The Pahrump Valley High School girls’ junior varsity flag football team continued to showcase hustle, teamwork, and determination as they hosted Spring Valley on Tuesday, February 3. While the scoreboard ultimately showed a 26-6 loss, the Lady Trojans delivered a performance filled with defensive stops, creative offensive looks, and relentless effort from start to finish.
Spring Valley opened the game with possession and immediately faced resistance from the Pahrump defense. On an early fourth-down conversion attempt, Keelee Gieni came up with a key flag pull to keep the play from turning into a bigger gain. Spring Valley continued to push the ball downfield with a long completion, but Anjolina Mercado quickly stepped in with a flag pull to halt the momentum. Moments later, Ember Castaneda added another defensive stop, pulling the flag on a run attempt.
Despite the strong defensive effort, Spring Valley found the end zone with 1:42 remaining in the first quarter, completing a touchdown pass and adding the extra point through the air to take a 7-0 lead.
The Lady Trojans answered with a strong offensive drive sparked by Ma’liyah Collins, who carried the ball twice for solid gains, first reaching the 22-yard line and then pushing the offense out to the 30. Pahrump attempted to keep the defense guessing with a trick play featuring a double pass, but the ball slipped through the receiver’s hands as the quarter came to a close.
The Trojans continued to mix their offensive approach in the second quarter. Quarterback Alexa Kumm orchestrated a balanced attack, first handing off to Jazmyn Herrera before connecting with Collins on a quick slant for a first down near the 35-yard line. Kumm later added yardage on a quarterback keeper, while Herrera also chipped in with a short keeper of her own. The drive stalled after a dropped snap on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs.
Defensively, the Lady Trojans continued to step up with multiple key plays. Kylie Horn recorded a flag pull on a Spring Valley run, and Carmella Goudeau delivered a big moment on fourth down by breaking up a pass. After an illegal contact penalty gave Spring Valley another chance, the visitors again lost control of the snap, allowing Pahrump to regain possession near midfield.
Spring Valley struck again late in the half, completing a long pass and later scoring on another touchdown pass with just 13 seconds remaining before halftime. Goudeau prevented the extra point with a strong defensive play, keeping the score at 13-0 heading into the break.
Pahrump showed renewed energy to start the second half. The Trojans completed a pass early in the drive but were intercepted on the next play for a pick-six. The Lady Trojans quickly regrouped, highlighted by Castaneda’s interception near the end zone that halted another Spring Valley scoring opportunity.
Collins continued to provide a spark on offense, breaking free for a long run up the right sideline to midfield with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. Abigail Ramirez added a clutch catch to keep the drive alive, but the Trojans were unable to convert on fourth down.
The defense remained active late in the third quarter and into the fourth. Teagan Fanning recorded a quick flag pull with 1:21 remaining in the third, and early in the fourth quarter, the Trojans forced a turnover on downs after breaking up a pass attempt.
Pahrump put together another promising drive midway through the final quarter, beginning with a strong run up the middle by Mercado for a first down. The Trojans continued to push forward, but a fourth-down sack by Spring Valley stalled the drive.
Spring Valley added one more touchdown late in the game, extending the lead to 26-0 after converting the extra point on a run. The Lady Trojans refused to back down and responded with one of their strongest drives of the night. Kumm picked up yardage on a quarterback keeper and connected with Tianna Beaver on a short completion to keep the chains moving. Ariana Lozoya then delivered back-to-back big plays, first catching a pass up the middle for a first down and later powering forward on a run to move the offense deeper into Spring Valley territory.
With just 22 seconds remaining, Lozoya broke loose up the right sideline, setting up a late scoring opportunity. Collins followed with a determined run, punching the ball into the end zone to put Pahrump on the board. The Trojans attempted an onside kick to regain possession, but Spring Valley recovered to secure the 26-6 final.
Despite the loss, the Lady Trojans demonstrated steady growth, aggressive defense, and a willingness to take creative chances offensively. The team now turns its focus to its final game of the season, which will be held at home on Thursday, February 5, at 3:30 p.m., where they will look to close out the year on a strong note in front of their home crowd.
