Pahrump Valley High School’s final regular-season home football game brought an evening of recognition and celebration Friday, October 23, as the Trojans welcomed the Boulder City Eagles for Senior Night.
Before kickoff, the football seniors took the field accompanied by family members and close friends. Those honored were Angel Ware, Preston Dockter, Aaron Rily, Ryan Hamlin, Tristan Schumacher, Lucas Gavenda, Cade Wulfenstein, Elijah Trevino, Paul Walker, Trae Plein, Cameron Scherer, Christien Ramiscal, Bryce Whitney, Jairo Bravo-Lira, Alejandro Rayas, Kelsen Cross-Smith, Iyan Bosket, Gideon Wydick, Luca Blundo, Caden Neeley, Billy Sparks, Marlon Garcia, Blake Donnelly-Anson, Jesse Gonzales, Devon Aubuchon and Jensen Dano. Senior managers Noah Boruchowitz, Lily Davis, Kendall Lusk and Faith Moore were also recognized.
The pregame ceremonies included the announcement of Pahrump Valley Community News’ Student Athletes of the Month for October: Raegan Saldaña of girls golf and Joaquin Flores of cross country.
Flores was nominated by head coach Erik Odegard, who highlighted his commitment to training, including early-morning miles and summer running, along with his dedication to his schoolwork.
“He has a goal and wants to be the Region Champion, and he knows the work it takes to get there,” Odegard said. “He leads our younger kids by example, always pushing to be better.”
Odegard also noted that Flores brings that same determination to the classroom, often staying up late to complete his academic work as he pursues his future goals.
Girls golf head coach Sierra McKillips nominated Saldaña following a season of substantial improvement. Saldaña shot a personal-best 85 at regionals, improving by 16 strokes over her scores from the previous year. She also earned First Team 3A All Southern Nevada recognition and placed among Southern Nevada’s top five players.
“Over the season, Raegan has proven her dedication to the game of golf, and it has been a pleasure to watch her improve her skills,” McKillips said. “Raegan is very deserving of the honor of Athlete of the Month.”
The football program also recognized Spanish teacher Angelica Thomassian as its Teacher of the Game. Thomassian received a plaque and joined the teams for the coin toss, flipping the coin as the Eagles made the call.
The Pahrump Valley Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol presented the colors, and Ellarose Brundo performed the national anthem a cappella.
Boulder City kicked off, and Ware returned the ball to the Pahrump 38-yard line. With Evan Strain at quarterback, the Trojans began moving the ball on the ground. Dockter gained seven yards on his first carry, crossed midfield for a first down on his next and followed with another three-yard gain.
A penalty interrupted the possession, leaving Pahrump facing second-and-20 from its own 41. A Strain keeper and an incomplete pass brought up fourth down, and the Trojans punted, pinning Boulder City at its 17.
The Pahrump defense quickly got involved. Walker forced a receiver out of bounds, Ware stopped a rushing attempt without a gain, and Hamlin made consecutive tackles on completed passes, including one that resulted in a three-yard loss. Bosket added a stop and assisted as Walker and Angel Tepale combined on a sack, helping force an Eagles punt.
The Trojans began their next possession at their own 44. After Gavenda was stopped without a gain, Dockter picked up approximately 12 yards for a first down. Penalties again pushed Pahrump backward, eventually leaving the offense facing second-and-30.
A completion to Gavenda and a 10-yard Dockter run helped recover yardage before Strain found Dockter for a first-down completion to the Boulder City 25. After two incompletions, Walker caught a pass over the middle for nine yards. An Eagles offside penalty gave Pahrump another first down at the 18, and Dockter followed with a run to the 3.
The first quarter ended scoreless, but the Trojans needed only four seconds of the second quarter to finish the drive. Dockter carried into the end zone with 11:56 remaining. The two-point attempt failed, leaving Pahrump ahead 6–0.
Boulder City answered quickly. The Eagles recovered Pahrump’s onside kick attempt and advanced to the Trojan 42. Despite an illegal substitution penalty during the possession, Boulder City connected on a deep touchdown pass with 11:02 left in the half.
The Eagles initially lined up for a kick before throwing for a two-point conversion, but a personal foul negated the play. Boulder City then converted a longer extra-point kick to take a 7–6 lead.
That advantage lasted just 23 seconds.
A holding penalty on the kickoff return forced Pahrump to begin at its own 17. Strain connected with Hamlin on a deep pass, and Hamlin took it the rest of the way for an 83-yard touchdown with 10:39 remaining. The Trojans converted the two-point try to move ahead 14–7.
Pahrump’s defense followed with another series of disruptive plays. Bravo-Lira and Gideon Wydick combined on a sack, and Hamlin made an immediate tackle following a completion. Later in the possession, Walker brought down the scrambling quarterback well behind the line of scrimmage, forcing fourth-and-long.
The ensuing punt was partially blocked, giving the Trojans possession at their own 43.
Dockter lost four yards on a toss, and an incomplete pass followed. A completion to Gavenda brought Pahrump to its own 49, where the Trojans faced fourth-and-four.
Strain went deep to Ware, who completed the catch against close coverage and ran into the end zone for a 51-yard touchdown with 6:46 left in the half. Anthony Montanez then took the snap and handed off to Tepale for the two-point conversion, extending Pahrump’s lead to 22–7.
Boulder City’s next possession ended with another punt after Bosket sacked the quarterback to leave the Eagles facing fourth-and-14.
The Trojans threatened again before halftime. Dockter supplied short gains, and Gavenda turned a completion over the middle into a 36-yard pickup. Another Dockter carry brought Pahrump to the Boulder City 21, and a Hamlin reception set up third-and-three.
A holding penalty pushed the Trojans backward, however, and the Eagles intercepted a pass. Cross-Smith made the tackle on the return, and a Boulder City holding penalty left the Eagles starting at their own 30.
