MESQUITE -- Virgin Valley lost 31-15 to Las Vegas Faith Lutheran in the Southern Nevada Class 3-A League opener for both teams last Friday.

That poignant fact, however, will not have any impact on how Pahrump Valley coach Brian Hug prepares his team for its first Southern Nevada Class 3-A League's football game of the season today. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Trojans are 2-3 after their 29-14 victory against Las Vegas Legacy last Friday, while the Bulldogs are 4-2 in all games.

"Except for two plays, it's a 17-15 game ... and anything could have happened," said Hug, analyzing Faith Lutheran's stunning victory against Virgin Valley. "A 95-yard kickoff return and 85 yards on a punt runback ..."

To contend with Virgin Valley, "we are going to have to stop their run," said Hug. "They run double wings, double tight ends and they have close gaps between the linemen. They run student body right ... student body left ... they try to road-grade you off the ball with their big line."

The Bulldogs have only eight seniors on their roster, including running back Casimiro Zarate, a 5-9, 185 tailback who has rushed for 718 yards and nine touchdowns on 114 carries in six games.

Quarterback Doug Hafen, a 6-foot, 185 junior, has completed 39 of 75 passes for 585 yards and nine touchdowns, with five interceptions. Prior to losing to Faith Lutheran, the Bulldogs had victories against Fernley (29-20), Hurricane, Utah (40-22), Lincoln County (43-6) and Ely White Pine (63-0). The non-league loss was a 30-6 conquest by St. George (Utah) Dixie.

Mike Colucci, a senior lineman and one of the team's captains, is expected to return to the Trojans' lineup tonight, after missing all but the first four plays of the game against Las Vegas Chaparral because of a knee injuury.

Offensively, the Trojans will rely on senior quarterback Travis Ott (four touchdown passes in his last two starts) and senior tailback Rocky Spencer, who has rushed for 312 yards in the last six quarters. Defensively, the Trojans have allowed only two touchdowns in the last five quarters, after being hammered for 165 points in the first 15.

In the 2005 regular-season matchup between the Trojans and Bulldogs, Pahrump Valley rallied from a 27-14 deficit to take a 33-27 lead, but were forced into overtime when the Bulldogs converted an intercepted pass into the tying touchdown.

Rocky Spencer scored the winning touchdown in overtime, on a six-yard pass from Travis Ott and the defense stopped four passes inside the 15-yard line.

In a post-season play-in game, however, the Bulldogs unveiled their rush-oriented double-wing, double-tight end scheme and bulldozed the Trojans 26-7. The Bulldogs advanced to the state 3-A finals, bowing 37-14 to defending champion Truckee, Calif.

"All I can say is this league race is going to be tight," said Hug. "No one can take anybody lightly; there is no way a team can look ahead to the next game."