Prep football recap: Palo Verde moves to 4-0; Rancho snaps winless drought

Palo Verde improved to 4‑0 with a 38‑18 victory over Durango on Thursday night, opening Division II East League play, while Rancho snapped a year‑long winless streak by defeating Cheyenne 31‑14 to end a 10‑game losing skid. Palo Verde, ranked No. 8 in the Review‑Journal’s Southern Nevada prep rankings, earned its first league win of the season. Coach Dru Smith said, “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, truthful we got to continue to get better.” Quarterback Cooper Roberts completed 16 of 20 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and wide receiver X’Zavier McZeal added four catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Smith praised the defense, noting, “Defense did outstanding, fundamentally helped shut them down 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 well. … The defense was able to respond. They’ve been instrumental.” The Panthers forced three fumbles and recorded a blocked punt against Durango, which entered the game 1‑3 overall and 0‑1 in league play. Looking ahead, Palo Verde (4‑0, 1‑0 Division II East) will take a brief break from league action before traveling to Moapa Valley for a 7 p.m. Friday contest. Smith added, “When all the national 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 damn good football team.” He also noted that Basic (3‑1, 0‑0) and Silverado (2‑2, 1‑0) will challenge the Panthers in the coming weeks as they vie for one of the top two spots in the East League and a chance at the Superintendents Cup. Rancho’s celebration marked its first win since August 22, 2025. Coach Michael Lugo remarked, “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 departure earlier I was told I had to step in as the head coach.” He continued, “But it was good 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 past 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), while Carlos Loza contributed a touchdown run, a touchdown reception and an interception on defense. Lugo added, “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 great atmosphere to bring back a win for not just the team for the school.” Looking forward, he said, “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 feeling that I’m trying to get back into the school,” Lugo said. Rancho began the season with a 40‑21 loss to Valley, a game in which Lugo cited injuries that also contributed to a 26‑2 defeat at Sunrise Mountain. The Rams aim to capture the Bone game for the first time since 1995; a forfeited win in