The Desert Valley League will remain status quo.

The official realignment meeting was held and voted on Monday by DVL athletic directors and principals and all seven teams will remain intact. Every two years, discussion on possible league realignment is required for possible team and or league moves.

Speculation was that a super DVL could fall into play with current De Anza League members Shadow Hills, Desert Mirage, Desert Hot Springs and the new Rancho Mirage joining in, making it an 11-team league with perhaps another for an even 12. Another was a large school, small school DVL with crossover play while another listed Xavier to the De Anza.

That was not the case.

The only school that did not participate fully in DVL play was Xavier Prep and it was only in football. The Saints had played a freelance schedule and will fulfill that this fall, then move into DVL play for the 2014 campaign.

Xavier remains the smallest school in the league with approximately 500 students. La Quinta is the largest DVL school and Cathedral City is a close second. However, with the new Rancho Mirage, a portion of Cathedral City students will enroll in the new school scheduled to open this fall for freshman and sophomores only. It was a similar situation to when Shadow Hills opened and Indio students enrolled in the new school, making Indio the second smallest school in the DVL today.

According to Rancho Mirage athletic director and vice principal Chris Calderwood, who transferred to Rancho Mirage within the Palm Springs Unified School District, the enrollment is expected to be between 680-700 this fall.

“Rancho Mirage will begin as a junior varsity freelance program, then move into the De Anza League for 2014-15,” he said. “We’ll join the other six (DHS, Desert Mirage, Shadow Hills, Yucca Valley, Big Bear and Twentynine Palms).

Dennis Zink, the interim AD at Palm Springs, said he’s happy with the results.

“Palm Springs would have liked the DVL to be an 8-member league but is not unhappy we stayed with the seven,” said Zink, also the school’s basketball coach. “It will remain a great league with the four guaranteed playoff spots.”

Rob Hanmer, the long time basketball coach at Cathedral City, has transferred to Rancho Mirage and expects a varsity-level boys’ basketball team for the 2014-15 season. Calderwood said most Rattlers’ teams will have varsity component by the 2014 school year.

With the regular high school season winding down, the league races are heating up with just two weeks remaining in regular-season play. Teams are jockeying for playoff position and the latest CIF polls are out to jump-start the push to the postseason.

In baseball, four area teams have made it in to the baseball polls led by the Desert Christian Academy at the top of Div. 6. The Conquerors are loaded with talent and experience and have stayed atop Div. 6 from the start of the season. DCA (16-2) won a huge event with school more than three times its size but may have its biggest test of all against a hungry La Quinta squad.

DCA is led by Nathan Loewen (.500), Morgan Earman (.446, 5-1, 0.35 ERA) and Marshall Webb (.441).

The two will meet Thursday in a non-league local school showdown. La Quinta, of course is still in the race for a DVL title. However, they are not ranked among the top teams in Div. 3. Palm Desert is the only ranked DVL team at No. 7. The Aztecs, still the only undefeated team in the league, travel to Palm Springs Tuesday.

The Aztecs’ dual threat is reigning CIF player of the year Brian Serven with his .288 batting average and 5-2 pitching mark (2.04 ERA). Max Compton is 7-2 with a 1.87 ERA.

La Quinta dropped its first DVL game last week, but is also gearing up for the rival showdown with the Aztecs with Taylor Bryant (.449), Clay Fisher (.439) and pitcher Trevor Abshire (6-0, 0.54) ready to challenge.

In Div. 5, Shadow Hills earns the No. 9 spot and the Knights are rolling with their 8-1 league mark. Shadow Hills takes on De Anza foe Desert Mirage Wednesday and will look to veterans Jearl Jesson, Tyson Miller and Gabe Lopez to lead.

In Div. 7, Marywood-Palm Valley hangs in at No. 7 sparked by Chase Doremus (.537) and .400-plus hitters Tanner Joles and Matt Elliott.

La Quinta softball enjoys a stranglehold on the top spot in Div. 4 as it has all year. The Blackhawks continue to impress with their balanced two-way attack and stand at 20-1. Any wonder. Peruse these statistics:  Kelli Finan (.579), Dominique Rivas (.564), Hayley Nuno (.540), Thalia Ortiz (.529), Kendyl Scott (.525), Brianna Gatlin (.510), Illy Jimenez (.500).

