PREVIEW: Trojans should expect an uphill battle with SLAM

The Trojans are gearing up for their first conference game of the season against a strong Las Vegas team that played in the state championship game last year.

The Trojans face off against SLAM at 7 p.m. on Friday in Pahrump for both teams’ first conference game. The Trojans are 1-1 in non-conference play; SLAM is 1-3 going into the conference season.

Here’s how the two teams stack up next to each other:

Offensively

Pahrump has a strong offense with returning quarterback, Kayne Horibe (8), and Austin Alvarez (33).

The Bulls have returning quarterbacks this season too.

Although the Trojans have only played two games, Horibe has a head on SLAM’s quarterback, Alaijah Young, in passing yards per game by nearly 20 yards. Horibe also has just as many touchdowns as Young has in double the games.

Young averages roughly 93 yards passing in a winning game, which is higher than Horibe’s average by more than 37 yards.

SLAM’s lead scoring running back, Damien Nevil (12), is also the league’s top-scoring player with 56 points so far this season with an average of 14 points a game. Alvarez is down in sixth place due to lack of number of games played so far this season with 26 points.

Alvarez also has less than half the touchdowns Nevil has this season.

In the Trojans’ game against Somerset Academy Losee last Friday, the Trojans got overwhelmed after a strong first quarter. Alvarez was responsible for most of the team’s touchdowns that night.

Horibe nearly doubled the Lions quarterback’s passing yards during the game, while having a better completion percentage. The Lions made 10 attempts with only three completions. Most of the team’s plays were given to running back Kieran Daniel, who would bulldoze through the Trojans’ line and into the end zone.

In a single play, Daniel made a 92-yard play against the Trojans where the Lions got to play the ball a couple of yards from the end zone.

At one point, Alvarez threw up his hands in frustration after he was wide open with a clear shot of scoring a touchdown for the Trojans.

Defensively

The Trojans have applied pressure on their opponents in their last couple of games, but Somerset was able to slide through in the last game.

In the second quarter, the Trojans lost their momentum to move the ball forward and the offensive line was unable to hold back the Lions. Horibe was sacked a total of three times and two were back-to-back.

The Trojans also had a tough time guarding Somerset on fourth-down plays. Pahrump Valley sacked the Lions quarterback back on their side at roughly the five-yard line. On the second down, they made a 92-yard pass to Daniel and on a fourth-down play, the Lions walked it in to score.

Daniel scored a total of four touchdowns and three more from other Lions players to defeat the Trojans.

Nearly every game SLAM has played, Young was sacked at least once. In a game against Foothill, a 5A Las Vegas team, the team was able to pass over 170 yards above the 24 Young had.

In SLAM’s last game against Spring Valley, a 4A school, the defense picked up an interception and recovered a fumble for 26 yards.

Contact Jimmy Romo at jromo@pvtimes.com. Follow @JimmyRomo.News on Instagram.