FROM THE PAHRUMP VALLEY TIMES 1973 The 1973 Pahrump Valley football team, the first in the history of the high school, was featured in a full-page article in the Times. Advertisement

In the early 1970s, teams at Death Valley High School were still active in California athletics, with the Shoshone-based Scorpions playing Big Pine, Lee Vining and Owens Valley, as well as Tonopah, Beatty, Indian Springs and Boulder City from Nevada.

Bill Tulk coached a boys' basketball team that included Bobby Woods, Bob Bolling, Leonard Hughes, Joe LaComb, Paul Larson, Odell Gordon, Brad Gordon, Tom Barlow and Danny Hafen.

In Beatty basketball, circa 1973, teams included Coach Dave Copeland, Lee McMurdy, Kenny Stevens, Mike Stevens, Kenny Marchand, Keith Hensyel, Bruce McVeigh, Darrell Cypert, Mark Baker, John Mills and Bill Monk.

At Tonopah, the Muckers were coached by Jim Frank and included Steve Quas, Jim Morgan, Rick Gifford, Bill Wilson, Steve Bird, Sam Jeffreys, Keith Newberry, Dick Williamson, Jay Johnson, Doug Pope, Keith Boni and Don Petty.

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In 1971, the Tecopa Highway was nearing completion and Calvada Boulevard was being paved from Highway 16 (now 160) to the Calvada Inn (on land known now as the Calvada "Eye.") The Calvada Inn, which once included a restaurant, lounge and grocery store, opened in December 1971.

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And while these projects continued to be developed, plans were made to organize the first football team at Pahrump Valley High School.

The colors -- maroon and gold; and mascot -- Trojans -- were selected (Pat Inch was a fan of Southern Cal's Trojans; it was he who influenced the USC colors and mascot). The first football coach, Hank Wohle, played the game at the University of Nevada in Reno and American River University in Sacramento.

The Trojans, said Wohle, would play the T-formation with pro sets, and would match that scheme against the defenses of Southern Nevada Class A League members Indian Springs, Tonopah, Lincoln County, Overton Moapa Valley, Beatty and Mesquite Virgin Valley. Pahranagat Valley Alamo would be a member for all other sports.

When the Trojans played Virgin Valley in September, 1973, the PVHS roster included David Zirkle, Hans Christensen, Ephraim Briscoe, Randy Stanley, Clyde Allen, Toby Smith, Pat Fielding, Paul Bledsoe, Jared Ward, Rory Smith, Robin Schwenck, Mark Fanning, Chuck Gunter, Butch Neth, Tom Duke, Charles Patrick, Willy Keenan, Bill Siri, Roger Kendall, Eddie Jim, Ron Allison, Roy Oxborrow, and Jathan Ward, along with manager Lynn Allen.

Neth, who was a junior varsity player at Death Valley, became the first starting quarterback for the Trojans. Tommy Duke, a varsity end in 1972, was shifted to running back. Rory Smith, the punter, and Jathan Ward were the other halfbacks. Jared Ward and Gunter were the ends.

Ron Allison and Eddie Jim were the tackles, with Fielding and Zirkle the guards and Oxborrow the center.

Fanning, Kendall, Keenan, Stanley and Schwenck were defensive starters, but injuries and other problems put that unit into a difficult situation.

Bruce Floyd was expected to be a key player for the Trojans, but the 190-pound fullback was hampered by a knee injury.

The Trojans finished 0-8, losing to Virgin Valley (50-0), Indian Springs (50-0), Lincoln County (55-0), Tonopah (42-0), Virgin Valley (50-6; Rory Smith got the touchdown), Moapa Valley (42-0) Tonopah (20-0) and Indian Springs (18-14, with Duke scoring both TDs).

Duke, Patrick, Vic Avina, Jared Ward and Fielding won team awards, with Wohle saying the 1974 Trojans would benefit from many returning players.

*Beatty, meanwhile, closed out one of its best seasons in recent years, winning four of eight football games. The Hornets' leader in the 1973 season was Gus Sullivan, a first-team all-state defensive choice after recording 36 tackles and two interceptions.

Offensively, as the quarterback, Sullivan scored six touchdowns and averaged 83 yards rushing per game. Sullivan, now a justice of the peace in Beatty, was the Hornets' football coach in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

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The first two homes in the Calvada Valley were sold, the Nevada West Pahrump Valley Times reported in December 1973. It marked "what may be a house building milestone in the Pahrump Valley, where FHA and similiar loans have generally not been approved because of the area's rural nature.