Look for the game of the year – two games that is – during the first week of May when LQ takes on Indio twice. The Rajahs are the only other area ranked team. Indio is at No. 10.

In tennis, two teams are among the top 10. Palm Desert stays at No. 2 in Div. 2 and posts a 14-1 overall mark, closing in on another unbeaten DVL campaign. Marywood Palm Valley is at No. 6 in Div. 5.

The latest CIF-Southern Section polls are out and the valley has two teams in the No. 1 position in their respective sports.

First, it’s perennial power La Quinta softball standing at the top of the Div. IV poll. And why not? The Blackhawks are 12-1 with five batters all averaging more than .450  Coach DeDe Grutz has a wealth of experienced players on her squad as well. Thalia Ortiz is back after being out with an injury for her junior year and leads the team with four home runs. Hayley Nuno, Illy Jimenez and Brianna Gatlin are some of the other top seniors.

Look for La Quinta to go big now that the DVL is underway.

Indio is the only other softball team in the poll. The Rajahs, behind the solid arm and big bat of senior Heather Morales, stands at No. 10.

In baseball, Desert Christian Academy is No. 1 in Div. VI.

The Conquerors are following up a season where they advanced to the CIF semifinals and a 20-8 record. Morgan Earman, Nathan Loewen, Roger Corti, Drew Helmstadter and Marshall Webb lead the charge for a team that returns seven starters.

In Div. VII baseball, Marywood Palm Valley is at No. 7

In tennis, Palm Desert is at No. 2 in Div. 2 behind San Marino. Palm Springs is at No. 10. Also in tennis, Marywood Palm Valley is No. 5 in Div. 5.

A total of 382 high schools will begin a quest for a CIF-Southern Section boys’ basketball title this week with nine teams hailing from the Coachella Valley.

There are 356 in the girls basketball playoffs, but just six earned a berth to the playoffs from the desert. In water polo, 141 entries in sevens division will compete. Three of those are from the Desert Valley League Valley League.

In boys’ basketball, DVL undefeated champ Palm Springs leads the list of nine teams in seven different divisions. In girls’ hoop DVL co-champs La Quinta and Indio are among the six in six different divisions.

Boys’ hoop games are Wednesday and Friday, while the girls will play Thursday and Saturday. In water polo, wild card games are Tuesday with first rounders on Thursday.

Look for our coverage all week as we start the second season.

Here’s a breakdown of our local teams and opponents:

BOYS BASKETBALL

(all games at 7 p.m.)

Wednesday

Div. 3AAA: Murrieta Mesa at Palm Springs

Palm Desert at Jurupa Hills

Div. 3AA: Indio at Arlington

Div. 3A: Shadow Hills at Pacific

Div. 5AA: Xavier Prep at Linfield Christian

Div. 5A: Pacific Lutheran at Desert Christian Academy

Div. 6: Summit View at Marywood Palm Valley

Desert Chapel at Lee Vining

Friday

Div. 2AA: Cathedral City at Mira Costa

GIRLS BASKETBALL

(all games at 7 p.m.)

Thursday

Div. 3AA: Yorba Linda at Palm Desert

Div. 5A: Webb at West Shores

Div. 6: LaVerne Lutheran at Marywood Palm Valley

Saturday

Div. 1A: Chaffey at La Quinta

Div. 2AA: Coachella Valley at Perris

Div. 3AAA: Cerritos or N. Torrance at Indio

WATER POLO

Div. 6

(all games at 5 p.m.)

Tuesday

Rancho Alamitos at Palm Springs (site TBD)

La Salle at La Quinta

Thursday

Santa Monica or Cate at Palm Desert

We’re at the halfway point of the league season and there’s been little movement in the latest CIF polls. Teams are making that last push toward a playoff spot, but here’s the latest rankings out of the CIF-SS.

In boys basketball Div. 3AAA, Palm Springs ranks 8th overall and is the lone unbeaten team in DVL. Palm Desert stands at No. 10 with its lone loss to the Indians.

