The Pahrump Valley High School boys’ varsity soccer team kept creating opportunities until one finally found the net Tuesday, Oct. 13, earning a 1-0 road victory over the Moapa Valley Pirates. Ryan Nunez Manzo scored with 4:03 remaining, providing the decisive finish after an afternoon of sustained offensive pressure from the Trojans.
Pahrump tested Moapa Valley’s goalkeeper throughout both halves, sent several attempts just outside the frame and struck the crossbar before breaking through late. At the other end, goalkeeper Jessie Barajas-Roman and the Trojan defense kept the Pirates off the scoreboard, giving Pahrump the shutout it needed to turn that late goal into a win.
Rafael Sanchez Veliz helped establish the Trojans’ attack early, sending a shot wide with 37:10 remaining in the first half. Roberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez followed with a penalty kick that went wide at 32:25, then had another attempt deflected by a defender just seconds later. Kamdon Jones also joined the attack, putting a shot wide at 31:32.
Moapa Valley sent an attempt wide with 30:53 left, but Pahrump continued generating chances. TC Hone put a shot on goal that the keeper caught at 25:13, and Samuel Mendoza sent an attempt high and wide at 20:20. Gonzalez-Gonzalez tested the goalkeeper again at 19:36, followed by Randall Pangilinan, whose shot was stopped at 18:53.
One of the Trojans’ closest opportunities came with 17:45 remaining when Nunez Manzo struck the upper crossbar. The attempt kept the game scoreless, but Pahrump continued looking for an opening.
Following a Moapa Valley handball, Pangilinan sent a shot over the top with 15:24 left. Sanchez Veliz and Hone added attempts that went wide as the Trojans maintained their offensive pressure.
The Pirates had an opportunity to take the lead when a penalty against Pahrump resulted in a penalty kick with 12:36 remaining, but the attempt went wide. Sanchez Veliz answered with another shot at 10:34, while Barajas-Roman caught a Moapa Valley shot on goal at 8:53.
A foul against Hone gave the Trojans another chance late in the half, but the resulting kick was caught by the goalkeeper with 3:37 remaining. Hone tested the keeper once more inside the final two minutes, and Barajas-Roman collected a Pirate attempt before the teams reached halftime tied 0-0.
Pahrump resumed its attack quickly after the break. A penalty against Moapa Valley gave Hone a penalty kick with 38:08 remaining, but the Pirates’ goalkeeper made the catch. Leonel Ceniceros sent a shot wide at 34:47, and Hone put another attempt on goal at 32:18 that was also caught.
The Trojans continued working the ball into scoring positions. A corner kick with 31:42 left was deflected before a follow-up shot went wide. At 29:40, a well-placed cross created another opportunity, but the ensuing attempt was deflected.
Sanchez Veliz sent a shot wide at 24:43, and the Moapa Valley goalkeeper collected another Trojan attempt with 16:02 remaining. Sanchez Veliz then put a shot on goal at 13:05 that the keeper caught. Mendoza followed with a penalty kick at 12:15, but the goalkeeper again kept Pahrump off the scoreboard.
Barajas-Roman maintained the shutout with a catch on a Pirate shot at 11:44, leaving the Trojans within one finish of taking control.
Nunez Manzo sent an attempt high with 6:42 remaining, and Gonzalez-Gonzalez had a shot stopped at 5:38. With 4:03 left, Nunez Manzo finally delivered the breakthrough, scoring to give Pahrump a 1-0 lead.
The Trojans protected that advantage through the closing minutes. Inside the final two minutes, Pahrump’s defense deflected a Moapa Valley shot, helping preserve the shutout and secure the road victory.
Head Coach Trenton Curtis credited his players’ willingness to adjust their roles and contribute wherever the team needed them.
“Our team is phenomenal at adapting!” Curtis said. “We have some players who get moved around, shift, and play in positions they are best at, but they don’t really want to play.”
He also emphasized the contributions of the substitutes, whose minutes helped the Trojans maintain their level of play throughout a tightly contested afternoon.
“The game was a nail biter, and I can’t thank each player enough!” Curtis said. “Subs fight every second they’re in, and we have zero drop in performance!”
For Curtis, the narrow final score reflected only part of Pahrump’s performance.
“1-0 doesn’t prove how well we dominated that game.”
