DON McDERMOTT / PVT Benji DeSantiago, 22, sweeps to the left, as quarterback Travis Ott rolls out for the Pahrump Valley football team, in its game against Las Vegas Chaparral last Friday. The Trojans are at home against Chino, Calif., Don Lugo today at 7 p.m. Advertisement

Brian Hug has no real feel for how Don Lugo -- tonight's opponent for the Pahrump Valley High School team he coaches -- will attack, other than to note, "They like to pass the football."

Kickoff at Pahrump Valley's high school stadium is at 7. It's the home debut for Hug and his coaching staff, who have been working with the Trojans since Aug. 10, preparing for this particular game, at least psychologically.

"All I know is we have to step up and get the job done on the field," said Hug, whose team lost its opener at Class 4-A Las Vegas Chaparral a week ago. "We worked on correcting a lot of our mistakes; I think we achieved that."

Pahrump Valley had seven turnovers and were assessed eight penalties in the loss to the big, quick and strong Cowboys, who took advantage of every mistake to torment the Trojans, out of the Southern Nevada Class 3-A League.

Don Lugo High School, from Chino, is playing its first game of the season. The Conquistadores finished second in the Mt. Baldy League and qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section Division VIII playoffs in the 2005 season. However, Don Lugo lost 46-22 to Bloomington in the first round, which left coach Greg Setlich's team, 3-2 in the league, at 5-6 in all games.

Of the 61 players listed on the varsity roster for the 2006 campaign, 16 are seniors, including Dave Meraz, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound quarterback. Don Lugo runs out of a spread offense that generated 24 points per game last season.

Other seniors on the roster are:

Anthony DiCarlo, a 5-9, 175 running back and defensive back. Don Lugo plays out of a 4-3 set, but moves a linebacker up occasionally to make appear to be a 4-4 scheme.

Russell Carr, 6-3, 195, wideout and defensive back;

Eric Grijalva, 5-9, 170, wide receiver/d-back;

James Berry, 5-11, 180, wide receiver/d-back;

Daniel Richardson, 6-2, 200, wide receiver/d-back;

Turner Setlich, 6, 185, tight end/linebacker;

Steve Paneto, 5-10, 220, tight end/linebacker;

Ivan Pamintuan, 5-10, 265, lineman;

William Shue, 6-2, 220, lineman;

Stiveni Tuaone, 5-11, 325, lineman;

Nick Sitarski, 5-10, 230, lineman;

Ray Holliday, 6-1, 230, lineman;

Frolan Terriquez, 6-1, 250, lineman;

Johnson Uko, 6-2, 235, running back/linebacker;

Matt Horne, 6-4, 205, wide receiver/defensive back.

Don Lugo is in Chino, which is located north of Corona, east of Pasadena, west of Redlands, and south of San Dimas; the Conquistadores will play a 10-game schedule, ending Nov. 10. The Conquistadores' league games are at Montclair, Oct. 13; at Pomona Garey, Oct. 20; home vs. Ontario Oct. 27; home vs. Ontario Colony Nov. 2, and home against 2005 Mt. Baldy champion Ontario Chaffey, Nov. 10.

Pahrump Valley, which will play at home against Yucca Valley, Calif., Sept. 22, has faced five California opponents in its 33-year football history, winning nine of 29 games.

The Trojans faced Trona 11 times from 1981 through 1999, winning three games. Pahrump Valley tangled with Needles in 12 games from 1981 through 1995, going 4-8 against the Mustangs.

In the 2005 season, Pahrump Valley lost 31-14 at LaJolla Country Day; the Trojans were 2-2 in a four-game set with Lucerne Valley from 2000 through 2003, and in 1998, Mammoth Lakes edged Pahrump Valley 20-12.

None of this, of course, bothers Hug; he wasn't the coach in any of those games, and it's what the Trojans accomplish the remainder of the season which matters.

The Trojans' probable starters include senior quarterback Travis Ott, who will be in the backfield with running backs Steve Kelley and Vandale Wright or Benji DeSantiago. Jeremiah Ward, James Chapman, and Chris Russell will be in the offensive scheme. The interior line will include Daniel Miller, a 243-pound junior, and Steve Cummings, a 225 senior, along with 248-pound Tito Ceballos and Reynaldo Veloz, a 204-pound senior.

Chaparral's speed created problems for the Trojan defense last week, so it will be of interest to see how much it has improved in four days' time. One thing the 'D' has going for it: Hug was the head coach and defensive coordinator for the Port Huron, Mich., Pirates, when they went undefeated to win the Great Lakes Indoor Football League regular-season and playoff championships this past summer.