Dave Maxwell photos
Shawn Wadsworth (7) is the leading receiver in the state this season with 869 yards and 17 touchdowns. Tabor Maxwell leads all of southern Nevada in passing yardage, 1,998, and 36 touchdowns. Both will lead Pahranagat Valley into the state playoffs tonight against Beatty.
A&W might sound better, but that’s really a popular soft drink, so going with M&W will have to do.
Pahranagat Valley football stars Tabor Maxwell and Shawn Wadsworth have known each other all their years in school. They have been playing football together since the second grade.
Now, Shawn, a senior and Tabor, a junior, are the main catalysts in seeking to lead the Pahranagat Valley football team to a record eighth consecutive NIAA Division IV state championship.
At the same time, they are also helping the team in its, albeit secondary quest, to break the all-time national high school football winning streak for 8-man teams of 92 set by Shattuck, Oklahoma (2003-2009).
The current Panther win streak is at 90, the longest active streak in the nation. They would set a new record if they do win that eighth straight state championship.
Currently Maxwell, the quarterback, is second in the state, at all levels, in passing yardage, and Wadsworth leads the state in reception yards. It has been a long time, if ever, that two Alamo players have done that this late in the season.
Both set school records in 2014. Maxwell, with 2,625 yards passing and 38 touchdowns, and Wadsworth with 1,068 receiving yards on 60 catches with 17 TDs. And all that was behind league MVP Wade Leavitt.
At present, Maxwell leads southern Nevada with 1,998 yards passing (95 of 166, 57.2 percent), 36 touchdowns and three interceptions. Wadsworth is the leader in receiving yards, 869 on 43 catches and 17 touchdowns.
But it isn’t just about those two only as coach Ken Higbee quickly points out. While he admits they do stand out, the former English literature teacher might just as quickly quote Shakespeare in calling the whole team, “a band of brothers.”
Nevertheless he said, “(Those two) have been doing this since second grade. (Tabor) has been quarterback and Shawn’s been a receiver that long, so it’s kind of a natural progression. We just made simple tweaks to put us into position to be successful. Give credit to our coaching staff.”
And Wadsworth agrees with Higbee’s assessment. “Me and Tabor have been great friends. We play football, basketball and baseball together. All week we run patterns. We have a good connection, I think. We’re like brothers pretty much.”
