The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans football team delivered an impressive Homecoming win against the Democracy Prep Knights on Saturday, October 5, securing a decisive 46-8 victory that guaranteed them a spot in the playoffs. The team played its most complete game of the season, with both the offense and defense firing on all cylinders.
The Knights struck first, scoring a touchdown with a two-point conversion with 9:30 left to go in the first quarter, giving Democracy Prep an early 8-0 lead. However, the Trojans quickly responded. With 7:28 left on the clock, quarterback Kayne Horibe connected with Austin Alvarez for a touchdown, followed by Aaron Rily’s successful extra point, bringing the score to 7-8. Horibe then pushed through with a quarterback sneak with 2:51 to go in the first quarter, although the point-after attempt was blocked, putting the Trojans ahead 13-8.
Horibe continued his stellar performance in the second quarter, throwing a touchdown pass to Ethen Hutchinson with 11:22 remaining. Although the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, the Trojans extended their lead to 19-8. Horibe followed up with a spectacular 37-yard run for a touchdown with 5:37 left in the quarter, though another two-point attempt fell short, bringing the score to 25-8. The defense shone when Alvarez intercepted a pass at 4:48, setting the Trojans up for another touchdown—this time a carry by Alvarez himself at 2:42, followed by Rily’s extra point to make it 32-8. Alvarez wasn’t done yet, snagging another interception with just 53 seconds remaining in the first half.
In the third quarter, Ben De Santiago exploded for a 55-yard touchdown run with 8:24 to go, and Rily’s extra point pushed the score to 39-8. The final blow came at 10:29 in the fourth quarter, when Horibe found Alvarez again for a touchdown pass, with Rily’s extra point sealing the 46-8 win.
Head Coach Thomas Walker praised his team’s effort. “The team played our best game this year. Kayne Horibe went 16 of 25 passing for 228 yards and 4 TDs, and he also had over 100 yards rushing with two rushing touchdowns. Austin Alvarez had 2 interceptions, and Rhett Swaner led the defense in tackles. Hunter Mellinger, Matt Lopez, Randy Murray, and Oscar and Iyan Bosket all had sacks! This game guaranteed a playoff spot. Now we need to win out to get a home playoff game. I’m proud of these young men and the effort and grit in which they are practicing and playing right now. We need the same effort for Thursday’s home game against Moapa.”
Defensive Coach Mike Colucci also praised the team’s full-game performance. “I thought our team finally played a complete game in all three phases. We handled adversity well, including the long week, the heat, unorthodox kickoff time, and potential distractions that come with Homecoming. The boys played with great effort, attitude, and energy for the full game. We feel very confident going forward that we can achieve all the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season.”
Offensive Coach Toby Henry added, “Offensively, we had our first complete game of the year. We got up on the scoreboard and didn’t let up. The momentum from last week carried over. Now we need to keep getting better and never be satisfied.”
With their Homecoming win, the Trojans have positioned themselves strongly for the playoffs. They will next face Moapa at home on Thursday, and with the team’s confidence soaring, they are ready to continue their pursuit of a victorious playoff season.
