The Pahrump Valley High School gym was buzzing Tuesday night as alumni from across nearly four decades laced up their sneakers, reunited with old teammates, and put on a show that was equal parts basketball and comedy. With players from the 1980s through the Class of 2025, the first annual alumni games delivered exactly what the crowd came for—friendly rivalry, surprising highlights, and nonstop fun.
The women kicked off the evening with a Red vs. Blue matchup featuring standouts like Veronica (Villa) Montanez ’05, Darla (Hopkins) Sheppard ’05, Maddy Souza ’21, Tayla Wombaker ’22, Kylie Stritenberger ’20, and Suzie Wulfenstein a Moapa class of ’05 alumni who was invited to be a Trojan for the night. The rosters read like a Trojan time capsule, and once the ball tipped, the energy felt like no time had passed at all.
The Red Team struck first thanks to a jumper from Tayla Wombaker, but the Blue Team answered quickly. Recent grad Kailani “Kai” Martinez ’24 and veteran scorer Veronica Montanez powered Blue to an early lead, combining for several smooth finishes inside. Alyvia Briscoe ’18 added to the run, giving Blue an 8–2 edge before Red settled back in.
And settle in they did—Wombaker went on a tear, adding a mid-range bucket and then a deep three to narrow the gap. Darla Sheppard fired back with a three of her own, and just before the end of the first quarter, Taylor Tillery ’22 hit a buzzer-beating triple to bring the score to 11–10.
The second quarter saw Blue hit their stride. Brittany Wagner ’08 drained a three, Suzie Wulfenstein added another from beyond the arc, and Sheppard found Jackie Stobbe ’19 twice inside for clean finishes. Kalea (Whitney) Marmalejo ’21 and Wombaker kept Red on the board, but Blue carried a steady 26–15 lead into halftime.
Red surged again in the third thanks to more buckets from Tillery and the always-energetic Wombaker, but Blue’s consistency kept them ahead. As the final quarter ticked down, Red made things interesting—Tayla knocked down another three, pulled off a reverse layup, and Taylor Tillery added a late basket to close the lead to single digits. But Blue’s veterans held strong. Stobbe drilled a late three, Montanez added a final finish inside, and Blue wrapped up the night with a 44–32 win—and plenty of smiles all around.
Then it was the men’s turn, and the gym volume somehow got even louder. With alumni from 1998 to 2025, both teams showcased a blend of smooth shooting, slick steals, and just a touch of “I definitely used to be faster.”
The Blue Team started hot thanks to an opening three from Andrew Avena ’21, followed by quick buckets from Dajhan Celius ’11 and Toni Fortin ’18. Red countered with finishes from Brayden Severt ’19 and Nico Velazquez ’19, but Blue’s early run earned them a 15–6 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter belonged to the shooters. Matthew Lopez ’25 opened the frame with a deep three, followed by Billy Palmore ’13 dialing one in from long range. Andrew Avena continued to fill up the stat sheet with layups, steals, and fast-break finishes. Logan Gavenda ’21 dominated the paint, pulling down rebounds and converting putbacks to help Blue build a commanding 37–16 halftime lead.
Red came out of halftime swinging, with Chris Briscoe ’22 rattling in back-to-back threes and Velazquez adding another bucket to close the gap. But Kevin Petac ’10 answered for Blue, powering inside for multiple finishes. Severt and Koenig ’19 kept Red in the mix, though the scoreboard took on a life of its own as scorekeepers raced to keep up with the pace—and the unusual number of “heat-check” three-point attempts.
By the fourth quarter, the game had turned into a full-on highlight reel. Gavenda threw down an alley-oop, Jackson ’25 put in a smooth jumper, and Koenig knocked down another three. The final seconds saw Gavenda add one more bucket as Blue held on through some chaotic scoring swings, ending the night with a 67–64 victory—though depending on who you ask in the crowd, the score might have been significantly padded in one team’s favor.
From the first tip to the final buzzer, the night was everything an alumni event should be: friends reconnecting, families cheering, kids chasing loose balls, and the PVHS gym filled with Trojan pride. No trophies were awarded, but the bragging rights? Those will last at least until a future rematch.
