cheyenne on Monday for using an ineligible player.

Cheyenne is now 6-0 and in first place in the Northwest Division.

• ON THE AIR -- Friday's football game between Basic and Del Sol will be broadcast on KDWN-AM (720) beginning at 6 p.m.