DON McDERMOTT / PVT ToiEisha Simmons drives the baseline against Ashley Lindgren, left, and Kristi Daffer in a Pahrump Valley girls' basketball practice Monday. The Lady Trojans open the 2008-2009 season Friday in a tournament at Las Vegas. Advertisement

In the last seven seasons, Pahrump Valley's basketball-playing Lady Trojans were the team to beat in the Southern Nevada Class 3-A League.

And while they won two state championships, lost in the finals once and in the semifinals three times since 2001, the Trojans played as many as 10 games a season against Class 4-A or bigger opponents from California, Louisiana, Arizona and Utah.

Now, Pahrump Valley gets to play 4-A teams for real; the school is now in the Sunset Region Southwest Division, along with acknowledged powers Las Vegas Bishop Gorman and Durango, as well as Bonanza, Clark, Western, Spring Valley, Sierra Vista and newcomer, Desert Oasis.

Gorman won the 2007-2008 state 4-A title for the third consecutive season and returns Dannielle Diamant, a 6-foot-4 center, and guard Aaryn Ellenberg, among others.

Pahrump Valley is now coached by Jason Odegard, who was a longtime assistant to Bob Hopkins before moving to North Dakota for the 2007-2008 school year.

Just weeks before he returned, Hopkins resigned as coach, putting an end to a Trojans' run that produced 198 wins and just 44 losses from the 2000-2001 through 2007-2008 seasons.

The Trojans go into the season with one senior starter, 6-foot center Kristi Daffer, and three sophomores who played many quality minutes in the 2007-2008 season when the Trojans finished 25-8.

Guards Alyson Kunzi and Ashley Lindgren, along with forward Casey Scheller were key backups last season for the Trojans, who won the regional title, then lost 51-43 in two overtimes to Truckee, Calif., in the state semifinals.

Who the fifth starter will be, however, is a choice Odegard and his varsity assistant, LeAnn Bird, will make after watching any number of combinations Friday and Saturday, when the Trojans will play in the Las Vegas Hoops.com /Level 1 Athletics tournament at the Centennial Hills YMCA.

Competing for that fifth starting spot are:

* Senior guard Vanessa Veloz;

* Junior guard (and move-in from California) ToiEisha Simmons;

* Sophomore guard Barrie Fenton;

* Junior forward Yaundee Otano;

* Senior guard Ashley Parisi;

* Sophomore guard Taylor Ball, and

* Senior post Alexis Abou-Halaka.

The LVH tourney starts at 1 p.m. Friday for Pahrump Valley, which will take on Henderson Liberty. At 5 p.m., PVHS will take on Shadow Ridge.

In Pool A are Green Valley, Eldorado and Cimarron-Memorial. In Pool C are the Bishop Gorman Junior Varsity and Foothill and in Pool D are Canyon Springs and South Mountain (Ariz.).

On Saturday are bracket playoffs in three divisions -- Ninth Place (No. 3 seeds), Fifth Place (No. 2 seeds) and Championship (the No. 1 seeds from each pool).

"Playing in 4-A ... it is what it is," said Odegard, "We're going to be comparatively young and inexperienced with five sophomores and two juniors on the roster.

"At the tournament this weekend, we are going to be getting some good experience," said Odegard. "I think that it will take some time for us to mesh, but the kids will get a chance to play together against other teams.

"We want the girls to work hard and play good defense; those elements have been our mainstay in the past," said Odegard.