Palo Verde football coach Dru Smith said he wants his team to peak at the end of October when the Panthers hope to be in a battle for the Division II Superintendents Cup.
That might not be what Palo Verde’s opponents want to hear as the Panthers continue their hot start.
Palo Verde, No. 8 in the Review-Journal’s Southern Nevada football rankings, opened Division II East League play with a 38-18 home win over Durango on Thursday night to improve to 4-0.
“Couldn’t be happier to be 4-0 and getting the first league win,” Smith said. “But we can’t peak now. We got to be peaking at the end of the season, so we got to continue to get better.”
Palo Verde quarterback Cooper Roberts completed 16 of 20 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and speedy wide receiver X’Zavier McZeal had four catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. But against Durango (1-3, 0-1), Smith said it was the defense that stood out while the Panthers had three lost fumbles and a blocked punt.
“Defense did outstanding, basically helped shut them out in the first half,” Smith said. “I don’t think they even had a first down until the third quarter. They’ve been outstanding all year picking up the offense when we haven’t been able to move the ball great. … The defense was able to answer. They’ve been instrumental.”
Palo Verde (4-0, 1-0 Division II East) takes a quick break from league play as the Panthers play at Moapa Valley at 7 p.m. Friday. Moapa Valley outlasted Clark, another Division II Superintendents Cup contender, 42-35 at Clark.
Everything is appearing for Palo Verde to be one of the top two teams in the East League to qualify for the Superintendents Cup, but Basic (3-1, 0-0) and Silverado (2-2, 1-0) will challenge the Panthers in the next few weeks.
“When all the public schools talked about going independent, I think it really balanced everything out and made for some competitive games,” Smith said. “We had a really close game with Legacy (28-26 win against a Longhorns team that is a contender in the Division II East League) and they’re a darn good football team.
“Basic’s looking really good, Silverado won (on Thursday) so it’ll be really competitive games and that’s what you want to see. … CCSD did a really good job of making those divisions and keeping them ultra-competitive.”
Rancho gets 1st win in a year
Rancho’s celebration on Thursday was more than a year in the making. The Rams scored their first win since Aug. 22, 2025, by defeating Cheyenne 31-14 to snap their 10-game losing streak.
“I know the seniors it felt great,” Rancho coach Michael Lugo said. “Being the interim coach last year, I wasn’t even there for the win last year (a 7-6 win over Lake Mead Academy). I had a planned vacation before I was told I had to step in as the head coach.
“But it was nice to get that monkey off our back, especially for the seniors. It was good to see them step up through some adversity they’ve been going through the last couple years and going 0-2. … Tonight, they really had to dig deep and find a way to pull off that victory.”
Quarterback Wyatt Sanders threw two touchdowns for Rancho (1-2, 1-0 Division III West) and Carlos Loza had a touchdown run, touchdown catch and interception on defense.
“It was great to see the crowd going crazy for us again,” said Lugo, whose Rams host Las Vegas High at 6 p.m Friday in the annual “Bone Game” next week. “It was a good atmosphere to bring back a victory for not just the team for the school.”
Rancho, which went winless in 2024, opened with a 40-21 loss to Valley where Lugo said the Rams dealt with some injuries that also plagued them in a 26-2 loss to Sunrise Mountain.
The Rams are looking to win the Bone for the first time since 1995. The team was given a forfeited win in 1998 after Las Vegas played with an ineligible player. But Lugo said the “Bone Game” is coming at the right time of the year in what will be a “measuring stick” for the Rams before they continue with Division III West League play.
“Hopefully, we can see what we can do and stack some success on top of success and hopefully walk away with that Bone next week and really try to get that tradition that I’m trying to get back into the school,” Lugo said.
Other Thursday highlights
Coronado rolls: Coronado had seven players score touchdowns as the Cougars rolled past Desert Pines 46-10. Matthias Rantissi rushed for more than 100 yards and a touchdown, and sophomore quarterback Governor Richburg threw four touchdowns. Coronado (3-1) has matched its season win total from last year as the Cougars appear to be a contender to get one of the top two spots in the Division I East League and challenge for the Superintendents Cup.