"Calvada has completed five model homes near the new Pahrump Valley High School on Calvada Boulevard. The two- and three-bedroom homes are served by the water and sewage plants accommodating the school."

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While new homes were being constructed and sold, the Pahrump Valley High School varsity boys' basketball team, in stark contrast, had nowhere to play.

Construction of the PVHS gym was not completed until early in 1974, which meant the Trojans played at either Beatty or Death Valley. Coached by Pat Inch, the Trojans had a 17-game schedule and faced two other challenges in the beginning -- they had no uniforms and there wasn't a new basketball in sight.

The only basketball available at the first practice session was a "frayed relic from a long-time past," to quote a fan.

Inch, however, did like the size and speed of his team that included Bobby Woods, a 6-foot senior guard, and David Valdes, a 6-5 center-forward who had transferred to PVHS from Panguitch, Utah.

Other varsity candidates were Vic Avena (5-6 junior guard), Roger Kendall (6-2 sophomore forward), Ron Allison (6-2 sophomore forward), Rich Ortiz (5-7 freshman guard).

Ron Thrailkill (5-8 junior), Tom Duke (5-7 senior), Butch Neth (5-10 sophomore) and Hans Christensen (5-4 freshman) were also seeking starting jobs.

Inch had several other players to consider, including Roy Oxborrow, Mark Fanning, Rory Smith, Scott Andrews, Clyde Allen, Craig Bells, Brian Barnett, Randy Stanley and Mike Morris.

The Trojans lost their opener 68-37 to the Las Vegas JVs, then defeated Explorer Scout Troop team 280, 51-47 in a tournament in Las Vegas. PVHS again lost to the Vegas JVs, 79-48. In those three starts, Woods averaged 15 points per game, with Valdes at 11 ppg.

Through January, the Trojans were 2-5 in the Southern 1-A league, with wins against Beatty (58-36) and Alamo (51-47).

The Trojans, despite having no home court in their inaugural season, won five of 17 games, including a 4-10 record in 1-A contests. Beatty was last at 2-12, 6-17.

Valdes emerged as the team's leading scorer (13.3 ppg), with Woods second at 12.2. Hodges was at 7.4 and Kendall 7.1 for the Inch Men.

The Trojans lost 45-43 and 73-64 to Tonopah, but a 52-42 win in February gave them a sweep of Beatty.

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The cornerstone laying of the long-awaited Pahrump Valley High School building took place at 2 p.m. March 16. Governor Mike O'Callaghan will be on hand for the honors.

Other dignitaries to be present include Nye County District Attorney Bill Beko. It was the successful years-long fight by Beko and his small staff for Nye County's right to tax the private contractors at the Nevada Test Site that produced almost $5 million in back taxes for the country. The money made the school immediately possible.

Ed Seggerson, a former school board member who worked diligently over several years for the new school, will also be present.

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Pahrump Valley crowned its first state champions in its first year as a high school, despite the lack of permanent training facilities.

Lacey Ward, a sophomore, won the Nevada 1-A championship in the 880-yard run (2:34.7) and was second in the 440. Roy Oxborrow won the 2-mile run in 11:10.0.

The state meet was contested in May at Fernley High School.

As the track season closed out Pahrump Valley High School's first year, preparations began for its initial graduation ceremonies, which featured the keynote address by then Nevada Lt. Gov. Harry Reid.

In May, 18 boys and girls graduated in ceremonies held in the gym of Pahrump Valley's new but otherwise unused high school building.

The graduates were Michael John Barnett, Alexander Palmer Berry, Rita Diana Bollen, Thomas W. Duke, Larry Ray Forsman, Serena Mae Freeman, Edward George Jim, Jeri Lynn Leavitt, Michael P. Merias, Floyd Thomas Oxborrow, Dennis Robert Richey, Elva Joyce Stewart, Buell Keith Sutherland, David Alejandro Valdes, Jared Roger Ward, Robert W. Woods, David Grand Woodworth and Richard Roise.

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As the school year ended, work on the PVHS football field was nearing completion. Ray Wulfenstein donated a $2,500 scoreboard and Tom Duke of Tomken's donated grass seed and the use of some equipment. And, there was the forecast that PVHS student population in grades 7-12 could exceed 250.