DON McDERMOTT / PVT The Pahrump Valley boys' golf team won the Southern Nevada Class 3-A Regional title Thursday at Mountain Falls. The team includes (from left) coach Bob Hopkins, Shane Lindemann, Elliott Owens, Daniel Shimakawa, Will Peers, Cameron Belcher and Anthony Franco. In the background left are medalist Yuki Kato of Faith Lutheran and tournament director Larry Goins. Advertisement

More than 20 years ago, the Pahrump Valley Junior Golf Founders Club was organized in Pahrump. The intent was to give the area's youth an opportunity to play the lifetime game under the best conditions possible.

In the last 11 years, girls who competed in Pahrump Valley Junior Golf Association-organized tournaments as a child, then went to Pahrump Valley High School and played golf in Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association-sanctioned events.

Five times -- in 1997, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007 -- the Lady Trojans won state championships under the direction of coach Julie Floyd, who has guided them to numerous regional titles.

Now, add to the list of Southern Regional champions a PVHS boys team that can be directly associated with the PVJGA. Every boy on the 2008 team -- Cameron Belcher, Shane Lindemann, Daniel Shimakawa, Will Peers, Elliott Owens and Anthony Franco -- played in association tournaments prior to entering high school.

Their last stop this spring was the state tournament played Tuesday and today at Mesquite's Palms and CasaBlanca courses.

Bob Hopkins, an assistant to Floyd in the fall, when girls golf is played, is the coach of the boys team that Thursday shot 387 to defeat previously unbeaten Las Vegas Faith Lutheran by nine strokes for the regional championship at Mountain Falls, a par 72, 6,647-yard course.

"We were able to win the title because our boys were able to avoid the big numbers," said Hopkins, who has now coached state championship teams in two sports. His 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 teams won Nevada Class 3-A girls basketball titles. "Cameron started out with a seven on the first hole, Anthony had a nine, and Shane started birdie-birdie-triple on the back nine, but that was it. Take five strokes off Anthony's score (44-42--86) and he has an 81 ... take three strokes off Cameron's score and he has a 68."

As it was, Belcher shot a one-under 71 to finish a stroke behind regional medalist and player of the year Yuki Kato of Faith Lutheran. Lindemann had 37-38--75, Daniel Shimakawa 40-39--79, Will Peers 40-40--80 and Elliott Owens 41-41--82. The Trojans led 195 to 198 at the turn and never backed off on a spectacular spring day to play golf.

Mike Thurlow, in the 2001 season, finished second as an individual, a finish matched by Belcher. Alaine Garrett and Darla Hopkins were Lady Trojans who had runnerup finishes in the medalist chase.

After the 396 recorded by Faith Lutheran -- which was 8-0 in regular-season league matches and was the odds-on favorite to add a regional title to its resume -- Mesquite Virgin Valley had 432, Overton Moapa Valley 455 and Boulder City 462.

The Trojans and Faith Lutheran were joined Tuesday at the state tournament by Northern 3-A representatives Truckee, Calif., Winnemucca Lowry and Yerington. Their strokes-per-18 holes averages were 416, 425 and 431, respectively.

Vincent Arrighi of Yerington had a 74 average, but the Northern's best individual going into the state tournament was Branden Dalton of Fernley at 73.

Lowry was paced by the 79 of Joey Dendary, while Daniel Gelso led Truckee with an 81.