Pahrump Valley boys golf finishes fourth at 3A state championship
Under a 104-degree course temperature at Boulder Creek, Pahrump Valley opened second and held on for fourth at the 3A state meet.
The Pahrump Valley boys proved they can contend even when the desert turns punishing. With the course temperature reaching a recorded 104 degrees at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, the Trojans fired a 330 in Tuesday’s opening round, sat second in the field and stayed in the hunt before finishing fourth overall at the Class 3A state championship.
Elko won the team title with a 641 total, followed by Virgin Valley at 663, Lowry at 667 and Pahrump Valley at 670. Elko built its championship on rounds of 315 and 326, and Jack Marma set the pace individually with a 68 on Tuesday to take the opening-round lead. The state field included 40 competitors and golfers from Virgin Valley, Lowry, Elko, Boulder City and Churchill County, a reminder that Pahrump Valley was measuring itself against much of the top 3A talent in Nevada.
The Trojans entered Wednesday’s final round trailing Elko by 15 strokes and holding only a narrow edge over the rest of the chase pack, which made the second day especially important. Aaron Rily led Pahrump Valley with a tournament personal-best 77 in the first round and was seventh individually after day one. He followed with an 81 on Wednesday to finish seventh overall. After the opening round, Rily summed up the team’s position: “We’re sitting nice right now. We just need the fellas to finish strong.”
Travis Floyd gave the Trojans another strong start with a season-best 78 on Tuesday, good for 13th place after round one, then added an 87 to finish 13th overall. Cayden Cowley carded an 84 and then an 86 to place 21st. T.C. Hone improved from a 91 to an 86 and finished 27th. Brody Myers shot 93 and 97 for 36th, while Keir Sheppard posted matching 93s in the opening round before closing with a 99 and finishing 37th.
Head coach Bob Hopkins said three parents and two grandmothers traveled to support the team, a show of backing that matched the Trojans’ run to state. That trip followed a third-place finish at the Class 3A Southern Region tournament at Mountain Falls Golf Club in Pahrump on May 6-7, where Virgin Valley won the regional title and Boulder City was second. Hopkins had pointed to the regional tournament at home as the team’s main focus, and the state result showed why.
Pahrump Valley did not leave Boulder City with a championship, but the Trojans left with something more durable for Nye County athletics: proof that the program can start fast, absorb extreme conditions and still finish among the best in 3A golf.
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