With the regular season drawing closer, the Pahrump Valley High School football team took another important step in its preseason preparations Friday, Aug. 7, hosting Mojave High School for a controlled scrimmage on its home field in Pahrump.
Although no official score was kept, the evening provided both the varsity and junior varsity squads with valuable live-game repetitions against a larger 5A opponent. Throughout the scrimmage, the Trojans displayed a physical defensive effort while showing flashes of explosive offensive potential under new Head Coach Toby Henry.
The scrimmage opened with the varsity defense facing a 10-play series beginning at Mojave’s 30-yard line. The Trojans immediately set the tone, refusing to allow the Rattlers anywhere near the end zone during the opening possession.
When the offense took the field, Pahrump moved the ball effectively, highlighted by a completed pass before ending the series with a deep pass attempt that reached the 10-yard line but fell incomplete.
The junior varsity defense followed with an equally strong showing, consistently making stops throughout its possession. Mojave’s final play ended with the ball carrier scrambling toward the sideline before being forced out of bounds by the Trojan defense. The JV offense battled through its opening series but was unable to generate any major gains.
Back on the varsity side, the defense continued to make life difficult for the Mojave offense. Iyan Bosket opened one defensive series with a big tackle, while Paul Walker added another stop that resulted in a significant loss of yardage. Mojave eventually broke free for its lone touchdown of the sequence after a runner bounced off an initial tackle in the backfield and raced into the end zone.
The varsity offense answered with a strong rushing effort from Bosket before driving deep into Mojave territory. The Trojans reached the 10-yard line, but a quick pass into the end zone was incomplete.
During additional defensive periods, the junior varsity continued making stops while gaining valuable experience against live competition.
One of the highlights of the evening came during a series of goal-line challenges. With Mojave beginning at the 10-yard line, Walker stepped in front of a pass for an interception on the opening play, immediately giving the ball back to the Trojans.
Pahrump capitalized right away. Running back Preston Dockter powered straight up the middle on the first offensive play for a touchdown.
Mojave answered with a touchdown of its own after the Trojans first knocked away a pass in the end zone and forced a loss of yardage on second down.
The Trojans returned to offense for another goal-line challenge and again relied on Dockter, who found the right side of the line and powered into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the period.
The defense continued creating turnovers as Walker recorded another interception later in the goal-line drills. On the following offensive possession, Mojave came away with an interception of an Evan Strain pass near the goal line.
The junior varsity also participated in goal-line situations, making several defensive stops before putting together a promising offensive drive. A strong run by the Trojans picked up solid yardage before an incomplete slant pass and a quarterback keeper by Stetson Brown ended the possession.
The varsity concluded the evening with an extended full-field period beginning from its own 30-yard line. The opening play resulted in a completion to Bosket for a first down at the 41-yard line, followed by a pair of productive running plays that moved the offense inside the Mojave 20-yard line.
The drive stalled when a pass deflected off a receiver’s hands and was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
Mojave answered with a quick scoring run to begin its next possession, but the Trojans finished the scrimmage on a high note. With time winding down, the offense connected on a touchdown pass to Aaron Rily in the middle of the end zone, providing an encouraging finish heading into the final weeks of preseason preparation.
Henry was pleased with what he saw from both levels of the program, particularly considering the caliber of opponent.
“I thought the boys had a great scrimmage,” Henry said. “Mojave is a 5A football team and our guys played pretty well. We dominated on defense and Mojave couldn’t stop our offense.”
While the scrimmage featured no official scoring, Henry said the performance reinforced the expectations his team has set for the upcoming season.
“Our expectation on the year is to win our league,” he said. “That is our goal. If we can accomplish that, the sky is the limit.”
Friday also marked Henry’s return to leading a program as a head coach, a role he said he is excited to embrace once again.
“It felt good to be in the head coaching role again. It’s been a few years, and it’s going to be a fun year,” Henry said.
The Trojans’ younger players also made a positive impression throughout the evening, something Henry believes bodes well for the future of the program.
“Our JV did a great job also,” he said. “It’s always fun to see the younger guys compete and find out what we have coming up in the future. Our future is bright.”
While the results of Friday’s scrimmage won’t appear in the standings, the performance offered encouraging signs for a Pahrump Valley team looking to build momentum heading into the 2026 season. Strong defensive play, multiple goal-line stands, several takeaways and an offense that consistently moved the football against a larger-school opponent provided plenty of positives as the Trojans continue preparing for the games that count.
The Trojans will officially open the 2026 regular season at home on Friday, Aug. 14, when they welcome Providence Hall. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., giving fans their first opportunity to see Henry’s squad in regular-season action as the team begins its pursuit of a league championship.
