Pahrump Valley scores 34 after halftime in 42-34 loss to Durango

LAS VEGAS — The Pahrump Valley supporters who made the trip to Las Vegas could have left at halftime. The Trojans could have quit with them. Neither did.

“Our crowd stayed because we have great support and a great fan base,” Pahrump Valley coach Toby Henry said.

Down 27-0 at the break Friday at Durango High School, Pahrump Valley returned to the field and played as if the score were still 0-0.

The Trojans scored 34 points after halftime, twice pulled within one possession and made the Trailblazers work until the final seconds of a 42-34 Durango victory.

The comeback did not erase the first half. But it did reveal what the Trojans had left after it.

Heart.

“One thing I have learned is that the kids at PVHS never quit,” Henry said. “The heart they showed was unbelievable.”

A tale of turnovers

Pahrump Valley turned the ball over four times before halftime — two interceptions and two lost fumbles — and Durango repeatedly converted short fields and big plays into points. The Trailblazers were faster to the edge, their receivers created separation downfield and quarterback Maddex Peterson consistently found them.

Peterson finished 22 of 42 for 340 yards and five touchdowns. Makai Miller, Durango’s No. 2 and the fastest player on the field for long stretches, caught five passes for 125 yards and three scores. He also ran seven times for 46 yards and another touchdown.

That combination helped Durango build leads of 14-0 after the first quarter and 27-0 at halftime. Pahrump had brief flashes — Preston Dockter found room on the ground, and the defense generated pressure — but turnovers, penalties and missed opportunities kept the Trojans from finishing drives.

Henry’s quarterback decision was part of that first-half story. Ryan Hamlin made his first start at the position because Pahrump wanted another running threat against Durango. Once the deficit forced the Trojans to throw, Henry turned to sophomore Evan Strain.

“We wanted to be able to run the ball against Durango,” Henry said. “Ryan Hamlin is a great runner. After we got down, we decided to put in Evan Strain. He is a good passer.”

The switch gave Pahrump a different offense, but the Trojans’ best chance of the night to fold came early in the third quarter. And their best answer came moments later.

Strain found John Wydick on a long completion that set up Pahrump’s first goal-line series. The Trojans reached the doorstep, but a penalty pushed them backward and Durango stopped Strain on fourth down at about the 5. It was the kind of empty possession that can end a comeback before it begins.

Instead, Pahrump’s defense answered. Lucas Gavenda intercepted a long Durango pass and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown with 4:55 left in the third quarter. Aaron Rily added the extra point, and the score was 27-7.

Heavy weather

Pahrump quickly forced a turnover on downs deep in Durango territory. Strain then found Gavenda for another touchdown, cutting the margin to 27-13 with 2:44 left in the quarter. A burst of wind had repeatedly knocked the ball off the tee, rain swept across the field and the game briefly looked as unsettled as the weather.

Durango steadied itself with a touchdown on the final play of the third quarter and carried a 34-13 lead into the fourth. Pahrump still did not go away.

Evan Strain opened the final quarter by finding Gavenda for a 65-yard touchdown. After the extra point, the deficit was 34-20. The Trojans’ defense then got the ball back, and Strain led another drive into Durango territory. His 27-yard touchdown pass to Angel Ware with 7:48 remaining pulled Pahrump within 34-27.

The crowd that had stayed through the 27-point halftime deficit now had a football game in front of it.

Dashed hopes

Durango responded with the play Pahrump could least afford. Peterson found Miller for another touchdown with 5:32 remaining, and the Trailblazers converted the two-point attempt to make it 42-27. The conversion left Pahrump needing two touchdowns and a two-point conversion just to tie.

But even then, the Trojans answered. Strain moved the offense from near midfield to the Durango goal line, using a long completion to Gavenda, a first-down run by Ware and multiple connections with Dockter. Pahrump overcame a first-and-20 penalty, and Dockter was stopped inches short before going up the middle again for the touchdown. The extra point cut the margin to 42-34 with 2:31 left.

Pahrump tried another onside kick, but Durango recovered near midfield and ran down the clock to close the game.

Strain’s three touchdown passes reflected how sharply the offense changed after Pahrump fell behind. Two went to Gavenda and the third went to Ware. Combined with his pick-six, Gavenda accounted for three Pahrump touchdowns. Dockter was credited with 63 yards on 16 carries and a 12-yard reception.

Durango’s two-point conversion restored the point it had lost on a missed second-quarter kick and ultimately left Pahrump needing another touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie.

Defense, defense, defense

The defense created its share of disruption despite Durango’s 410 yards of offense. Billy Sparks and Paul Walker recorded two sacks apiece, while Iyan Bosket added another. Pahrump finished with five sacks and held Durango to 70 rushing yards, but the Trailblazers’ passing game and Pahrump’s first-half turnovers proved too costly.

Heart does not erase four turnovers. It does not excuse the penalties, the missed goal-line chance or the coverage breakdowns that made a 27-point comeback necessary.

But it does matter what a team does after those mistakes, especially when the easy response is to accept the result and wait for the clock to expire.

Pahrump Valley did the opposite. The Trojans outscored Durango 34-15 after halftime, made the Trailblazers answer twice in the fourth quarter and gave the supporters who stayed a reason to keep believing until the end.

Henry said he would take this group over players from anywhere else he has coached. On Friday, the reason was visible long after the game looked over.

Contact sports reporter Bill Evans at wevans@pvtimes.com