No. 3 Pahrump Valley routs No. 6 The Meadows in lopsided quarterfinals blowout
It felt like Halloween came early Thursday night at Pahrump Valley High School, where the Trojans turned their playoff opener into a nightmare for The Meadows Mustangs.
In the first round of the Class 3A Southern League playoffs, Pahrump unleashed an offensive barrage that had the home crowd howling, rolling to a 70–6 victory that set the tone for a deep postseason run.
Led by defensive head coach Mike Colucci’s relentless defense, the Trojans racked up five sacks on the night — breaking their single-season record with 25 total. Linebacker Lucas Gavenda anchored the unit with a team-high six solo tackles.
“We’ve found our identity,” said head coach Thom Walker. “Our play-calling isn’t changing. We’ve had success pounding the ball all year, and we’re sticking to it.”
That commitment to the ground game paid off early — and often. The Trojans piled up 396 rushing yards on the night, sprinting to a 21–0 lead just six minutes into the first quarter alone.
After forcing a three-and-out on The Meadows’ opening drive, the Trojans defense set an early tone, forcing Mustang players to duck out of bounds or slide under pressure.
The matchup was déjà vu for The Meadows, who had already endured a lopsided loss in the Trojan’s Senior Night meeting on Oct. 17 — a game that saw one Mustang player leave with an injury.
Senior Austin Alvarez picked up right where he left off, tearing through the defense for a 65-yard touchdown run en route to a jaw-dropping performance. Alvarez finished with five total touchdowns, 96 rushing yards on four carries, and another 46 yards through the air.
By the end of the first quarter, Pahrump held a commanding 27–0 lead and never looked back.
The Trojans’ defense surrendered just one score — an 8-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter — before tightening up again and recording another second-half shutout.
The secondary shined with four interceptions, courtesy of Gavenda, Booey McLard, Ryan Hamlin, and Christian Ramiscal.
Allowing only 267 total yard against the Mustangs, junior Jerrell Turner led The Meadows in rushing yards with 104 on the ground while freshman quarterback Rocco Ricoford completed four of four passing attempts for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Kayne Horibe kept the fireworks coming, connecting with Alvarez on a 14-yard strike to push the lead to 33–6 after a successful PAT from Joshua Slusher.
Out of halftime, the Trojans wasted no time keeping their foot on the gas. Alvarez added his fifth touchdown on a 16-yard rush, while junior linebacker-turned-running-back Iyan “Boogey Man” Bosket bulldozed through defenders for 103 yards on five carries — with nearly 40 more wiped out by penalties.
“You’ve got a 6’3”, 220-pound guy — you’ve got to give him the ball,” Walker said with a grin. “He’s still green, but he’s tough to bring down. Nobody wants to tackle him.”
Bosket, who joked about his limited carries back in JV, admitted he had a blast in his expanded role.
“Hopefully we can see that more next game,” he said. “I was just a little tired — but it was fun.”
The scoring didn’t stop there.
Preston Dockter added two late rushing touchdowns to cap off the Trojans’ dominant night.
With the win, the Trojans advance to the Class 3A Southern League semifinals, where they’ll hit the road again to face Moapa Valley, the same team that handed them a weather-shortened loss earlier this month.
“I thought our defense didn’t play bad last time,” Walker said. “We gave up two touchdowns on offense with fumbles. But now we’re healthy, especially up front, and I think you’re going to see a different ballgame.”
Game time for next Friday is set for 7 p.m. in Logandale once more.
Moapa Valley High School is located at 2400 St. Joseph St. PO Box 278, Overton, NV 89040.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
