Trojans take 4th in 3A Southern Region Boys Golf Championship
The heat was on from the first swing as record-tying extreme temperatures influenced more than a team competing for a state title could ever bargain for.
Despite the 104-degree recorded day on the course, the heat didn’t really bother Pahrump Valley as they shot their best rounds of golf on that Tuesday during day one of the 2026 Class 3A Southern Region Boys Golf Championship.
Among the 40 competitors joining the six Trojans at Boulder Creek Golf Club, golfers from Virgin Valley, Lowry, Elko, Boulder City and Churchill County all gave commendable efforts to combat the conditions.
Elko put together two steady rounds to win the 2026 Class 3A state title hosted on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Day 1
The Indians’ 3A individual champion, Jack Marma, fired a 68 on Tuesday to take the opening-round lead and never let off the gas.
They finished with a total team score of 641 after rounds of 315 and 326, comfortably ahead of runner-up Virgin Valley, which closed strong with a second-round 326 to finish at 663 overall. Lowry placed third at 667, while the Trojans took fourth at 670.
“It’s awesome to see the turnout across the state,” Pahrump Valley High School boys golf head coach Bob Hopkins said. “As far as our team goes, we’ve had three parents come down, plus two grandmas are here. It’s always nice for the kids to have family come out and watch them play.”
Led by junior Aaron Rily, the Trojan finished in seventh individually on day one, shooting a tournament personal best 77 (+5) through 18.
Rily, in his inaugural state tournament, was able to sink a couple of clutch birdies that allowed him to stay consistent within the top 10.
“We’re sitting nice right now,” Rily said after day one on the course. “We just need the fellas to finish strong.”
Travis Floyd wasn’t far behind in 13th place, as he also shot a season personal best of 78 (+6) on the opening day to help the Trojans post a first-round team score of 330 to sit second overall after day one.
Senior Cayden Cowley added an 84 (+12) for the Trojans, while T.C. Hone carded a 91 (+19) .
Brody Myers and Keir Sheppard each shot 93 (+21) to round out the Pahrump Valley lineup.
The Trojans entered Wednesday’s final round trailing first-place Elko by 15 strokes while holding a narrow edge over Lowry and Virgin Valley in the team standings.
Day 2
Pahrump Valley entered Wednesday’s final round in second place, but the Trojans fell to fourth overall after posting a team score of 340 on the final day of the tournament.
Despite the drop in the team standings, Rily remained one of the tournament’s top individual finishers.
After opening with a 77 (+5) on Tuesday, Rily carded an 81 (+9) in the final round to finish seventh overall at 158.
Junior Travis Floyd entered the day inside the top 15 after a first-round 78, but moved to 13th overall after shooting an 87 (+15) on Wednesday to finish at 165.
Senior Cayden Cowley improved his standing during the final round, following an opening 84 (+12) with an 86 (+14) to finish 21st overall at 170.
T.C. Hone made one of the team’s biggest moves in standings on day two.
After a first-round 91 (+19) left him near the bottom of the standings, Hone rebounded with an 86 (+14) in the second round to climb into a tie for 27th overall at 177.
Brody Myers, the team’s only freshman at state, finished 36th overall after rounds of 93 and 97 for a 190 total, while senior Keir Sheppard placed 37th with rounds of 93 and 99 for 192.
“I am very proud of these boys,” Hopkins said. “We’re really looking forward to next year with a lot of our boys returning.”
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X, Instagram and Tiktok @Pvtimes.sports.