A bad snap sent Boulder City back to its 15. Hamlin and Tepale combined to stop a subsequent run, and Gavenda forced another runner out of bounds. The Eagles eventually punted, but a holding penalty required them to kick again.
Gavenda fielded the second punt and returned it to midfield with 4.6 seconds remaining. A short completion to Hamlin ended the half with Pahrump leading 22–7.
At halftime, the Senior Night recognition continued as athletes from tennis, cross country, girls golf, cheer and dance were honored with their families and close friends.
The tennis seniors recognized were Chanel Anthony, Mackenzie Jones, Milly Khandpur, Triston Dano, Kameron Stough, Tristan Torres and Samson Wagner. Only Khandpur was present. Anthony was absent because she was competing at the state tournament.
Cross country honored Alexis Clouser, Joaquin Flores, Rosie Miller, Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Ortiz, Sophie Romero, Anjolina Mercado and Logan Tilley. Mercado was unable to attend the ceremony.
Natalie Soto represented the girls golf seniors. Cheer recognized Arionna Carson, Hayle March and Angel Martin, while Isabella Simpson was honored for dance.
When play resumed, Pahrump’s defense immediately forced another punt. Boulder City began at its own 18, and Ware nearly intercepted the first pass of the half. Sparks stopped a rushing attempt, and another incomplete pass, this one nearly intercepted by Gavenda, left the Eagles facing fourth-and-15.
Gavenda returned the punt to the Boulder City 35, giving the offense a short field with 10:53 remaining in the third quarter.
Dockter gained eight yards on the first carry and another yard on the next. Hamlin picked up the first down, and the Trojans continued moving toward the goal line. Dockter reached the 15 for another first down, then carried to the 2.
The drive ended without points after a loss on the next rushing attempt and a fumble that Boulder City recovered at its own 13.
The Eagles could not turn the takeaway into a sustained possession. A false start backed them up, and Pahrump limited their rushing gains. Bravo-Lira and Bosket combined on a stop before Boulder City punted, with the ball downed at the Eagles’ 40.
Hamlin carried on the next play and drew a late-hit penalty out of bounds, moving Pahrump to the 21. Taking snaps at quarterback, he then kept the ball and reached the 5 before another carry brought it to the 1.
Hamlin finished the possession with a touchdown run at the 2:27 mark. Montanez entered at quarterback and ran in the two-point conversion, extending the lead to 30–7.
Boulder City returned the ensuing onside kick to its own 43, but John Wydick stopped a runner for a one-yard loss. Gavenda then intercepted an Eagles pass, giving possession back to Pahrump with 1:28 remaining in the quarter.
Strain gained four yards on a keeper, but a holding penalty on a later play and an incomplete pass slowed the Trojans. Pahrump carried its 30–7 lead into the fourth quarter before eventually turning the ball over on downs.
The defense again prevented Boulder City from taking advantage. After a completion and a rushing attempt that gained nothing, Bosket recorded another sack, leaving the Eagles facing third-and-20 at midfield. Gavenda broke up the next pass, and Boulder City punted. Hamlin made a fair catch at the Pahrump 20 with 8:19 remaining.
The Trojans put together another lengthy possession, this time with Schumacher handling several carries. Rily helped move the drive forward with a reception along the sideline, getting a foot down in bounds for a completion to the 38.
Schumacher followed with a run to the 41, and a personal foul against Boulder City moved Pahrump into Eagles territory. More carries by Schumacher advanced the ball to the Boulder City 21 with 5:40 remaining.
Ware added a short gain, but a holding penalty pushed the Trojans backward. An incomplete pass and a completion to Schumacher left Pahrump facing fourth-and-14. The Trojans attempted a field goal, but the kick was unsuccessful, giving Boulder City possession at its own 20 with 3:18 to play.
An illegal receiver downfield penalty backed the Eagles to the 15. Wulfenstein made a tackle on a run, and Kain Johnson followed with another stop, helping leave Boulder City facing third-and-15.
Johnson then intercepted a pass. A penalty against Pahrump affected the field position, but the Trojans retained possession at the 38. A first-down run and a final carry by Tepale to the 25 helped close out the 30–7 victory.
The win secured the No. 2 seed for the Trojans, adding another accomplishment to their Senior Night celebration.
“It was a great game from our boys. It was awesome to clinch the number 2 seed,” head coach Toby Henry said. “I think it’s the first time Pahrump has done that with Virgin and Moapa in the same conference.”
Henry reported that the Trojans finished with 450 yards of offense while holding Boulder City to 42 yards.
“I’m very proud of our defense. They held BC to 42 yards,” Henry said. “We knew they had that potential to do that in a game and it was cool to see.”
Defensive coordinator Mike Colucci credited the performance to the players’ execution and effort.
“We played sound fundamental defense on Friday night. I was proud of our aggression, physicality, and hustle,” Colucci said. “We are becoming the defense we thought we could be coming into the season.”
Colucci said the players’ understanding of their responsibilities has helped the unit progress.
“The boys have a good understanding of our schemes, leverage, and technique,” he said. “We just need to stay hungry and keep our edge.”
Henry also praised the offense and special teams as Pahrump turns its attention to postseason play.
“Our special teams did a great job also,” Henry said. “Our team is coming together at the right time on all phases.”
The Trojans will host the Virgin Valley Bulldogs in the league semifinals at 7 p.m., with a berth in the state semifinals at stake. Henry said discipline and preparation will be essential against the Bulldogs.
“We have to be locked in and play very disciplined,” he said. “Virgin Valley is a good team and we have to work hard for two weeks to prepare for them.”
“It will be a great rivalry game to go to the state semifinals, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Henry added. “Gonna be a fun game.”
