With a regional title on the line, the Pahrump Valley High School boys’ soccer team took the field against the Virgin Valley Bulldogs on Saturday, Oct. 31, at PVHS, bringing a familiar opponent and a special opportunity to its home field.
The Trojans were designated as the visiting team for the championship matchup. The two teams had split their previous meetings, leaving each with a win and an understanding of the challenge ahead.
For Head Coach Trenton Curtis, preparing for the championship meant keeping the players focused on the opportunity in front of them, even with a trip to the State tournament already secured for both teams. Knowing they would advance regardless of Saturday’s result presented its own coaching challenge, but the team’s approach remained centered on effort and attention to detail.
“We understood that they are a great team,” Curtis said. “Our boys’ mindsets were to play the best they could and do all the little things right.”
Before the match, coaches Owens and Cowley spoke with the players about athletes who had experienced failure before becoming champions. Their message centered on staying in the present and recognizing that past setbacks did not change what the Trojans had a chance to accomplish that afternoon.
Curtis followed by reminding the boys that the decisions on the field belonged to them. He explained that the coaching staff stays outside the players’ huddle and team chant because the players are the ones who must choose their effort and carry it into the game. After the coaches left the wrestling room where the team had gathered, the players delivered their own motivational speeches to one another.
There was still one part of the pregame routine to complete. Curtis realized he had forgotten the team’s visualization exercise, a change in the usual sequence that initially made him nervous. Once the players came out of the wrestling room, he sent them to their goal to picture the things they could do correctly on the field and push away distractions.
That focus was tested immediately. The girls’ 3A champions were being crowned nearby, drawing loud cheers from the crowd, but Curtis watched his players remain absorbed in their preparation.
“I didn’t see any of them open their eyes, giggle, or show any signs of distractedness,” he said.
Seeing their concentration eased his concern about the altered routine. Curtis said he was “beyond happy” that the change had not rattled them.
The opening minutes featured exchanges through the field before either team generated much near the goals. Goalkeeper Jessie Barajas-Roman collected a long rolling ball with about 33 minutes remaining in the first half, then stopped a shot on goal less than two minutes later.
Pahrump began creating opportunities of its own. Randall Pangilinan had a shot deflected out for a corner with 30:27 left, and TC Hone sent an acrobatic attempt over the goal off a throw-in a little more than a minute later. Virgin Valley received a yellow card for a foul on Hone as the Trojans continued looking for a breakthrough.
The Bulldogs struck first with 24:23 remaining, placing a shot into the upper corner of the net for a 1–0 lead. Ryan Nunez Manzo answered with a hard, low shot that traveled just wide, but Virgin Valley extended its advantage with 19:27 left when another attempt slipped just beyond Barajas-Roman’s foot.
Down 2–0, the Trojans continued working upfield. Roberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez advanced with the ball before a defender disrupted the play, and Pahrump later sent a rolling shot into the goalkeeper’s hands. After another foul on Hone, a free kick from Leonel Ceniceros was headed away in front of the goal.
Pahrump’s chances increased as halftime approached. Omar Becerra Gastelum had a shot deflected, and a follow-up attempt by Nunez Manzo was knocked out by the goalkeeper. Rene Gonzalez Valdez delivered the ensuing corner, which Virgin Valley cleared. Barajas-Roman also knocked down a Bulldogs free kick during the closing minutes.
The Trojans finally broke through with less than two minutes remaining in the half. Rafael Sanchez Veliz received a throw-in near the left corner, moved past a defender and sent a quick cross toward the middle. Becerra Gastelum headed it into the net, cutting the deficit to 2–1 before halftime.
Pahrump carried that momentum into the second half. Barajas-Roman saved an early Virgin Valley shot, and the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper stopped an attempt at the other end before Hone scored with 38:15 remaining to tie the match 2–2.
Virgin Valley responded with sustained pressure. Barajas-Roman deflected a shot out less than two minutes later and continued stopping attempts as the Bulldogs searched for another lead. Around the 30-minute mark, the Trojans’ defense blocked multiple attempts during the same sequence. A later Virgin Valley free kick struck the crossbar.
Nunez Manzo sent shots wide as Pahrump worked to generate another goal, while Barajas-Roman continued collecting and stopping Bulldogs attempts. A free kick by Samuel Mendoza around the 16-minute mark forced the Virgin Valley goalkeeper to deflect the ball out, and Hone later sent another free kick over the goal.
With 13:39 remaining, the Trojans moved in front for the first time. Gonzalez-Gonzalez played the ball from the middle to Lorenzo Montaño on the right side. Montaño’s shot struck high near the right corner, bounced down off the crossbar and went in, giving Pahrump a 3–2 lead.
The Trojans kept creating chances. Gonzalez-Gonzalez forced another save with 10:22 left, and Hone threatened twice following a corner, first with a header that was deflected and then with a kick that went wide.
Later in the half, Ceniceros gave Pahrump more room to work with, sending a free kick over the goalkeeper’s head for a 4–2 advantage.
Barajas-Roman caught another Virgin Valley shot inside the final two minutes. Becerra Gastelum then sent an attempt just wide before the Trojans earned another corner. The delivery reached Hone, who finished for his second goal of the match and Pahrump’s fifth.
The final whistle confirmed a 5–2 Pahrump victory and a Region Championship on the Trojans’ home field. After falling behind by two goals, they had scored five unanswered, with Hone finishing twice and Becerra Gastelum, Montaño and Ceniceros each adding a goal. Barajas-Roman’s repeated saves and the defense’s work kept Virgin Valley scoreless throughout the second half.
The Trojans now head to Reno for the State tournament, carrying both the regional title and their coach’s confidence in the soccer they are playing. Pahrump will face Truckee, the North’s No. 2 seed, on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. at Reed High School.
The winner will advance to the State championship game Saturday, Nov. 7, at noon against the winner of the other semifinal between Virgin Valley and South Tahoe, the North’s No. 1 seed.
“I believe they can play with anyone when they give it their all, and we are playing our best soccer,” Curtis said.
For Curtis, his pride in the team extends beyond the championship and whatever results await at State.
“I am proud of each of these young men, and regardless of what happens, it is their character that makes them amazing players, teammates, and people.”
