Forfeit gives Pahranagat football 100th win
Allow us to crow a little bit again. Only two schools in the over-a-century long history of high school football in the United States have ever had 100 consecutive wins or more, De LaSalle, (Concord, CA) 151, 1992-2003, and Independence (Charlotte, North Carolina) 109, 2000-2007. Both are large schools playing 11-man football.
Now, Pahranagat Valley in Alamo, Nevada has become the third, and the first team playing 8-man football to do it. In 8-man ball, most players go both ways, making the record all the more incredible, and they have had 22 shutouts during that time as well. People in all of Lincoln County can feel just a little bit prouder than they have already felt during the long winning streak, which is the longest active streak in the nation. The state of Nevada can be proud too, if they want to be — maybe even you.
However, the Panthers didn’t get to win this most special game on the field. It was a bit anti-climactic, as they claimed a forfeit victory over Indian Springs, who entered the week 0-4 and coming off a lopsided loss September 30 to the same team Pahranagat Valley beat 56-0 on October 7.
Probably a good call by both sides, but it was not the way the Southern Nevada powerhouse pictured consecutive win No. 100. Officially, it goes down in the books as a 2-0 score.
The teams did play a game, but it was more of a non-counting scrimmage. Pahranagat did not play their varsity starters or seniors, going instead with underclassmen and second stringers.
What has made the Panthers the team they are all the past 10-12 years has been a combination of talent, coaching and performance. Mostly it is coaching, as led for the past 17 years by Dr. Ken Higbee and his staff. Opposing coaches have said, more than once, “Alamo may not have the best players on the field, but they execute everything so very well.” That goes back to coaching and fundamentals. Higbee often says, “When you do the little things right, good things happen.” And so they have now, 100 times in a row.
Indian Springs and Pahranagat Valley have been in the same league for many years. The Panthers had a 12-year winning streak against the Thunderbirds, always by wide margins, and Indian Springs was win-less on the season. It is the second forfeit for them this year.
Therefore, looking ahead, Pahranagat Valley finished out the regular season in October, and the NIAA state playoffs are in November, with the finals slated for somewhere in Las Vegas on November 19.
Another state title for the Panthers would be a record ninth consecutive, and record 20th championship — one more than the 19 titles by Reno High between 1924-2003. Pahranagat’s titles have all come since 1978.
The 2016 team is shaping up to be one of the more dominant editions. PVHS (7-0, 5-0 1A Southern) is averaging 47.6 points per game, while allowing just 5.6.
Even if the team does not win the state championship this year, they do have the memory, pride and joy of now being on the same shelf with some pretty special national company, and the first 8-man team ever to do it.
Pahranagat Valley Win Streak – By The Numbers
202 — Combined points in 128-74 win over Coleville (Calif.) in 2008. Win No. 11 of the streak. Also a national record for highest score by one team in a single game, regardless of classification.
47 — Wins by 50 points or more during the streak, including 17 of 19 gamesin 2010-11.
45 — Games scoring 60 points or more, including nine during the 2011 season.
22 — Defensive shutouts, including three this season.
19 — All-time state championships won by Pahranagat Valley; tied with Reno High.
8 — Consecutive state championships won during streak; state record.
4 — States beaten during streak — Arizona, California and Idaho, in addition to Nevada.
3 — Games decided by less than 10 points.
— Dave Maxwell
