Pahrump football heads to Valley as Henry eyes league preparation

Toby Henry did not want Pahrump Valley’s first encounter with a potentially bigger, faster football team to come when league play began. Five games into a season that has included both decisive victories and difficult losses, the Trojans’ coach believes his players are getting the preparation he intended.

“We’re on track,” Henry said Wednesday. “We’re right where we want to be right now.”

Pahrump takes a 2–3 record into Friday’s Sept. 18 game at Valley in Las Vegas, looking to turn those lessons into a more consistent performance after a 52–14 loss to Mary Star of the Sea in California’s Cali Classic.

Valley presents another challenge. The Vikings are 2–1, opening with victories over Cimarron-Memorial, 40–33, and Rancho, 40–21, before falling to Sunrise Mountain 26–24 in overtime Sept. 10.

Henry described Valley as a team with both speed and size, and credited its coach with building a program that should not be considered an easy opponent. He said he scheduled the matchup knowing it would provide another opportunity to prepare for conference competition.

That preparation has sometimes come at a considerable cost on the scoreboard. Against Mary Star, Pahrump trailed just 7–0 after the opening quarter before surrendering 35 points in the second. Henry said afterward that the Trojans struggled to move the Stars’ defensive front, stalled on offense and allowed too many big plays.

Still, what stood out to him was that his players continued to compete against a larger opponent.

“Our kids didn’t quit. They didn’t back down,” he said.

The challenge Friday is to pair that willingness to compete with better execution. Following the California loss, Henry identified ball security and missed opportunities as priorities against Valley.

“Moving on to Valley, we have to take care of the football and take advantage of our opportunities,” he said.

Facing athletic opponents has also given the coaching staff opportunities to work on positioning defenders against speed, Henry said. He pointed to Durango and Mary Star as games that required those preparations, with Valley offering another test before the Trojans face league opponents such as Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley.

Henry said he wanted his players to have experience against that kind of competition rather than encounter it for the first time in a conference game.

Beyond the results, he sees encouraging developments in players whose contributions do not always lead the statistical summaries.

“Our defensive line has been really stepping up this year,” Henry said.

He also pointed to players filling roles as the team has dealt with injuries. Among those getting opportunities is Angel Tepale, who carried repeatedly late in Pahrump’s victory at Chaparral. Henry said injuries had limited Tepale’s playing time over the past couple of years, described him as a fast runner and said the staff wanted to keep him involved.

Asked whether he still considered this the hardest-working team he had coached, Henry did not hesitate. He cited the players’ daily effort both on the field and in the weight room.

The record remains uneven, but Henry’s assessment of that effort has not changed.

“They’re the hardest working team.”

Contact sports reporter Bill Evans at wevans@pvtimes.com.