Hopkins eyes bigger picture, Trojans to host regionals at Mountain Falls Golf Club

The Pahrump Valley High School boys golf team may be just short of a league title this year, but head coach Bob Hopkins believes his group is still in position to finish the season strong where it matters most.

“We can’t win the league at this point,” Hopkins said during spring break. “So now it’s about concentrating on the regional tournament at home. That’s the main goal.”

Despite trailing Virgin Valley in the standings, Pahrump has remained competitive throughout the season, including back-to-back narrow losses by just four strokes.

“The matches have been close. But with how the points system works, we needed a few more things to go our way,” Hopkins said. “So now it’s about concentrating on trying to win the regional at home. That’s the main thing.”

Hosting the Class 3A regional tournament in their backyard at Mountain Falls Golf Club on May 6 and 7, the program will have home course advantage as they prepare to step into the tournament after their last two matches in the Boulder Creek dual and lastly at Coyote Springs in Moapa on April 22.

A tight race

In a different format, that narrow four-point margin might have kept the title race alive.

But the league’s point system—awarding four points for first, three for second—leaves little to no room for error.

“The way it works, once they [Virgin Valley] beat us at their place, our chances were basically done,” Hopkins said. “We would’ve needed Boulder City to beat them last week and everything to fall perfectly. That just didn’t happen.”

Even so, the standings haven’t necessarily painted the full picture.

Pahrump Valley sits just behind Virgin Valley in overall points by four, 40-36 , reinforcing how close the gap truly was.

“It’s not like we’re way off,” Hopkins said. “We’re close.”

Reliability across the lineup

The tightness of the race is largely due to the Trojans’ depth in their lineup.

Five of Pahrump Valley’s boys golfers rank inside the league’s top 15 individually including Aaron Rily (sixth), Cayden Cowley (eighth), Travis Floyd (10th), Brody Myers (11th) and Samson Wagner (12th).

The program is led by junior Aaron Rily, who is ranked sixth overall out of 42 kids in the Class 3A Desert League with 125.5 points.

“Aaron might be our most consistent golfer right now,” Hopkins said. “He hits the ball well enough to be in the 70s—I really believe that. He’s close.”

Close has been the theme for several players.

Rily’s posted rounds in the mid-80’s, including multiple scores of 83, while Cayden Cowley (No. 8, 116.5 points) and Travis Floyd (No. 10, 107.5 points) have consistently hovered near the top of the leader-boards.

“Rily and Floyd have both been up there most of the year,” Hopkins said. “They’ve been steady for us.”

Trojans freshman Brody Myers surged on April 1, nearly shooting the team’s first round in the 70’s this season during a strong 81 showing in Mesquite, while junior Samson Wagner has also shown significant mid-season improvement, according to Hopkins.

“Samson had a 37 on the front nine in one round,” Hopkins said. “That was legit. And he’s been working to get more consistent. It kind of ebbs and flows with him.”

Finding the formula

As the program looks ahead to regionals, Hopkins has a clear benchmark in mind.

“If our kids, as a team, can shoot around 320, we’ve got a legitimate chance,” he said. “That’s basically four guys shooting 80.”

Of course, tournaments rarely unfold perfectly.

“You need two or three kids down in the 70’s,” Hopkins said. “That way, if somebody has a bad day, it doesn’t hurt you as much.”

Right now, that’s the missing piece.

Rily is right on the cusp, while Myers has already shown the capability. Others continue to develop, giving Hopkins reason for optimism.

Back to basics

To close that gap, the coaching staff, including assistant coach Daniel “Danny” Clift, is emphasizing a part of the game often overlooked by younger players.

“The quickest way for our kids to score right now is their short game—chipping and putting,” Hopkins said. “Everybody wants to hit it 300 yards, but if you hit it 300 yards crooked, it doesn’t do you much good.”

Instead, precision around the green is what separates good rounds from great ones.

“If you can chip and putt, you can make a game out of it,” Hopkins said.

The longtime coach, who’s been coaching boys golf for 46 years, also noted that practice habits can sometimes work against players.

“A lot of them spend too much time on the driving range,” Hopkins said. “Out there, you’ve got a perfect lie every time. On the course, it’s not like that.”

Letting the game come to them

With league pressure now off the table, the Trojans are embracing a more relaxed approach heading into their final two matches, including a trip to Coyote Springs and back to Boulder Creek.

“We’re still going to go compete,” Hopkins said. “But we’re also trying to let them enjoy it.”

That has included mixing up practice formats—adding scrambles, team play, and lighter moments to keep the atmosphere loose.

“The pressure’s off their shoulders a little bit,” Hopkins said. “And that’s not a bad thing.”

The players have responded.

“I think the kids are enjoying themselves,” he said. “And Danny and I are enjoying coaching a lot this season.”

A program built on opportunity

Part of Pahrump Valley’s sustained competitiveness comes from a unique advantage: access to the state-of-the-art Mountain Falls Golf Club facility.

“That’s one of the reasons we’ve been successful,” Hopkins said. “Having that course and that support—it’s huge.”

The connection runs even deeper.

Mountain Falls Director of Golf Elliot Owens—once a player under Hopkins—represents the program’s long-standing pipeline.

“I’ve been watching him play since the 90’s,” Hopkins said. “He came up through our junior golf program.”

That foundation has helped produce strong teams in the past—and will for years to come.

The right size, the right group

This year’s roster at 12 players, has struck an ideal balance.

“Years ago, we had 40 kids,” Hopkins said with a laugh. “That’s too many. This number is just about perfect.”

The smaller group naturally allows more individualized coaching and stronger connections between players and staff.

“It makes it a lot easier to work with them,” Hopkins said.

The mental game

Beyond mechanics, Hopkins emphasizes the mental side of golf—something his players are still learning to navigate.

“You can’t play defense in golf,” Hopkins. “You can only control what you do.”

Players experiencing competitive pressure for the first time have had that lesson come into focus.

“One of the kids said he felt like he was choking,” Hopkins recalled. “I told him, ‘That’s pressure. Everybody deals with it differently.’”

Learning to manage that pressure is part of the process and part of the growth Hopkins has seen this season.

Eyes on what’s next

Historically, the Trojans are aiming to capture their first regional title since 2022, led formerly by Trojans Kasen Moore, Carter Nygaard, Ryan Geoffroy, Sam Machovsky, Joe Mule, and Christian Mott.

Prior to 2022, the Trojans last took home a league title in 2008.

Taking third overall behind Boulder City and Virgin Valley in last year’s regional tournament, Hopkins believes this group has what it takes.

The program also has the edge as it will be the first time in three years since 2023 that the Class 3A Southern Regionals will run through Pahrump.

“Our goal is to win the regional at home,” Hopkins said. “And hopefully get two teams to state in Boulder City.”

For Hopkins, the bigger picture hasn’t changed much.

“We’ve got a great group of kids,” he said. “That’s pretty much what it’s all about anyway.”

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