Many outstanding wrestlers for visiting teams have competed in the Pahrump Valley High School gym over the past 25 years. Few, however, have come into town with the credentials of Steven Hernandez.

Hernandez is only a junior, but he has already claimed two Nevada state Class 4-A championships for the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman team that visits PVHS today for a Sunset Region Southwest Division match.

The Gaels are the first 4-A league opponent for the Trojans this season; the match will begin at 6 p.m. Pahrump Valley is 15-3 in all duals this season; the Trojans were 4-1 in the Basic Duals at Henderson Dec. 30, bowing 43-36 in the finals to the host Wolves.

Gorman went 5-0 to win the Spring Valley Invitational in mid-December, with coach John Field's team outpointing Southwest rival Spring Valley 47-34 in the finals. Hernandez pinned Rasheen Waters in 1:24 to help the Gaels prevail against Spring Valley, which is expected to be a prime challenger for Sunset regional and Southwest division honors.

Field's son Johnny, also a junior, is a highly-regarded 171-pounder, which means his showdown with the Trojans' Zach Weldon could be one of the prime individual showdowns today. Weldon, who was 54-2 when he won the 2008 Class 3-A state title at 171 as a junior, is 18-0 this season.

Other Gaels to watch today: Henry Bradley, a 125-pound junior, and Ricky Hernandez, a 119-pound junior.

Pahrump Valley's probable starting lineup:

* Sergio Rodriguez, a 103-pound freshman;

* Elliott Owens, a 112 sophomore;

* Matt Rader, 119 junior;

* Josh Armendariz, 125 senior;

* Paul Miller, 130 senior;

* Chris DeMille, 135 senior;

* Gueran Fenicle, 140 senior;

* Jared Lydon, 145 seniorp;

* Travis Linsday, 152 senior;

* Anderson Floyd, 160 senior;

* Weldon, 171 senior;

* Joe Colucci, 189 senior;

* Ryan Holt, 215 senior;

* Taylor Gourley, 275 senior.

In the Basic tournament, the Trojans defeated Silverado 55-21, Canyon Springs 57-24, Rancho 57-18 and Durango 58-21 before bowing to Basic. The Wolves had advanced through a pool that included Boulder City, Fullerton (Calif.) Sunny Hills, the Cimarron-Memorial JVs and Desert Oasis.

Coach Craig Rieger's team led 36-11 before Basic rallied for the win.

NOTES -- Pahrump Valley will wrestle in the Bulldog Growler Friday and Saturday at Centennial High School in Las Vegas ... Action starts at 3 p.m. Friday with the Trojans facing Henderson Liberty ... At 4:30 p.m., the Trojans wrestle Southwest rival Sierra Vista ... At 6, Syracuse, a Class 5-A team out of Region 1 (Salt Lake City), will be the opposition ... At 7:30, the Trojans face Centennial, and at 9, the Las Vegas Wildcats will face the Trojans ... The tournament resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday, with pairings based on how individual wrestlers fared Friday ... Also in the tournament are Mojave, Basic, Bonanza, Palo Verde, Barstow (Calif.) and Moffat County, a Class 4-A Western Slope League team out of Colorado.