No. 3 Trojans eye state berth in 3A semifinal vs. No. 2 Moapa Valley
It’s never easy wearing the underdog label — but the Pahrump Valley Trojans have been embracing it all season long.
Coming off a monumental 70-6 quarterfinals playoff home win last week against The Meadows, the No. 3 Trojans are shifting their focus on capturing a state playoff berth.
Their next stop?
A hostile road showdown against No. 2 Moapa Valley High School this Friday night at 7 p.m., with everything on the line.
Head coach Thom Walker knows what his team is up against — and he’s not shy about calling out what he sees as a flaw in the system.
Unlike every other Nevada football classification, Class 3A doesn’t crown a true regional champion. Instead, semifinal winners advance straight to the state playoffs.
No hardware, no bragging rights.
“To me, it is an injustice to the athletes that work hard to never have the opportunity to win the regional title,” Walker said. “A victory Friday would result in us going up north and other than the opportunity to play to go to state, there’s nothing.”
Gaining an idea from his former colleague years back, the veteran coach organized a “spirit bus” to roll into Logandale with 30-plus students ready to turn the road game into a Trojan takeover.
With a veteran roster full of young men who’ve been riding for each other since they were kids, this year’s team has already rewritten the record books — breaking school marks last game for most points in a game (70) and most sacks in a single season (25).
But ask Walker, and you’ll get a one-track answer: film, weights, repetition. The Trojans are chasing execution, not applause.
Despite the Trojans recent momentum, they’ll face one of their biggest challenges of the year as they head back to Logandale once more.
They’ll need every bit of that focus when they line up across from Moapa Valley.
The last meeting between the two, back on Oct. 10, ended in a rain-soaked 42–7 Pirates win that included a 50-minute lightning delay. But that was then — and this is a much healthier, much sharper Pahrump Valley team.
Statistically, it’s a clash of strengths.
In the Trojans seven wins this season, their defense has allowed just eight points per game. Meanwhile, the Pirates have been an offensive juggernaut, averaging 40 points over their last seven contests.
Something’s got to give.
Offensively, the Trojans have found their identity on the ground. Junior Preston Dockter and seniors Joshua Slusher, Austin Alvarez, and Kayne Horibe have all eclipsed 250 rushing yards this season.
But Horibe isn’t just moving the chains — he’s launching them. The senior QB has thrown for 1,681 yards, completing 84 of 157 passes for 16 touchdowns and nine picks.
Across the field, the Pirates will lean on their do-it-all weapon, junior RB/LB Briggs Hickman, who’s averaging 95 yards a game and has also punched in 16 touchdowns this year.
“Our keys to victory will be our blocking and how well we can run the ball,” Walker said. “Defensively, we need to be aggressive, tackle well and read our keys to fly off the ball.”
Fans of all ages should be in for a good one as a completely different tale of two tapes is set to unfold.
For folks unable to attend the game in person, you may tune in from the comfort of your streaming devices here.
Moapa Valley High School is located at 2400 N St Joseph St, Overton, NV 89040.
Class 3A Semifinals
Over in Mesquite, the No. 1 Virgin Valley Bulldogs host No. 4 Boulder City in another Southern semifinal clash Friday at 7 p.m.
Boulder City barely survived a gritty 14–8 win over Democracy Prep last week, but their defense now faces a juggernaut Bulldog offense that’s averaged 44.5 points per game across its last four.
If Virgin Valley holds serve at home, they’ll host next week’s Class 3A Southern Region state semifinal. If Boulder City pulls the upset, they’ll travel north — and if Pahrump Valley pulls off its own stunner, the Trojans would earn the right to host at home.
Either way, the road to Reno runs through one Friday night in Logandale — and the Trojans are rolling in with a busload of school pride and the swagger of a team tired of being called an underdog.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
