Silverado looks to cap undefeated season with 4A football title

When Silverado defeated Shadow Ridge successful the 2nd week of the shot season, it served announcement to the remainder of Class 4A that the Skyhawks were the squad to beat.

It wasn’t conscionable the decisive 50-29 people that made Silverado the wide favorite. It was that the Skyhawks, known for being a powerfulness moving team, passed their mode to victory.

Even Shadow Ridge manager Travis Foster acknowledged that Silverado amazed him by fundamentally abandoning the run.

“My doctrine is simply a batch similar Coach Foster’s,” Silverado manager Andy Ostolaza said. “We’re on the aforesaid lines astir moving the shot and being truly carnal up beforehand connected some sides of the ball. But we had a batch of things spell our mode successful that game, and I deliberation our kids recognize that.”

The teams are preparing for a rematch — with the stakes overmuch higher. They volition conscionable for the authorities title astatine 3:40 p.m. Thursday astatine Allegiant Stadium.

The Desert League champion Skyhawks (11-0) person outscored their opponents 567-101 successful their undefeated tally to the rubric game, and the 29 points Shadow Ridge scored were the astir they person allowed successful immoderate game.

The lone crippled Silverado played that was person was a 32-14 triumph implicit Coronado successful the regular season, and the Skyhawks dominated the Cougars 42-7 past week successful the authorities semifinals.

“This play has been a blast,” said Silverado inferior Donavyn Pellot, who is 2nd connected the squad successful rushing and receiving yards and has 15 touchdowns. “We enactment successful a batch of hard enactment successful the summertime coming in, lifting, getting successful information and meshing arsenic a team. We person large chemistry, and we each judge successful each other.”

Shadow Ridge finished 2nd successful the Sky League earlier eliminating Durango 38-7 and Las Vegas 65-37 to scope the title game.

The Mustangs (9-2) person utilized their double-wing onslaught to large effect, led by Jaquieze Holland’s 1,714 yards and 22 touchdowns rushing.

“How accelerated helium hits the spread and the punishing moving benignant helium has astatine the 2nd level person been remarkable,” Foster said. “He’s decidedly taken america to a full different level with his physicality, his enactment ethic, his attitude. It embodies each of america astatine this point.”

Shadow Ridge has made it nary concealed that it hopes to play keep-away from the Skyhawks by moving the shot and controlling the clock.

In the regular-season meeting, the Mustangs turned the shot implicit doubly connected 4th down, fumbled connected their 2nd possession and threw a pick-six, which turned into 28 Silverado points, and “we mislaid by 21,” Foster said.

But determination were issues connected some sides of the ball.

“We didn’t bash our jobs. We weren’t arsenic physical,” Shadow Ridge linebacker Royasen Mokiao-Fa’agai said. “That was unsmooth for us, but we’ve travel truly far. We person our unit down and each of our enactment schemes, and I deliberation we’ll beryllium fine.”

Contact Jason Orts astatine jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts connected Twitter.