Veteran Pahrump Valley football team sets sights on 3A Southern title under new head coach

Watching his team practice from the sideline in 113-degree August heat, first-year Trojans football Head Coach Toby Henry offered a simple assessment.

“I’ve coached football in five states, and I have never seen a group of kids work this hard,” Henry said.

For Henry, that work ethic is the foundation of everything the Trojans hope to accomplish this season.

Pahrump Valley enters Henry’s first year as head coach with an experienced roster, a defense loaded with returning starters and the stated goal of winning the Class 3A Southern League. The Trojans are coming off a 7-4 season that ended with a 35-27 loss to Moapa Valley in the Class 3A Southern semifinals.

Henry said the connection between the program, the school and the surrounding community is one of Pahrump Valley’s greatest strengths. Henry, who moved to Nye County two years ago, described Pahrump as a “special place,” adding that it reminded him of his own experience growing up in Texas.

“These players, they just seem more connected to their school in general and you can see that in the way they work out here,” Henry said, adding that players at a smaller, more rural school tend to feel more closely connected to their classmates, their campus and the town they represent on Friday nights.

Henry is relatively new to Pahrump but no stranger to Southern Nevada football. He spent several seasons as the head coach at Durango High School in Las Vegas before spending one season as Liberty’s passing game coordinator. Henderson standout Liberty went 10-3 in 2023 and reached the Class 5A Division I state championship game. Henry’s tenure at Durango included a 2018 Raiders High School Coach of the Week honor after the Trailblazers held an opponent to 80 yards of offense and scored two defensive touchdowns.

Henry believes the connection to their school and community contributes to the Trojans’ work ethic and expectations for this season are high.

“The goal is to win the league,” Henry said.

The Trojans return 25 varsity players, including 10 starters from last season’s defense. The current varsity roster includes 33 players, 25 of them seniors.

That experience gives Pahrump Valley reason for confidence, but Henry also wants the Trojans to remember how quickly confidence can become complacency.

Last season offered two painful reminders.

It’s not over ’til it’s over

Pahrump Valley opened the year with a trio of games against 4A opponents before getting into the heart of its 3A schedule. The Trojans notched victories over Pinecrest Academy Cadence and Chaparral before taking a lead into the fourth quarter against Spring Valley. Pahrump Valley led 14-7 entering the final period and was still ahead by 10 points with approximately two minutes remaining.

Then Spring Valley scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, using two long touchdown passes, an onside-kick recovery and a late scoring drive to hand Pahrump Valley a 28-24 loss. The Trojans finished with 544 yards of offense but committed five turnovers.

Henry, who was Pahrump Valley’s offensive coordinator last season, said such games can benefit a team by eliminating early-season cockiness and exposing weaknesses before league play begins. The Trojans had looked strong during the early portion of the schedule, but Spring Valley showed that a good start and a fourth-quarter lead would not be enough.

A similar lesson arrived at the end of the season.

The Trojans raced to a 14-0 lead against Moapa Valley in the Class 3A Southern semifinal before the Pirates scored 28 unanswered points. Pahrump Valley rallied in the fourth quarter but fell 35-27, ending the Trojans’ 7-4 season.

Henry wants this year’s team to use those results as fuel rather than carry them as a burden.

Anchored by seniors

The foundation will be a veteran defense headlined by senior linebacker Iyan Bosket.

Bosket, listed at 6 feet, 4 inches and 220 pounds, committed to San Diego State in June after also receiving offers from Oregon State, Colorado State and Sacramento State. He earned first-team All-3A Southern League recognition last season after recording 69 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. He also won the Class 3A state wrestling championship at 215 pounds in February.

Bosket is the most recognizable player on the defense, but the unit is not built around one name.

Senior lineman William “Billy” Sparks led Pahrump Valley with nine sacks last season, while Paul Walker recorded four and Gideon Wydick added three. The Trojans also return experienced players throughout the defensive front and secondary.

One concern identified during the offseason was an offensive line replacing several experienced players, although the Trojans believe the younger linemen have progressed throughout the summer.

The offense also must replace quarterback Kayne Horibe and running back Austin Alvarez, who accounted for much of the team’s production last season.

Sophomore Evan Strain is expected to take over at quarterback, with Preston Dockter and senior receiver Lucas Gavenda among the key returning offensive weapons. Angel Ware and Ryan Hamlin also return after contributing in the passing game last season.

Despite a roster dominated by seniors, the Trojans will turn to a sophomore at quarterback. Henry said Strain’s performance during the summer earned him the job.

“He did really great in camp,” Henry said. “He has earned the position.”

Henry said Gavenda is entering his third year as a starting receiver. Ware also has two seasons of starting experience and will begin his third year in the lineup.

What Pahrump Valley’s offense will look like from week to week may depend largely on what opponents choose to defend.

Henry said he is repeatedly asked whether the Trojans will be a running team or a passing team. He does not see the choice as permanent. Pahrump Valley will continue running the football when opponents allow it. Should a defense commit enough players to stop the ground game, the Trojans will be prepared to move the ball through the air.

Willingness to adjust

Pahrump Valley opens the season at home tonight. The Trojans then host Galena on Aug. 21 before traveling to Durango on Aug. 28. Galena competes in the NIAA’s Class 5A North, giving the Class 3A Trojans an early opportunity to measure themselves against a program from a larger classification.

Henry said those nonleague games can reveal problems that may be hidden when a team faces only similarly sized programs. They also can prepare players for the pressure of the league schedule.

Pahrump Valley’s ultimate standard will be established against familiar opponents.

Henry identified Moapa Valley, Virgin Valley and Boulder City as the rivalry games the Trojans must win to achieve their primary goal. Pahrump Valley defeated Boulder City last season but lost to Virgin Valley during the regular season and twice to Moapa Valley, including the regional semifinal.

The Trojans know the path. They also know how narrow the distance can be between controlling a game and watching it turn.

A veteran defense, an adaptable offense and a roster filled with seniors give Pahrump Valley reasons to believe it can take the next step. Henry believes the program’s most important advantage cannot be found in a classification, a stat sheet or a recruiting profile.

It is found each day on the practice field.

Contact sports reporter Bill Evans at wevans@pvtimes.com