Harrell’s scamper gives Desert Shields triple-overtime win

Cheyenne's Zavieh Harrell took a pitch to the left, cut back inside, and scampered 3 yards a touchdown in the third overtime to give the Desert Shields a 58-52 win over visiting Pahrump Valley on Friday.

Pahrump Valley (2-4, 1-1 I-A Sunset) had the ball first in the third overtime, but T.J. Milk’s pass on fourth down fell short of Deon Estes at the goal-line, giving the Desert Shields (2-4, 2-0) a chance.

Cheyenne found itself facing first-and-goal from the 20 to begin the drive, thanks to back-to-back illegal procedure penalties. Pahrump stopped Jordan Johnson for no gain on first down, but backup quarterback Darrion Hammond connected with Deonte Perkins on a screen pass for a 17-yard gain. On fourth-and-3, the Trojans thought they had Harrell contained, but he was was able to find a lane around his blockade for the winning score.

The teams traded touchdowns and two-point conversions in the first and second overtimes.

Pahrump had a shot to win the game with less than two minutes to go in regulation. Facing third down at their own 8, Milk found A.J. Segura wide open over the middle for a 69-yard catch and run down to the Desert Shields’ 26. Cheyenne, though, stood strong and kept the Trojans from advancing any further, ultimately sacking Milk on fourth down.

Perkins had 11 catches for 168 yarsds and a touchdown for the Desert Shields. Starting quarterback Anthony McConnico completed 15 of 18 passes for 216 yards and two TDs before leaving with an injury leat in the fourth quarter.

The Trojans held a 36-24 advantage at the half, due in large part to Scott Maughan, who rushed for 118 of his 127 yards in the first half. Maughan also had three touchdowns on the night, all in the first quarter.

Pahrump had 176 total yards in the first half, all on the ground, but was held to only 97 yards in the second half, 69 of which came on the Milk to Segura pass.