Pahrump Valley hosts Moapa Valley for homecoming football showdown

Pahrump Valley spoiled somebody else’s homecoming in its last football game. Now the Trojans would like to enjoy their own.

After a bye week, Pahrump Valley returns to the field at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, hosting Moapa Valley with a chance to add another league victory to the homecoming celebration.

The Trojans enter at 4–3 overall and 1–0 in league play after their 21–14 victory at Virgin Valley on Sept. 25. Moapa Valley arrives at 5–2, having opened its league schedule with a 48–13 win over Boulder City.

Both teams have taken the first step. Friday determines which one takes the next.

“Our kids are fired up for Friday night,” coach Toby Henry said. “Moapa is a good team and well coached.”

Henry spent the nonleague portion of the schedule preparing his players for these matchups. The Trojans took some lumps along the way, but their trip to Mesquite provided evidence that the lessons were taking hold.

They put together long scoring drives, answered when Virgin Valley tied the game and protected a fourth-quarter lead. Now they get to try it again, this time with the homecoming crowd behind them.

Make them earn it

Henry’s defensive priorities begin with keeping Moapa Valley from turning an ordinary play into a quick trip to the end zone.

“On defense we will need to contain their run game and not give up any big passing plays, make them earn everything,” he said.

That calls for more than simply getting into the backfield. The Trojans need to finish tackles, stay responsible for their assignments and keep the Pirates working through sustained possessions.

Pahrump Valley saw the cost of missed tackles at Virgin Valley, when Drew Dixon broke free for a 61-yard touchdown run that gave the Bulldogs an early lead.

It also showed they could recover.

The Trojans later stopped Virgin Valley at their own 2-yard line, denying the Bulldogs a chance to turn a Pahrump Valley turnover into a two-score advantage. Instead, the offense took possession and traveled 98 yards for a touchdown.

The defensive front repeatedly pressured Virgin Valley’s backup quarterback, Kade Overman, who entered after starter Krew Perry was injured on the opening possession. Paul Walker contributed a sack, and the rush repeatedly forced Overman to pull down the ball and try to escape.

That pressure helped Pahrump Valley control the closing minutes. Friday’s challenge is to bring the same disruption while preventing the big plays Henry singled out.

Keep the ball moving

On offense, Henry’s instructions are equally direct.

“On offense we will need to take care of the ball and take what they give us,” he said.

The Virgin Valley game offered examples of both what the Trojans can accomplish and what can get in their way.

Sophomore quarterback Wyatt Cross threw two touchdown passes to Lucas Gavenda. Preston Dockter scored on the ground and repeatedly broke tackles to keep possessions moving. Completions to Ryan Hamlin, Angel Ware and Walker helped the Trojans cover ground through the air.

Their first two touchdown drives covered 98 and 80 yards. Those possessions showed Pahrump Valley could work its way down the field rather than depend on a short field or a single breakaway play.

But penalties also erased gains and stalled opportunities. A lost fumble and a muffed punt gave Virgin Valley additional chances.

The defense helped overcome those mistakes in Mesquite. Avoiding them would make Friday’s assignment considerably less complicated.

Moapa Valley’s 48-point performance against Boulder City is reason enough to place a premium on keeping possession and making each drive count.

An answer when it mattered

Perhaps the most useful thing Pahrump Valley brought home from Virgin Valley was the experience of responding when the game tightened.

The Trojans led 14–6 in the third quarter before the Bulldogs put together a touchdown drive and a two-point conversion to tie it.

Pahrump Valley answered with Dockter’s running, including a third-down conversion and a 21-yard gain through multiple tackles. The drive carried into the fourth quarter, when Cross found Gavenda for the winning touchdown on the period’s first play.

Nearly 12 minutes remained. The Trojans made the lead last, eventually giving Cross the opportunity to finish the night with kneel-downs.

Homecoming supplies its own excitement. A matchup between teams seeking a second league victory supplies plenty more.

For Henry, the hope is that the enthusiasm carries into the kind of execution his team showed when the Virgin Valley game was on the line.

“It’s going to be a fun night and a great football game,” he said. “It’s our homecoming, it’s going to be a great atmosphere.”

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