Bulldogs Beat Pahrump In Overtime

By BOB SNELL

The Progress

With the pandemic-altered football season officially over now, the Virgin Valley team can now set its sights, hopefully, on a more normal season beginning in August.

The Bulldogs put a wrap on the four-week spring season on Friday night, April 9, traveling to Pahrump and recording a 6-0 overtime victory over the host Trojans. Virgin Valley finished 2-2, with both victories coming against Pahrump Valley. The Trojans, who played all four of their games at home, ended the season 1-3.

“It’s a good win to end the season with,” VVHS head coach Matt Woods said. “Our defense played really well. Coach (Charlie) Jarvis does a great job with our defense. We were a little short-handed and had to move some kids into new positions, but the kids stepped up and played hard.”

Virgin Valley was able to move the ball offensively totaling 313 yards while holding Pahrump Valley to just 114 yards. But it took overtime before the Bulldogs were finally able to score and leave town a winner for the second time in three weeks.

The Bulldogs got the ball first in the OT. After an incomplete pass, junior running back Eathan Workman ran nine yards to the one-yard line. Workman ran over right guard into the end zone on the next play to put Virgin Valley on the scoreboard. The two-point conversion try failed leaving the Bulldogs up 6-0.

On Pahrump Valley’s OT possession, the Trojans got to the five-yard line with senior Ryan Breuhl making a big stop for the Bulldogs on a play that looked like it was headed for a touchdown. On fourth down, a Trojan pass attempt into the end zone was too high for the receiver to control and the Bulldogs were able to celebrate.

Workman rushed for 77 yards on 17 carries and caught three passes for 21 yards for Virgin Valley. Senior quarterback Will Barnum completed 15-of-28 passes for 176 yards while rushing for 33 yards on eight carries. Senior Cal Creamer led the receivers with six catches for 38 yards while junior Jimmy Kelly grabbed three passes for 76 yards.

“I think being able to have a spring season has been good for the kids,” Woods said. “I’m happy for the seniors that they got to do something after having winter sports taken away. This has also been very beneficial for the juniors and sophomores. They got to see how we do things. This will help us out tremendously come July and August.”

If all goes as planned for the start of the new school year in August, and the COVID numbers cooperate, the Bulldogs are set to tentatively open their season August 20 or 27 against Del Sol Academy of Las Vegas.

“We’ve got to get better in the fall,” Woods said. “There’s some things we need to work on. It starts with getting the kids in the weight room during the summer. We’ll need to find a new quarterback and, hopefully, we can find some linemen. We lose all of our line.”