Moapa Valley Football Defeats Pahrump Valley 35-27 in Class 3A Southern League Semifinal Thriller

Despite building a 14-point lead early in the second quarter of Friday night’s Class 3A Southern League semifinal, the Pahrump Valley Trojans couldn’t hold off Moapa Valley’s relentless rally.

It was the kind of game where every mistake mattered — and unfortunately the Trojans committed just enough of them to let the Pirates slip past.

Moapa Valley High School junior quarterback Kamden Drosos connected deep with senior wideout Caden Rawson late in the fourth quarter, threading the ball through triple coverage to seal a 35-27 victory.

“Yeah, man, it is a heart breaker. Our kids played their butts off. They executed our scheme well tonight, but Moapa came out on top,” Pahrump Valley offensive coordinator Toby Henry said. “People thought we were going to get killed because they just saw the score from the last time we played. If you make mistakes against Moapa — penalties, turnovers — they’ll jump right back in the game. And that’s what happened.”

Panic ensued early as the No. 3 Trojans opening drive was nearly halted by a fumble from senior quarterback Kayne Horibe that was quickly recovered by the offense.

Taking advantage of receiving the ball on the opening coin toss, senior quarterback Kayne Horibe capped off their opening drive by finding junior WR/CB Angel Ware up the middle for 44 yards to go up 7-0 following a successful PAT by senior Joshua Slusher.

Stuffing the Pirates opening drive that didn’t make it past the 35-yard line, the Trojans forced No. 2 Moapa Valley to punt following an incomplete pass on 3rd and 16.

With five minutes to play in the first, the Trojans second drive opened up with a deep ball from Horibe to junior WR/CB Angel Ware who was unable to reel in the attempt.

Finding senior ATH/RB/FS Austin Alvarez for nine yards, Alvarez would gain a first down before the Pirates drive-ending interception by senior Jaxson Bunker would set the Pirates up on the 46-yard line with 0:58 in the first quarter remaining.

As predicted, the Pirates opened the running game up freely to their season rushing leader, junior Briggs Hickman, and for a minute looked as if he would even the score.

Trojans junior TE/DE Gideon Wydick snuffed the Pirates flame on a huge third and three stop before junior DE/TE Paul Walker ended the drive with a forced tipped pass on fourth down off the release of the Pirates junior quarterback Kamden Drosos.

The stop set the Trojans up on their own 36-yard line to begin the second quarter as Alvarez and Horibe marched the offense on the ground into the red zone.

With a nine-yard carry by Alvarez setting the Trojans up on the one yard-line, Horibe was able to sneak behind his offensive line to put Pahrump up 14-0 with 9:18 to play in the second quarter following Slusher’s successful PAT.

Everything seemed to be going perfect. Almost too perfect.

Needing to find an answer back quick, the Pirates wasted little drive time as Drosos was able to find Bunker for 34-yards up the middle to cut the score to 14-7 following Pirates senior kicker Devon Campbell’s extra point.

“They definitely got more aggressive at times — especially against the run. We were hitting the edges really well early on, but once they saw that they started stringing those runs out and holding us to just a few yards,” Horibe said. “Honestly, they’ve got a powerhouse offense. They move the ball really well.”

Both teams traded turnovers before halftime, but the biggest came when Horibe lost the ball on a strip that was ripped right from his hands. Drosos capitalized with a 31-yard screen pass to Rawson, who weaved through defenders to tie it 14-14 at halftime.

Setting Moapa Valley up in great field position, Drosos was able to connect a 31-yard screen pass to Rawson who evaded the Trojans defense on his way to tie the game 14-14 right into the half.

Drosos finished the night completing 7 of 13 pass attempts for 253 yards and three touchdowns.

“We made some mistakes before halftime, and they capitalized. We had guys in position — they just came out on top on those plays,” Henry said. “That was the difference.”

With the score mentally reset at zero, the Trojans opened the third quarter with a well-placed opening kickoff by Slusher to start the Pirates drive on the 25-yard line.

The Pirates opened the second half with a steady drive capped by Hickman’s rushing touchdown, taking a 21-14 lead.

After a Trojan punt, Moapa pulled off a bizarre, one-of-a-kind play — Hickman caught a pass up the middle, fumbled, then scooped the ball himself and sprinted into the end zone, stunning the home crowd and stretching the lead to 28-14.

Scoring 28 unanswered points, the Trojans were backed against a tight wall down 14 points but weren’t done fighting yet.

With 8:54 left in the fourth, Horibe scrambled and launched a deep pass off his back foot to junior Lucas Gavenda for a 52-yard touchdown, trimming the deficit to 28-21.

Rawson answered yet again for Moapa, pushing the lead back to 35-21, but Alvarez refused to let the Trojans go quietly.

The senior captain capped a 68-yard drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown, powering through multiple defenders.

Finishing as a true warrior with 25 carries for 191 yards and a touchdown. The senior post game said he has hopes of continuing his football career at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin.

Pahrump Valley High School senior captain Austin Alvarez rushes in for a four-yard touchdown in the Class 3A Southern League semifinals game against Moapa Valley in Overton. pic.twitter.com/fil5h1SSda

— JP (@jaypowers__) November 9, 2025

Following a missed PAT by Slusher, the Trojans were still alive trailing eight as they forced the Pirates to turn the ball over a final time.

Boding them one last crack at glory, Pahrump was set up deep inside their goal line while Horibe did everything he could to find an open target to no avail.

Finishing his final game as a Trojan, Horibe completed 8 of 20 pass attempts for 145 yards and two touchdowns while scrambling on the ground fifteen times for 50 total yards.

“It’s emotional. I first started playing for Coach Ray Cortez — he was a big mentor for me. He recently passed away, and he’s the one who started it all for me and a lot of the other seniors. Big props to him, rest in peace,” Horibe said. “It’s been an amazing journey. The football community out here is great. As I’ve grown, I’ve tried to give back — helping coach the little kids and get them started too. It’s been a real pleasure playing out here.”

When asked about how it’s been boding the underdog title in his career, Horibe had a swift reply.

“We knew we were the underdogs. We had nothing to lose — they had everything to lose. Statistically, they should’ve beat us; we hadn’t beaten them in something like 40 years. So we came in with that ‘nothing to lose’ mentality — running around like chickens with our heads cut off, just playing football and having fun,” Horibe said. “We made a few small mistakes, and those turned into touchdowns, but overall we played great against one of the best teams in Nevada.”

Standing on Moapa Valley’s football field as some of the last people in the stadium, head coach Thom Walker was understandably a little emotional as his program’s state dreams this year were ended.

“A couple years ago, we didn’t have crowds like this. Now the stands are packed, and the school even brought a bus of students to support us. What these boys have done for this community—I have no words. The legacy our seniors are leaving is remarkable,” Walker said. “Being one game shy of state isn’t something to hang your head about. This was a complete turnaround from last year. I’m proud of these boys. Statistically, they’re the greatest team in school history—most points scored, fewest allowed, and the record for sacks. We put up 430 points this year. I don’t know what more you can ask for as a coach.”

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