Trojans end season with huge momentum

The Pahrump Valley Trojans defeated the Valley High School Vikings 43-6 to end the regular season on Friday.

The Trojans, who started the year 0-3, finished the regular season with a 4-3 overall record and a 3-1 league record. They finished in first place of the 3A Mountain division and will have a first-round bye this week when the playoffs start.

The Pahrump Valley offense stuck to what it knows best - running the ball. The Trojans had over 300 rushing yards in the game, while being led by their sophomore wide receiver, Chase Otteson. Otteson finished with a season-high 144 rushing yards on nine attempts and had two rushing touchdowns.

Senior running back Henry Amaya has been quiet in recent weeks but woke up against the Valley defense. He ran the ball six times for a total of 49 yards and added two touchdown runs, bringing his season total to four touchdowns.

“Friday night’s outcome against Valley was based on the entire team’s desire to finish out the regular season with a win,” Pahrump Valley head coach Joe Clayton said of his team. “Being able to win the last four games has given the boys some confidence and an edge going into the playoffs.”

Zack Cuellar, who has been leading the Trojans’ rushing attack all season, joined in on the scoring fun against Valley. He added a 21-yard touchdown of his own to go along with the other five rushing touchdowns.

The defense for the Trojans was able to make some big plays to help out the offense. Hunter Otteson was the star defenseman for the night. He finished with one interception and had recorded a safety in the first quarter to open up the scoring.

The Trojans are set to start their playoff run on Friday, Nov. 5. They’ll host the winner of the first-round matchup between Virgin Valley and Eldorado that takes place this Thursday, Oct. 28. Due to Virgin Valley’s loss to Moapa Valley on Friday, Moapa finished with the No. 1 seed in the 3A Desert division and Virgin Valley finished as the No. 2 seed.

Virgin Valley traveled to Pahrump Valley earlier this season and came away with a win. This was after Pahrump’s first two games were canceled and they were without their head coach for the game. The Trojans have said that they’re hoping to get some revenge in the second round of the playoffs.

“The boys want to play Virgin Valley again. So if they [Virgin Valley] beat Eldorado this week, their wish will be granted,” Clayton said.

The kickoff for the game on Nov. 5 is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Pahrump Valley High School.

Contact Sports Editor Danny Smyth at dsmyth@pvtimes.com