DON McDERMOTT / PVT Wiley Meade, the offensive coordinator for the Pahrump Valley High School football team, watches over a practice session. The Trojans are at home today against Yucca Valley, Calif. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Advertisement

The 2005 Pahrump Valley football Trojans went through an ordeal painfully similar to that being experienced by the 2006 team, as it prepares for the Southern Nevada Class 3-A League season.

In 2005, there were consecutive losses to Spring Creek (31-15), Sparks (18-6), LaJolla (Calif.) Country Day (31-14) and Las Vegas Arbor View (21-20), before Pahrump Valley opened the league season against Mesquite Virgin Valley.

Pahrump Valley won that game, 39-33 in overtime, then went on to victories against Las Vegas Faith Lutheran (32-21) and Boulder City (32-16), around a 28-14 loss to Overton Moapa Valley, as the Trojans claimed their first Southern title in 12 years.

A 26-7 loss to Virgin Valley in a post-season play-in game ended the Trojans' campaign at 3-6.

Steve Nygaard and his staff were not retained as coaches, which led to a national search that found Brian Hug, now the head football coach and athletics director at PVHS.

While the 2005 Trojans were able to be explosive offensively and ineffective defensively in their first four games, Pahrump Valley is having problems on both sides of the ball.

The Trojans are 0-3 and have been outscored 131-9 in losses to Class 4-A Las Vegas Chaparral (40-0), Chino (Calif.) Don Lugo (48-3), and Northern Nevada 3-A champion Spring Creek (47-6), with their next start today at home against Yucca Valley. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. The Trojans, after playing two of their first three games on the road, are at home both tonight and next Friday, when they face off against Legacy, a new Las Vegas high school. On Oct. 6, Pahrump Valley travels to Mesquite to take on Virgin Valley in its 3-A opener.

Yucca Valley's Trojans, from the DeAnza Southern Section, are 0-2, which means they are seeking their first victory as well.

While Pahrump Valley generated just 167 yards of total offense against Spring Creek, Yucca Valley gained 307 yards, including 122 passing, in a 26-14 loss to Perris Citrus Hill, which used a couple key turnovers to thwart the Trojans.

"Yucca Valley likes to mix it up with the run and pass, operating out of multiple sets," said Hug. "They like to go to No. 6 ... (Jerrit) Maurer ... he's a good receiver."

Defensively, Yucca Valley's scheme is based in the 4-4, said Hug of the Trojans, "who are about our size." With three notable exceptions, that is true. But Yucca Valley can call on linemen Sean Verigan (6-3, 300) Patrick Currier (6-3, 280) and Connor Madden (6-8, 220) to create havoc.

Of the 40 players on the Yucca Valley varsity roster, 16 are seniors, including Ryan Mumby, a 6-3, 220 tight end.

In other games involving Nevada 3-A teams last week, it was Sparks 33, Class 4-A Sparks Spanish Springs 14; Dayton 14, Bishop, Calif., 13; Pinole Valley, Calif., 53, Lowry 8, and Fernley 41, Quincy, Calif., 13.

In a key matchup tonight, Spring Creek will go to Moapa Valley, in a quest for its third victory of the season against a Southern 3-A rival. The Spartans defeated Faith Lutheran 20-13 on the Crusaders' field earlier this month.

Elsewhere, it will be Virgin Valley at Class 2-A Ely White Pine. On Saturday, Sparks entertains Yreka, Calif., while defending state 3-A champion Truckee, Calif., is at home against Winters, Calif.

Intra-Northern League games begin Sept. 29, with Truckee at Winnemucca Lowry, Sparks at Fernley and Spring Creek at Dayton. The Southern league season starts Sept. 29 with Boulder City at Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley at Faith Lutheran. Pahrump Valley's first league game is Oct. 6 at Virgin Valley.

In statistics compiled by the Web site, nevprep.com, Virgin Valley's Casimoro Zarate is greater Nevada's fourth-leading rusher with 501 yards on 77 carries, including seven touchdowns ... Bulldog quarterback Doug Hafen has completed 28 of 45 passes for 622 yards and four TDs, with two interceptions ... Virgin Valley wideout Austin Goff has 10 catches for 127 yards.

At Las Vegas Legacy, Wayne Maxwell and Mat Rowe each scored two touchdowns as Needles' Mustangs (3-1) rolled 34-6 past the first-year Longhorns (1-2).

Maxwell gained 78 yards on 13 carries and caught an 83-yard TD pass. Rowe ran for 108 yards on 15 attempts ... .Davion Donley caught a 12-yard TD pass from Austin Christiansen with 9:46 to play for Legacy's score.

Faith Lutheran's Crusaders were stopped on a 2-point conversion attempt with two minutes to play, and LaHabra, Calif., Whitter Christian held on for a 27-26 victory ... Stephen McCall scored on a one-yard run to pull Faith Lutheran within a point, but Max Done was stopped on the conversion attempt ... McCall, known more for his play as a point guard for Faith Lutheran's Nevada Class 3-A champions in basketball, gained 109 yards and had five receptions for 127 yards ... Done threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns.