The Pahrump Valley High School varsity football team faced a difficult early-season test Friday, Aug. 21, welcoming the Galena High School Grizzlies to Pahrump for a nonleague matchup that gave the Trojans an opportunity to measure themselves against strong 4A competition.
Pahrump struck first and held a 7-0 advantage after the opening quarter, but Galena took control during a high-scoring second quarter on its way to a 47-7 victory. Despite falling behind, the Trojans continued competing through the final whistle, producing defensive stops and moving the ball late in the game rather than allowing the widening margin to bring their effort to an end.
Before kickoff, Morgan Johnson performed the national anthem, while Stan Sutton was recognized as the evening’s Teacher of the Game.
Once play began, the Trojan defense immediately went to work. Aaron Rily handled the opening kickoff for Pahrump, and Trae Plein brought down the Galena returner around the 34-yard line.
Cade Wulfenstein made an early tackle following a short Grizzlies carry, and the Trojans followed it with an even stronger play behind the line of scrimmage. A group of Pahrump defenders, led by Iyan Bosket, swarmed the ball carrier for a two-yard loss.
Galena managed to move into Pahrump territory with a deep completion to the Trojan 45-yard line, but the defense continued making the Grizzlies work for their yards. Preston Dockter stopped a three-yard run, Plein recorded multiple tackles during the drive and a holding penalty eventually pushed Galena into a second-and-long situation.
After a seven-yard completion, Plein again made the stop. Paul Walker then got his hand on a pass to force an incompletion on third down. Galena went to the air again on fourth down, but the pass fell incomplete, allowing the Trojans to take over on downs at their own 32-yard line with 7:21 remaining in the first quarter.
Pahrump’s first offensive possession began with some adversity. Dockter was stopped for a one-yard loss, and a fumble on the following play was recovered by Tristan Schumacher, keeping possession with the Trojans despite a two-yard loss.
Facing third and long, Pahrump responded with a completion to Lucas Gavenda that brought the Trojans to within a yard of the first-down marker. Pahrump converted with a quarterback sneak, extending the drive with 5:44 remaining.
Bosket followed with a three-yard carry before a completion to Hunter Wydick moved the chains again. A holding penalty temporarily sent the Trojans backward, but Pahrump answered with the biggest offensive play of its night.
The Trojans connected with Rily across the middle, and the senior receiver broke free and raced into the end zone for a touchdown with 4:16 remaining in the opening quarter. Rily then handled the extra-point attempt himself, sending it through the uprights to give Pahrump a 7-0 lead.
The defense returned to the field and worked to protect that advantage. Bosket brought down the quarterback following a bad snap for a loss, while Hunter Wydick stopped a completed pass behind the line of scrimmage. Wulfenstein made another stop on a run up the middle, and Walker forced a runner out of bounds near the 37-yard line as the quarter came to a close.
Pahrump finished the first 12 minutes holding a 7-0 lead, but Galena’s offense found its rhythm early in the second quarter.
The Grizzlies moved the ball to the Pahrump 20 before scoring on the ground with 11:21 remaining in the half. The extra point tied the game at 7.
Pahrump attempted to respond through the air, including another completion to Rily, before Evan Strain punted the ball away to the Galena 44-yard line.
Galena quickly capitalized on its next opportunity, breaking a run to the Pahrump 22 and following it with a deep touchdown pass at the 9:35 mark. The extra point gave the Grizzlies their first lead, 14-7.
The Trojans continued looking for an answer. Dockter and Schumacher were used on the ground, while Gavenda remained a target in the passing game. Pahrump ultimately turned the ball over on downs at its own 28, giving Galena a short field.
William “Billy” Sparks helped slow the next possession when he tripped up the quarterback on a keeper, but the Grizzlies eventually found the end zone through the air with 6:37 remaining, increasing the margin to 21-7.
Schumacher returned the ensuing kickoff to the 17-yard line. Bosket carried the ball on the next series, and Pahrump took a deep shot intended for Gavenda that narrowly missed connecting. Rily then delivered a punt that was downed inside the Galena 20, forcing the Grizzlies to begin with a longer field.
Dockter recorded a tackle for a one-yard loss on the ensuing drive, but Galena connected on another touchdown pass with 4:04 left in the half. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 27-7.
Pahrump kept attacking as time wound down. Rily caught a pass and advanced the ball beyond the 30-yard line, while an encroachment penalty against Galena helped the Trojans move the chains. Galena eventually intercepted a Pahrump pass with 2:27 remaining.
Walker made a stop during the Grizzlies’ ensuing possession, but Galena scored again with 2:01 remaining. This time, Pahrump’s special teams denied the extra point with a block, keeping the score at 33-7.
Rather than simply running out the remaining time, the Trojans went back to work offensively.
