The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans faced a challenging matchup on the road Friday night, falling to the Moapa Valley Pirates 42–7. Despite the loss, the game served as valuable preparation for postseason play, with coaches and players focused on regrouping and refining fundamentals for the final stretch of the season.
Pahrump started strong, winning the coin toss and making early defensive stops that forced a Moapa punt. The Trojans capitalized on solid field position when running back Joshua Slusher picked up key yardage before quarterback Kayne Horibe connected with Austin Alvarez for a deep touchdown strike to put Pahrump ahead 7–0 in the first quarter.
The Pirates answered back early in the second quarter, evening the score at 7–7 before pulling ahead on a pair of quick scoring drives. Moapa capitalized on turnovers and special teams miscues late in the half, extending their lead to 35–7 by halftime. Following a lightning delay, both teams returned to a running clock in the second half, with the Trojans continuing to battle on both sides of the ball. Highlights included a long 40-yard completion from Horibe to Ryan Hamlin and strong defensive tackles by Iyan and Zach.
Offensive Coordinator Toby Henry said the game offered lessons that will strengthen the team moving forward. “Moapa is a good team and well coached,” Henry said. “For us to beat a team like that we can’t make any mistakes. This was a great game to get us ready for the playoffs. Now we have to take care of business the next two weeks. We will get back to the basics on offense. We have to be able to run the ball better no matter who we play. I’m excited to game-plan for Meadows this week—our guys will be ready.”
Defensive Coordinator Mike Colucci echoed that sentiment, emphasizing improvement through fundamentals. “We started off well defensively, but made a couple of mistakes in the second quarter that cost us big time,” he said. “This week, we’re just going to hammer the basics and just keep trying to get better like we do each week.”
The Trojans will return home this Friday for Senior Night, hosting The Meadows School for their final regular-season home game. Junior Varsity will take on Civica at 4 p.m., followed by Varsity facing The Meadows at 7 p.m. Senior Night recognitions for Football, Dance, and Cheer will take place before kickoff, while Cross Country, Tennis, and Girls Golf seniors will be honored during halftime. The evening will celebrate the hard work, leadership, and dedication of these student-athletes who have proudly represented Pahrump Valley High School throughout their seasons.
