The Paradise Valley Trojans improved their record to 4-1 Friday night with a dominating 38-6 win over the North Canyon Rattlers.

Quarterback Ben Finley led the way for the Trojans with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Running backs Kevin Lutz and Tristin Lee also provided the Trojans' offense with some spark, as they each found the end zone once.

“We’ll do anything to beat them. We don’t lose to North Canyon, that’s just our mentality,” said Finley after the game.

The Rattlers looked to fuel an upset early when cornerback Caleb Wilkins picked off a pass on the second play of the game and returned it for a touchdown. But it was all Trojans from that point on.

Paradise Valley exploded for 31 unanswered points before halftime, their stingy defense making plays. The Trojans defense forced three interceptions and a fumble.

Senior cornerback Kelton Metzner put on a show in coverage, coming up with two of the Paradise Valley interceptions. Junior Andrew Hunkin also had an interception returned for a touchdown.

“No game is bigger than other games, but it is always nice to beat a rival,” said Trojans head coach Greg Davis. “I felt like we had more stamina, so we were able to grind it out in the second half.”

Following the loss for North Canyon, its record drops to 2-4 on the season. Blowout losses can be tough on teams, especially when there is a surplus of injuries.

“It’s hard to bounce back after a loss like tonight when you have a lot of people injured and a limited roster,” said defensive line coach Tim Wikoff.

Although the season hasn’t been ideal for the Rattlers, there is still plenty of hope around the team when it comes to making the playoffs.

“The goal is to always make it to the playoffs, we really just need to take it one week at a time,” said Wikoff.

As for Paradise Valley, a strong start to the 2018 season makes it a bit of an easier road to the playoffs after a three-year drought.

“Three years ago, we were a playoff team and that’s just all we’re trying to get back to. It’s one of our main goals,” said Finley.

The Trojans have five games left in their regular season, all against teams in their section, so the intensity will be amplified in the weeks leading up to the end of the season. Facing the bulk of the Northeast Valley section will be a tough task, but Davis and the Trojans just want to focus on the present.

“These guys get excited, so we’re probably going to celebrate for tonight and then get back to work in the morning. When guys work as hard as ours do, it’s good to see them reaping the rewards,” said Davis.

The Trojans will be at home against Desert Mountain on September 28th at 7:00 P.M.