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2023-2024 Schedule Release: Save Yourself Some Time and Just Circle Every Date Already; Big Matches EVERYWHERE

When your typical schedule release date gets delayed by a whole week, you know it's got to be for a good reason. Let the waiting finally end. The 2023-24 schedule is live, and with it comes both intrigue and expansion as we welcome aboard CASLV Windmill, Thurman White Middle School, and Equipo Academy! This year's league features a combined 27 teams across middle school and high school, our largest slate ever.

Can the Champs Repeat?

Last year's HS state championship and MS regular season final featured the biggest drama of the season. Coming into this season, it's safe to say that no one is going to be surprised by Faith Lutheran (HS) and Meadows (MS). However, all of the players on both of these squads are playing with a level of attention they've never experienced before. For the first time, they're coming into every match knowing full well that the target is on their backs. All eyes will be on these two squads to see how they navigate their newest set of challenges this season.

HS Games To Watch This Season

Under the new 11-team format for HS this season, the traditional Apertura/Clausura format has been shelved for a format that provides maximum drama up to the final day of the season. This year, all teams will play 1 round robin. Then, the top 3 teams will advance to the gold pool (championship) and the bottom 8 teams will be sent to the silver pool (consolation). That means only the top 3 teams after Round 11 are eligible for the championship, and all three teams are guaranteed to come in to the final day of the season with a chance to win the championship. Here are some of the matchups to watch for during the initial round robin:
Meadows A vs. Coral Academy A--September 30th
The Mustangs are rebuilding after losing 3/4 of their scoring, although last year's leading scorer in Ben Vinocur is returning. He's joined by his brother Sam and a bunch of freshmen who have very high ceilings. In the meantime, though, they're going to face a difficult test against a Coral Academy team that used last year to gain loads of experience as a young squad. Led by Daniel Obstgarten, the Falcons will be looking to show the next step in their program's development this year. A win against Meadows A would definitely qualify as a next step forward.

Faith Lutheran A vs. Clark A--September 30th
This one features the defending state champion against the champion from two years ago. The quiz bowl tradition is rich at both of these schools, and you just know Akash Abraham will have his Crusaders ready to face off against Parth Joshi and his Chargers. These two teams put up points in bunches, and they're squarely in the picture for those 3 pivotal spots in the gold pool.

Clark A vs. Meadows A--September 30th
Opening Day concludes with another potential barn burner--Vinocur et al. vs. Joshi et al. This is another one that will go a long way towards determining the top 3 for the gold pool.

Faith Lutheran A vs. A-TECH--October 14th
The last few competitions of 2022-23 showed us just how reliable A-TECH's experience can be in keeping them competitive with the rest of the field. While the Mavericks no doubt miss Wade Widmann and Sovannjet Lim, they have every reason to be optimistic in this pivotal measuring-stick game.

Coral Academy A vs. Faith Lutheran A--October 14th
We mentioned earlier about Coral's chances to take a step forward. Here's another one of those potential matchups. A win here would do wonders for their chances at a top 3 slot.

Meadows A vs. Faith Lutheran A--October 21st
An absolute MONSTER of a game gets top billing in the penultimate match of the round robin. Given the depth of the league, this match could easily determine anything from who gets the top seed to who might need to win just to make playoffs. If both teams reach the gold pool, then this one could be an LVQBA Finals preview.

MS Games To Watch This Season

For the first time in league history, the middle school has hit its cap of 16 teams. The pyramidal game is growing rapidly among the younger students in the valley, which means the HS division is about to see some big time growth in the next few years. With 16 teams, this division will also eschew the Apertura/Clausura format. Instead, all of the teams will play a single round robin. Then, the top 8 will advance to the gold playoff pool (championship) and the bottom 8 will move to the silver playoff pool (consolation). Each pool will then play a single elimination bracket; however, the key detail here is that the 2 final teams standing in the gold pool will play a best-of-3 series instead of a 1-game final. (The silver pool will play a straight single elimination bracket.) Let's take a look at the most anticipated matchups:
White A vs. Meadows B--September 30th
After making their first pyramidal-style appearance at last year's state tournament, Thurman White Middle School brings two squads to the regular season. Their top squad will take on a Meadows B team that's going to feature some new 6th grade talent that has been itching for competition ever since their practices began. This matchup could be a close one if both teams find a way to manage nerves and patience.

Rogich A vs. Lone Mountain A--September 30th
Both of these teams came on extremely strong at the end of last season. Without question, both teams played their best quiz bowl of the year at the State tournament (Rogich finished 3rd, Lone Mountain took 4th). Both of these teams are favored to make the top 8, but this matchup could be an early preview of a top playoff tilt down the road.

Meadows A vs. Faith Lutheran--October 14th
The most anticipated matchup of the regular season finally meets us in Round 6 as last year's finalists in all 3 legs of the triple crown renew their rivalry. There's a little extra spice added to this one, too, because Meadows has now welcomed a transfer student named Liam Davenport, who happened to be the leading scorer for Faith Lutheran last year. A word of caution, though: While the Mustangs are returning most of their scoring (like Elliot Lefebvre and Sophia Gallardo), they'll still be learning how to work with each other at this point in the season. And even with Faith Lutheran rebuilding, their solid tradition and fundamentals will give them every opportunity to catch the Mustangs sleeping. Lest we forget, the core that won the High School State Championship last year were first assembled in middle school by current head coach Jenny Holmes. She'll have the Crusaders ready.

Lone Mountain A vs. CASLV Windmill--October 14th
Middle School newcomers CASLV Windmill are one of the wildcards this year. They're new to Quiz Bowl, but their roster is more mature than many of the other teams in the league. The extra experience they've gained from their coursework makes this game a good measuring stick for the Falcons. The same can be said for the Wildcats, too. How will this very talented squad handle an opponent they've never seen before? If 8th grader Tryston Thomas ends up being slotted on Lone Mountain's A team, you better believe he'll have something to say about that.

Meadows A vs. White A--October 21st
Speaking of measuring stick games, here's a hefty one for White A. It'll be a tall order to take down the defending state champions, but it's a match that stands to give the Challengers plenty of information about where their program stands in its current development.

Meadows A vs. Rogich A--October 21st
It'll be a shock if both of these teams aren't in the top 8 by this point. This one could very well be a Finals preview, too. Remember that last year's Meadows team that won the regular season consistently struggled against Rogich. No matter what the Mustangs brought, Coach Rei Vital had the Rough Riders ready. Keep a close eye on this one.

Faith Lutheran vs. Meadows B--November 18th
Lots of intrigue in this one! Given the relative inexperience of both squads, each of these teams could easily be anywhere from in the top 8 to hanging on just to get in. This one's a dark horse candidate for Game of the Week.

2023-2024 Preview: Pair of Mustangs Praised in Review-Journal

Two students from Meadows were recently interviewed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on their accomplishments at IAC nationals and internationals. That article is now officially live! Check out Julie Wootton-Greener's piece on William Russman and Elliot Lefebvre!

2023-24 League Information

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