11/3/23 Trojans v Rattlers

Paradise Valley High School Humiliates

 North Canyon High School in Rivalry Game

By Hayden Nguyen, Shubham Kale, Nooa Riecks, and Kai Angelchik

TNN Sports Reporters

In a high-stakes shootout against their long-time rivals, Paradise Valley High School squared off against North Canyon (NC) High School. In enemy territory, the Trojans triumphed with a final score of 50-34, capping off the football season with a victory. 

In the beginning, NC took the lead using consistent running plays to gain yardage down field. The Rattlers then pulled off a big pass play, covering 30 yards and then running it in for a touchdown. The successful 2-point conversion run put NC ahead 8-0.

Paradise Valley quickly responded with a series of short curls and runs, employing an effective  offensive strategy. Their methodical approach eventually got them to the opponent's 45-yard line. A 25-yard pass to Peter Milosavljvich (#80 2024) set the stage for a remarkable run by Charlie Levinus (#6 2025), whose plays set up the PV offense for success. A 10-yard passing touchdown to Elantae Fleming (#1 2025), followed by a successful 2-point conversion to Peter Milosavljvich, leveling the score at 8-8.

Paradise Valley’s defense then came alive with a tackle for loss and a fantastic one-on-one play by Peter Milosavljvich, who intercepted a pass, leading to a powerful drive propelled by their run game. The first quarter ended with a score of 8-8.

The second quarter brought more fireworks, building up to Elantae Fleming executing a jet sweep from 10 yards away, scoring a touchdown and PV converted the subsequent 2-point attempt, taking the lead, 16-8. A short series of small runs by NC eventually resulted in a turnover on downs, and PV received the ball back.

The offensive line allowed for an effective run offense as Fleming quickly gained 10 yards, allowing the running game to follow for 15 yards, and let the drive culminate in a 12-yard touchdown run by Jayden James (#22 2025). Once the extra point was made, PV extended their lead to 23-8.

NC responded with a 50-yard passing touchdown. Even with a failed 2-point conversion NC was closing the gap with a score of 23-14.

PV had a relatively quiet drive, resulting in no points and a punt. However, a remarkable 45-yard pass by NC set the stage for a 20-yard passing touchdown cutting the lead even more. Despite another failed 2-point attempt, NC was narrowing the gap to 23-20.

The first half came to an end with an exhilarating play – a hook and ladder (pitch play) that was caught by Milosavljvich and finished by Fleming, covering a remarkable 35 yards. Thanks to penalties, the PV offense was allowed one more attempt to score from 35 yards out and Milosavljvich was able to find his way into the endzone. The fake extra point, 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but PVHS entered halftime with a 29-20 lead.

Coming out of halftime, PV launched a drive of short runs until Kaleb Simmons (#4 2024) converted a significant 25 yard run which set up a possible score for the Trojans. Kaleb then rushed for an 8-yard touchdown, extending PV’s lead to 36-20 with the successful extra point. 

NC fought valiantly with a methodical run game, but they suffered a turnover on downs after a sack by Ethan Breeland (#75 2024) and Bowen Meyer (#52 2026). PV quickly capitalized on the opportunity, executing an out route by Fleming, breaking tackles, and juking defenders on his way to a spectacular 35-yard touchdown. The extra point was again made, widening the gap to 43-20.

Momentum shifted once again when a fumble forced by the Trojan’s defense resulted in NC losing possession. PV had big runs back-to-back by Kaleb, but a failed jet sweep led to an 80-yard return for NC putting them in a scoring position. They then scored a rushing touchdown, cutting the lead to 43-26. NC attempted a 2-point conversion but it was quickly denied. 

The game continued with methodical drives, and a 25 yard touchdown by Keegan Burns led PV to take a commanding 50-26 lead. 

NC managed to make the game more thrilling with a kickoff touchdown return after a short kick (caught at the 27), however at this point the game was out of reach.

In the final moments PV recovered an onside kick, allowing them to wind down the clock with runs and jet sweeps. NC made two last pushes downfield, but the game concluded with clutch interceptions by Connor Allard (#26 2024) and Ethan Breeland. 

Overall this was a hard season for Paradise Valley, however the Trojans ended the season with a strong defeat against rival team North Canyon and secured a commendable 2nd place in the 5A Central Valley Division (4-1).