Pahranagat Valley running a sweep play in practice. The Panthers open the season this Friday at home against Williams, Arizona.
There?s a new wrinkle for the Pahranagat Valley High School (PVHS) football team as they open the season this week.
The Panthers are not playing Wells in the first game of the season as they have done for a number of years. Instead, it?s Williams, Arizona, who will come to town Aug. 30 for the 7 p.m. contest.
PVHS coach Brett Hansen said, ?We wanted somebody new to play at the start. Williams is a fine program. They will give us a good test.?
A larger school, with a senior-laden team in a town of about 3,200 around the size of Yerington], Williams has an enrollment of about 230 in the high school and is still able to play eight-man football. The Vikings are the defending league champions in 1A Northern Arizona, going 9-3 last year.
Other than league opponent Beaver Dam, this is the first school from Arizona Pahranagat Valley has played in football since Fredonia in 2008.
Williams smashed Anthem Prep, a northern suburb of Phoenix, 75-0 in their opening game of the season last week, primarily by rushing for 364 yards on 24 carries and nine touchdowns.