DON McDERMOTT / PVT On a corner kick in a Gold Cup Shootout tournament game against Overton Moapa Valley, Jarret Holley, 12, leaps in an attempt at a header, as Travis Cason moves in on the action for the Pahrump Valley boys' soccer team. The Trojans won 3-0 and went on to win the title with a 2-1 win against Las Vegas Faith Lutheran, at Honeysuckle Park Saturday. Advertisement

Gene Smith is the new coach for the Pahrump Valley High School boys' soccer team. And if there were any concerns about how the Trojans would perform with a different sideline leader, they were emphatically dispelled by their performance in winning the Gold Cup Shootout championship Saturday.

Pahrump Valley picked up its first championship trophy of the 2006-2007 school year, as the boys' soccer team defeated Las Vegas Faith Lutheran 2-1 in the Gold Cup title game, played on a hot, humid Saturday afternoon at Honeysuckle Park.

The Trojans had advanced to the finals by dominating Overton Moapa Valley 3-0 in the semifinals.

Pahrump Valley was seeded No. 2 for the championship bracket, after going 2-1 in pool play Friday. The Trojans lost 2-1 to Faith Lutheran in Smith's debut as coach, but they overwhelmed New Hope 10-0 and came from behind to edge Moapa Valley 2-1. Faith Lutheran followed up that victory against the Trojans by edging Moapa Valley 4-2 and stopping New Hope 8-1 in pool play as well as 7-0 in the semifinals.

New Hope, a Pahrump-based private school, was 0-4 in the tournament, including a 10-0 loss to Moapa Valley.

"The boys were a little nervous, but I thought they played well," said Smith, who took over the reins from C.J. Johnson, whose 2005 team lost 2-0 to Truckee, Calif., in the Nevada State Class 3-A title game at Reno last November. "They played defense with a lot of confidence and (keeper Josh) Cason played very well." Cason and Shane Lindemann allowed only four goals in five games.

Defenders Kyle Mills and Jeff Holley, along with Tyler Raymer and Iggy Wagner played well. Holley was the tourney MVP and forward Daimon Nelson was named to the all-tournament team.

In the girls tournament, Faith Lutheran, the 2005 Southern regular-season champion, was 3-0-1 enroute to winning the title. The Crusaders tied Pahrump Valley's varsity 2-2 in a pool game, but ran away to a 4-0 victory against the Lady Trojans in the bracket finals.

To get to the finals, Coach Steve Coleman's girls trounced Moapa Valley 9-1 in a pool game and 7-1 in the semifinals. Another pool contest, against the PVHS junior varsity, was not played. Faith Lutheran overran the JVs 13-0 and Moapa Valley 7-0 in pool contests.

Freshman Andi Musumeci scored three goals in a noteworthy debut with the Lady Trojans, who are in a rebuilding mode this season. Brittany Orr, a returning striker, netted four goals. A key change was in goal, where Alexis Zimmerle has taken over for the graduated Connie Hamrick as keeper.

Other experienced returnees include Devyn Moen, Samantha Sposato, Allison Eleogram, Hannah Smith, Casey Burtenshaw, and Emily Poertner. Newcomer Taylor Raymer made some key plays for Coleman's team.

Pahrump Valley is to go to Las Vegas The Meadows for a non-league boys game Thursday. On Tuesday, the girls travel to Boulder City, while the boys are at home against the Eagles in non-league contests.