Pahrump Valley High School Football

The last time Pahrump Valley High School defeated Virgin Valley on the football field, George W. Bush was in his second term, Mariah Carey topped the charts, and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith ruled the box office.

It was on Sept. 30, 2005 — just short of 20 years ago — when the Trojans last claimed victory over the Bulldogs in a 39–33 road win that now feels as distant as the pre-smartphone era.

Before that? You’d have to rewind to 1993, when the Trojans recorded a 12-0 shutout.

Since then, it’s been all Virgin Valley. The Bulldogs have owned the series, holding a commanding 50–7 all-time lead.

But this Friday night, under the lights in Pahrump, the Trojans believe they have the force with them—and the firepower—to finally rewrite the 20-year script.

■ Fun Facts: In 2005 Youtube was founded. The Movies to Watch include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Walk the Line and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Price of a gallon of gas in 2005: $2.34.

A New Hope

There won’t be a major UFC or boxing card fight in Las Vegas this weekend, but there sure will be a flashback to 1997’s Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson’s WBA Heavyweight Championship fight Friday night as the Trojans are ready to scrap.

Coming into their 3A Southern League home opener, Pahrump (3–1) isn’t just winning—they’re dominating. All three of their victories have come against 4A opponents, including a 54–0 rout of Pinecrest Academy Cadence and a 56–14 dismantling of Chaparral. Their lone loss was a 28–24 nail-biter to Spring Valley in a game they led by 10 with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

With 1,820 total yards gained through four games—an average of 455 per contest—the Trojan offense has been among the most explosive in Nevada.

The cat’s been out of the bag for the league since last season in regard to senior quarterback Kayne Horibe’s passing game, but it’ll be the rushing game that will be the difference against a solid Virgin Valley line up front.

Horibe is currently ranked seventh overall in Nevada in total yards with 1234, 277 yards behind Bishop Gorman three-star Hawaii commit Maika Eugenio.

“He’s the engine of our offense but we know this week, it starts in the trenches,” head coach Thom Walker said. “They look good and have speed in their skilled positions and we know they are well-coached as always.”

Ground and Pound, Then Strike

While Horibe’s arm mainly steals the headlines, the Trojans’ ground game has quietly tripled its workload from last year—129 carries already this season. And they’re doing damage every carry, averaging nearly seven yards a touch (6.8). That punishing ground attack sets up deep strikes to junior receiver Ryan Hamlin, who leads the team with 292 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Junior Lucas Gavenda and senior Austin Alvarez have chipped in over 100 yards each, while Angel Ware—Pahrump’s reliable WR3—has delivered a breakout 112 total yards while reeling in a deep grab for a touchdown in the season opener against Pinecrest Academy Cadence.

Credit to the line is due directly to lineman coach George Baker in his first season with the Trojans. Preston Dockter, Sebastian Ferrer, Iyan Bosket, Julio Ackerman, Luca Blundo, Caden Neely, Jack Walker, Marlon Garcia, Blake Donnelly and Devon Aubuchon have all played a huge role in the offense’s success this year.

Even amid a slew of injuries—kickers Aaron Rily (groin) and Joshua Slusher (concussion), and a lingering Achilles issue for Alvarez—the Trojans have shown resilience. Alvarez, a senior captain and two-way contributor, looked healthy in last week’s 58–14 win over Cheyenne as he reeled in three receptions for 51 yards and had an interception on the other side of the ball.

Heading into the match-up, Walker knows a victory even under home field advantage isn’t going to be a walk in the park.

“I believe their game plan will be to keep our offense off the field as much as possible,” Walker said.

Defense Making Noise

Pahrump’s defense has only sacrificed 52 points to their 4A oppositions through the first four games of their calendar. The Trojans are averaging 2.8 sacks a game and have combined for 11 sacks, three interceptions, five forced fumbles, and a blocked punt. The Trojans’ biggest defensive test of the year came against Spring Valley as the Trojans were not able to hold onto a 10-point lead with two minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

If the defense can stop the Bulldogs’ air game, it’s going to be a long night for Virgin Valley as the Trojans defense holds an 80-point margin against Virgin Valley’s (136-56). The Trojans have two defensive players in the top 10 in sacks within the 3A Southern division, second-place Bosket (4) and fourth-place Paul Walker (3).

Tale of the Tape

This year, the Bulldogs sit at 2-3 overall with tough losses to Hurricane (Utah), SLAM! and Spring Creek. The Bulldogs have been led this season by senior quarterback Koby Perry, who has completed 51 of 86 pass attempts while accumulating eight touchdowns.

Perry can take off with the ball as well, similar to Horibe, as Perry has rushed for 320 yards on 40 carries for five touchdowns. Junior running back Drew Dixon will also be a force to watch for as the Bulldogs’ leading rusher has amounted 673 yard on 95 carries with five touchdowns.

Take it with a grain of salt, but my final prediction? The Trojans walk away with their first victory in two decades over the Bulldogs at home 45-28.

Game time is slated for kickoff at 7 p.m. at home.

Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.