New coach, new energy: Trojans boys basketball ushers in a fresh era
Excitement is already building around Pahrump Valley as the Trojans prepare to open the 2025–26 boys basketball season.
Tryouts held this past Saturday marked the first official day of the winter sports calendar, bringing a sense of renewed direction under a revamped coaching staff.
Following the departure of former head coach Braydon Preston, who guided last year’s squad to a 6–20 finish (2–10 in the 3A Southern Mountain League), the school sought a fresh start in Toby Henry.
Henry, a Nebraska native who grew up in the small town of Stafford, was a dual-sport athlete and played both shooting guard and small forward in high school when he wasn’t playing quarterback.
Breaking a school single-game point record, Henry engineered the football team’s explosive 70-point outburst this fall in the Class 3A Southern League quarterfinals.
Now, he’s tasked with restoring a winning culture to a program that hasn’t posted a winning season since 2021, when the Trojans finished exactly .500 under then-coach David Wilson.
Joining Henry is assistant coach George Baker, who also brings a deep well of basketball knowledge to the program.
Throughout June, Henry hosted Monday-through-Thursday open gym sessions, where he quickly recognized the potential within his roster.
In an interview with the Pahrump Valley Times over the summer, he emphasized his preference for an aggressive style of play — one his new team appears ready to embrace.
“I like to get after it,” Henry said. “I’ve coached a lot of teams where we were so under-matched that we couldn’t play [man-to-man defense].”
Offensively, Henry will implement a guard-heavy approach, utilizing a five-out, read-and-react system designed to maximize spacing and tempo.
“I feel like the talent is pretty good on all three teams — freshman, JV and varsity,” he added. We’ll be in great shape when the season starts.”
The Trojans currently have 13 players slotted for varsity duties, though Henry said he expects to add two more in the coming weeks.
Pahrump Valley opens the season at home in the gym on December 4 against Needles High School (Calif.), with tip-off scheduled for 4 p.m.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X