In Div. 5A, Desert Christian Academy is at No. 14 and in Div. 6, Marywood Palm Valley is No. 5, while Desert Chapel is No. 13

In girls’ hoop, the only local team ranked in the top 10 is DVL leader La Quinta. The Blackhawks are No. 15 in Div. 1A. In Div. 5AA, Desert Christian Academy is 15th.

The boys soccer race is also heating up in both the DVL and DeAnza Leagues, but only Palm Springs (No. 4) and La Quinta (10th) are among the ranked teams in Div. 4. In Div. 7, West Shores is in the top spot.

In girls soccer, La Quinta is No, 5 in Div. 5.

In water polo, La Quinta is No. 6 in Div. 6.

As we head hdown the home stretch, hopefully we’ll see some more local teams break into the CIF rankings, giving a nod to the sometimes-overlooked desert-area teams..

Seven area football players were awarded all-CIF honors as announced by the CIF-Southern Section on Monday.

From the Central Division, Palm Springs and La Quinta placed three players each on the team, while East Valley Division was represented by Shadow Hills’ standout James Toland IV, a 6-0, 185-pound running back.

From the Indians, the honorees include: Brandon Cummings, a 6-1, 220-pound offensive lineman; Rodney Butler, a 6-0, 205-pound linebacker and defensive utility player Chris Hessler, a 6-0, 200-pounder.

La Quinta was represented on offense by Logan Robinson, at 6-2, 205, and Isaiah Verazas, 5-10, 200. On defense, it was lineman Aaron Jackson, at 5-11, 245.

Butler and Toland were selected as The Desert Sun’s players of the year.

In other CIF news, the polls are out for the first time following holiday break.

In boys’ basketball, Palm Desert is at No. 6 and Palm Springs is at No. 10 in the Div. 3-AAA. In Div. 5A, Desert Christian Academy is No. 12 and in Div. 6, Marywood Palm Valley is No. 5 and Desert Chapel is No. 12.

Look for those rankings to switch up following the outcome of Monday night’s DVL clash between Palm Desert and Palm Springs.

In girls’ hoop, La Quinta stands at No. 15 in Div. 1A. Indio is No. 16 in Div. 3-AAA. Since teams are divided according to past records, playoff appearances and enrollment, the Wednesday night clash between these two schools will have little, if any, impact on the rankings.

In Div. 2 boys soccer, Palm Springs is at No. 2 and La Quinta is No. 9, while in girls’ soccer, La Quinta is the lone team ranked in Div. 5 at No. 5 overall.

In water polo for Div. 6, La Quinta stands at No. 6 and defending DVL champ Palm Springs is at No. 8.

The mid-season wrestling poll has also been announced with La Quinta grabbing the No. 5 spot in Div. 2.

Sure there’s plenty of Lions and Tigers and Bears, but some of the most unique nicknames in all of sports are long remembered moreso than game scores.

How about the college teams from UC Santa Cruz (Banana Slugs), UC Irvine (Anteaters) and the ever popular Delta State (Miss.) University Fighting Okra or Texas Christian Horned Frogs. Then there’s the ones that are hard to figure; beginning with the letter H, there’s Hoosiers, Hoyas and Hokies.  Hmmm…..

In high school, have you ever heard of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Poets from Maryland or the West Virginia Poka High Dots? Have you ever attended a Cairo, Georgia game? That’s the home of the Syrupmakers.

California has some special ones as well; the Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits are a fun one and we’ve spotted another great one:

They’re here in the Coachella Valley at the Maxpreps Holiday Classic.

Yes, it’s the Unicorns.

They’re a team from Los Angeles, a magnet school called Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. They’re blue, gold and white if you’re wondering.

And if you’re hoping to see a Unicorn today, you can. LACES plays Coachella Valley at 2 p.m. at Desert Christian Academy.

It’s the Arabs vs. the Unicorns.

The CIF-Southern Section announced its all-CIF teams for both volleyball and water polo and eight area players have been honored.