Foothill holds on: Ryder Dobbs completed 16 of 25 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns to help Foothill outlast Las Vegas 35-28 in the two teams’ Division I East League opener. Foothill (3-1, 1-0) was coming off a 34-3 loss to Mililani (Hawaii) in a game that was called in the third quarter due to an altercation. Dobbs added 98 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Silverado rushes to victory: Armani Combs rushed for 170 yards and Reno Reiner had 112 on the ground to lead Silverado to a 36-18 home win over Canyon Springs. Silverado (2-2, 1-0 Division II East) rushed for 353 yards. Quarterbacks Aaron Hickman (103 passing yards and two TDs) and Carmine Barilla (97 passing yards and one TD) helped the Skyhawks bounce back from a 63-19 loss to Moapa Valley last week.
Up next
Bishop Gorman (3-1), ranked No. 8 nationally by MaxPreps. had a bye this week and will return on Friday to play at Mater Dei (California) at 7 p.m. at Santa Ana Stadium. The Gaels are 0-5 all-time against Mater Dei.
The biggest local game of the Week 6 schedule takes place Thursday when budding 4A rivals Mater East (3-0), No. 6 in the Review-Journal’s Southern Nevada football rankings, and No. 3 Sloan Canyon (3-0) meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at Sloan Canyon. Both teams had a bye this week.
The contenders for Superintendents Cup will come into focus with several key matchups this week.
The top Division I game will feature Shadow Ridge hosting Desert Pines at 6 p.m. Friday in a West League contest. In East League play, No. 2 Liberty (2-2, 1-0) hosts Foothill (3-1, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Friday.
In Division II, Legacy plays at Clark at 6 p.m. Friday in a West League battle.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
Southern Nevada high school football scores and schedule
Week 5 scores
Arbor View 55, Centennial 34
Basic 38, Virgin Valley 28
Cimarron-Memorial 31, Western 7
Coronado 46, Desert Pines 10
Del Sol 22, Eldorado 14
Foothill 35, Las Vegas 28
Green Valley 54, Sierra Vista 21
Indian Springs 43, Round Mountain 22
Liberty 42, Desert Oasis 0
Legacy 28, Spring Valley 0
Moapa Valley 42, Clark 35
Palo Verde 38, Durango 18
Rancho 31, Cheyenne 14
Sandy Valley 48, Spring Mountain 22
Shadow Ridge 57, Mojave 14
Silverado 36, Canyon Springs 18
Sunrise Mountain 26, Valley 24 OT
Tonopah 50, Laughlin 8
Week 6 schedule
All games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted
*Denotes a league game for CCSD independent teams
Thursday
Mater East at Sloan Canyon
Friday
Desert Pines at Shadow Ridge*, 6 p.m.
Coronado at Desert Oasis*, 6 p.m.
Centennial at Mojave*, 6 p.m.
Legacy at Clark*, 6 p.m.
Las Vegas High at Rancho, 6 p.m.
Basic at Canyon Springs*, 6 p.m.
Silverado at Durango*, 6 p.m.
Chaparral at Del Sol*, 6 p.m.
Bonanza at Cimarron-Memorial*, 6 p.m.
Pahrump Valley at Valley, 6 p.m.
Laughlin at Beaver Dam, 6 p.m.
Bishop Gorman at Mater Dei (California)
Foothill at Liberty*
Lincoln (California) at Arbor View
SLAM! Nevada at Faith Lutheran
Spring Valley at Green Valley*
Palo Verde at Moapa Valley
Sierra Vista at Boulder City
Eldorado at Sunrise Mountain*
Western at Cheyenne*
The Meadows at White Pine
Spring Mountain at Round Mountain
Beatty at Sandy Valley
