Palo Verde, third on our Nevada board, and Basic of Henderson meet Friday night. Palo Verde is 6-0. Basic is 5-1 and has won five straight since losing its opener.
Both teams play independent schedules this season. They are among the roughly 30 Clark County School District programs with independent status within the NIAA.
By the numbers
| Basic | Palo Verde | |
|---|---|---|
| SPIN Nevada Top 10 | not ranked | 3 |
| Record | 5-1 | 6-0 |
| Head coach | Jeff Cahill | Dru Smith, first season |
Palo Verde
Palo Verde went 3-7 last season. Dru Smith, who previously coached at Bishop Gorman, took over this year, and the Panthers have not lost.
Its best result by our board is a 28-26 win over Legacy of North Las Vegas, eighth on our Nevada board, on August 21. It has also beaten Desert Pines 34-18, Desert Oasis 42-18, Durango, Moapa Valley and Silverado. It beat Silverado 22-6 last week.
Basic
Basic lost its opener and has won every game since. It beat Green Valley 21-12 on September 4 to take back the Henderson Bowl trophy, beat Virgin Valley 38-28 in Mesquite, and shut out Canyon Springs 47-0. It beat Durango last week.
Head coach Jeff Cahill's son, senior Louden Cahill, plays receiver for him.
The series
Palo Verde won the 2024 meeting 15-10.
Players to watch
Palo Verde
- Cooper Roberts, QB, sophomore.
- X'Zavier McZeal, WR, junior.
- Rio Pascal, RB, junior.
Basic
- Andrew Rodriguez, QB.
- Louden Cahill, WR, senior.
- Dominic Fredrickson, RB.
What Friday does
Palo Verde and Churchill County are the only unbeaten teams on our Nevada board. A Palo Verde win over a 5-1 team keeps it that way. A Basic win gives it the best result of its season and a win over the team third on our Nevada board.
