Pahrump Valley edges Valley in last minute

Even when his team was down 33-28 with just seconds remaining against Valley, Pahrump Valley’s Nico Velazquez felt confident that victory was imminent on Friday night.

The senior running back had already scored three touchdowns, so it was no surprise that the Trojans went to him six times on their final drive of the game.

Velazquez capped a game-winning drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds left to clinch a 36-33 victory over the Vikings.

“We wanted to do what we always do, which is run down defenders and score,” Velazquez said. “We were feeling really confident because we believe in our line.”

However, the Trojans’ late lead didn’t quite feel like a lock when Valley’s offense got the ball back with half a minute remaining.

Vikings quarterback Jarrett Zibert threw for 248 yards and four touchdowns in a must-win game for the Vikings.

Zibert had found holes in the pass coverage, but Pahrump Valley’s defense stepped up when it mattered. On the final play, the Trojans (6-3, 5-0 Class 3A Sunset League) nabbed an interception to clinch a perfect record in league play.

“It was a great way to finish the season going into the playoffs,” said Pahrump Valley coach Joe Clayton. “Just the fact of how we won was important.”

While Valley was playing for a chance to extend its season, Pahrump Valley had already secured a bye week and its seeding in the 3A playoffs.

The Vikings took advantage of an early complacent defense by putting up 20 points in the second quarter, including Zibert’s touchdown pass to Isaiah Williams-Brent from 30 yards out just as time ran out in the half.

“Pass coverage is always tough for us, but we’ve been getting better as the weeks have gone on.” Clayton said. “We knew their quarterback was pretty solid, but after watching him live, he really put the ball on the money. So I don’t know if it was as much our pass coverage as it was their talented quarterback and receivers.”

Valley (4-6, 2-3) extended its lead to 27-14 when Zibert threw a 12-yard touchdown to Larry Perry with 4 minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The Trojans mounted a comeback by refocusing on their running game. Velazquez scored twice late in the third quarter.

“Getting this win was really important,” Velazquez said. “It gives us a lot of momentum, and we feel great. We wanted to go into the playoffs with an unblemished league record.”