In water polo, La Quinta High School junior Aaron Lowell was selected as Div. VI player of the year after leading the Blackhawks to their first CIF title. Other Blackhawks honored were senior Jordan Burton and juniors Trent Rubio and Riley Becker.

Other first-team members were Palm Desert junior Grant Stein and Palm Springs senior Matt Webster.

Second-team members include: Wyatt Seaman and Zach Sloan of La Quinta and Mark Zikov of Palm Desert.

John Claridge of La Quinta, Zack Rhodes and Zach Hudgens of Palm Desert and Shahriar Emami of Palm Springs made the third team.

In volleyball, Shadow Hills’ senior Cassie Tomerlin, the reigning DeAnza League MVP was named to the all-CIF first team for Div. IV-AA. In Div. V-A, junior Caitlyn Cook of Marywood Palm Valley was also honored.

And now that winter sports season has kicked off, the polls are out and two Desert Valley League teams areamong the best in Div. II.

This week, Coachella Valley is at No. 2 and Indio is at No. 5 in the boys’ poll. In Div. VII, West Shores is No. 3.

For girls, Desert Hot Springs stands at No. 9 in Div. VI.

In girls water polo, Palm Springs is No. 6 and La Quinta is No. 7 in Div. VI.

With La Quinta High School winning its first Desert Valley League boys’ water polo title in school history, then proceeding to capture a first CIF-Southern Section Div. VI championship, it’s the Blackhawks who dominate the all-league selections.

La Quinta junior Aaron Lowell was named league MVP and his father and coach, Cal, was chosen as coach of the year. Aaron was recently selected as The Desert Sun’s player of the year as well.

La Quinta placed seven players total on the team.

Lowell, junior Trent Rubio and senior Jordan Burton were selected to the first team.

They are joined by Matt Webster and Shariar Emami of Palm Springs; Grant Stein, Mark Zikov and Zach Rhodes of Palm Desert; and Dan Alling and Riley Nelson of Xavier Prep. All four of those teams advanced to the postseason.

Other first team members include Indio’s Brandon Fernandez and Kenny Gillingham of Cathedral City.

Second team

La Quinta: Reilly Becker, Wyatt Seaman

Palm Springs: Jacob Rees, Josh Freeman

Palm Desert: Daniel Rolph, Zach Hudgens

Xavier: Nathan Salmon

Indio: Francisco Jaurequi

Cathedral City: Chris Connolly

Honorable Mention

La Quinta: Zach Sloan, John Claridge

Palm Springs: Parker Young, Shyon Emami

Palm Desert: Zack Scott, Fernando Hudson

Xavier: Taylor Matthews, Greg Friscia

Indio: Macario De La Rosa, Erick Parra

Cathedral City: Adam Shabli, Aaron Barron

We’re in playoff mode.

In volleyball ,Palm Springs and La Quinta advanced in the CIF playoffs with first-round victories Tuesday while Marywood Palm Valley and West Shores also moved on to Thursday games.

Shadow Hills opens play Thursday.

We have the opponents and sites of the next round.

Palm Springs gets a home game and will host Prep League champ Chadwick of Palos Verdes. Chadwick defeated Western, 25-19, 25-15, 25-20.

La Quinta lost the coin flip and goes back on the road to Pasadena Poly, who beat another Pasadena rival, Maranatha.

Marywood Palm Valley traveled to Catalina Island and made the ferry ride worth it with a 3-2 victory against Avalon. The Firebirds made it close throughout, then rolled in the fifth game, 15-8. MPV hosts Warrior champ Riverside Christian next.

West Shores also gets a home game and will host Pacific Lutheran. They’ll start at 4:30 p.m. while all other games are set for 7 p.m. and that includes Shadow Hills’ playoff opener against another Pasadena school, St. Monica Catholic.

In water polo, all three DVL teams advanced out of the wild card round and DVL champ La Quinta knows its opponent.

The Blackhawks will host Carpenteria while the three others go on the road.

Xavier travels to Malibu, Palm Springs is at Hemet and Palm Desert goes to Rio Mesa.

Follow the Desert Sun in print, online at mydesert.com and @mydesert_sports on Twitter for the latest playoff information.