Dockter caught a pass and gained six yards before being forced out of bounds. Bosket added a carry, and Gavenda hauled in a completion for another Pahrump first down. Walker then became a frequent target as the Trojans pushed deeper into Galena territory.
A completion to Walker produced another first down with just under a minute remaining, and he added two more catches during the final seconds of the drive. Although Pahrump ultimately turned the ball over on downs, the late possession showed the Trojans continuing to push for points until the final seconds of the half.
Galena attempted one final offensive play before halftime, but the Trojans came away with an interception as time expired, sending the teams into the break with the Grizzlies leading 33-7.
During halftime, two Pahrump Valley High School students were recognized as the Pahrump Valley Community News Student-Athletes of the Month for August. Preston Dockter, representing football, and Kassaundra Engel, representing cheer, received the monthly honors after being nominated by their coaches and selected through a vote of the PVHS teaching staff. The Student-Athlete of the Month program is supported by local sponsors PVCNPhotos, Our Place Coffee, Pizza Hut, FD Candy, Sol MiO and Dairy Queen, whose contributions help recognize and celebrate PVHS student-athletes for their accomplishments.
Pahrump received the second-half kickoff, with Plein handling the return and the Trojans beginning near their own 15-yard line.
Dockter opened the half with a four-yard run. After a false-start penalty, Pahrump completed a pass to Wulfenstein and continued working the ground game. Bosket added a two-yard gain as the Trojans attempted to sustain the drive.
Galena’s defense changed the momentum when it intercepted a Pahrump pass and returned it for a touchdown with 8:09 remaining in the third quarter, extending the lead to 40-7 following the extra point.
The Trojans went right back to their offense. Dockter broke off a six-yard run, and an offsides penalty against Galena gave Pahrump another first down. The drive ended with another Grizzlies interception, but the Pahrump defense soon provided one of the team’s biggest plays of the second half.
Sparks stopped a Galena quarterback keeper after a five-yard gain, Bryce Whitney made a tackle on a Grizzlies rushing attempt and Wulfenstein recorded multiple stops as Galena worked toward the end zone.
With the Grizzlies threatening near the goal line, Walker stepped in front of a pass and intercepted it. He did more than end the scoring threat, turning upfield and carrying the ball out from near the goal line and across the field before finally being brought down around the Pahrump 36-yard line with 3:38 remaining in the quarter.
It was a significant defensive swing, taking Galena from the doorstep of another score and giving Pahrump’s offense breathing room.
The Trojans attempted to capitalize, targeting Gavenda before Strain was stopped behind the line of scrimmage. A completion to Dockter gave Pahrump another opportunity on fourth down, but an incomplete pass returned possession to Galena.
The Grizzlies scored on a catch-and-run with 2:14 remaining in the third, pushing the score to 47-7 after the extra point.
Plein returned the ensuing kickoff to approximately the 29-yard line. Walker picked up two yards on a reception and Dockter added another two on the ground as the third quarter ended.
With a running clock in effect, opportunities became more limited during the fourth quarter, but the Trojans continued to compete on both sides of the football.
Galena intercepted a pass early in the period, but Pahrump’s defense refused to allow the possession to turn into additional points.
Wulfenstein made another tackle in the running game, while Bosket forced a Galena runner toward the sideline. Pahrump’s defensive front continued working against the Grizzlies’ rushing attack, with Jairo Bravo-Lira among the Trojans recording a stop during the quarter.
Dockter brought down a receiver following a completed pass, and Pahrump’s defense tightened as Galena attempted to extend the drive. The Trojans recorded a stop behind the line of scrimmage before Sparks made another tackle for a loss, helping Pahrump turn the Grizzlies over on downs.
The stop gave the offense one final opportunity with just over three minutes remaining.
Strain kept the ball and picked up five yards on the first play of the possession. He called his own number again and moved the chains for a Pahrump first down with 2:25 remaining.
Gavenda then caught a pass for another four yards. After an incompletion, Pahrump went back to Rily through the air as the Trojans continued attempting to move the football until the game came to an end.
While the final score favored Galena, Pahrump’s opening quarter demonstrated what the Trojans can do when all three phases are working together.
For Head Coach Toby Henry, the matchup was another part of preparing his team for the games that will carry the most weight later in the season.
“Friday’s game was a great opportunity for our team to see some great competition and get us ready for our league games,” Henry said. “Our guys played hard. We need to clean up a few things and we will be OK. I’m proud that our guys never gave up and played hard until the end of the game.”
For Pahrump, the matchup offered an early-season look at areas the team can continue to develop as the Trojans prepare for the start of league play. With two games now behind them, the focus turns to cleaning up mistakes, building on what has worked and carrying the same effort Henry praised into the weeks ahead.
