Silverado pulls away to beat Coronado, reach 4A title game — PHOTOS

Silverado backmost Brandon Tunnell carried the shot conscionable 5 times Friday night, but helium made the astir of those opportunities.

Though Tunnell’s rushes totaled 4 yards, 3 of them were for touchdowns arsenic the Skyhawks dominated the 2nd fractional for a 42-7 location triumph implicit Coronado successful the Class 4A authorities semifinals.

The triumph gave Silverado (11-0) its archetypal look astatine a authorities championship, arsenic it volition play Shadow Ridge for the rubric successful Thursday’s title crippled astatine Allegiant Stadium.

“It’s decidedly 1 of the astir hilarious stats anyone’s ever going to see,” Tunnell said of his trio of TDs. “I deliberation they’re conscionable gladsome to person maine arsenic different moving backmost retired there.”

Though Donavyn Pellot gave Silverado a 7-0 pb connected a 41-yard TD reception from Tunnell midway done the archetypal quarter, Coronado tied it with 6:54 near successful the 2nd 4th connected a 4-yard walk from Joshua Andrade to Brady Kennedy.

Neither squad appeared to person an vantage until Demetrius Jones returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown with 1:05 near successful the 2nd quarter, giving the Skyhawks a 13-7 halftime lead.

“I deliberation that was our 11th oregon 12th antiaircraft touchdown of the season,” said Silverado manager Andy Ostolaza. “That decidedly gave america a ton of momentum.”

In fact, Coronado (7-3) was ne'er the same.

Silverado erupted for 22 points successful the 3rd quarter, scoring 3 times connected 1-yard keepers by Tunnell to instrumentality a 35-7 pb into the fourth.

The Cougars had nary reply against a stingy Skyhawks defense.

“Everybody talks astir our discourtesy due to the fact that of the points we’ve enactment up,” Ostolaza said. “But we deliberation we’ve got 1 of the champion defenses. They conscionable get overlooked due to the fact that of the scores.”

Tunnell said immoderate adjustments besides played a relation successful Silverado’s awesome 2nd half.

“At halftime we corrected a batch of tense mistakes,” helium said. “We were decidedly capable to exploit their weaknesses.”

A 10-yard TD walk from Tunnell to Jaden Thrower with 8:31 remaining enactment the crippled away.

“The kids cognize the the erstwhile champion grounds successful schoolhouse past was 10-1 backmost successful 2007,” Ostolaza said. “And we’ve ne'er been to state, truthful this is simply a large happening for the schoolhouse and the system. It’s taken immoderate years, but we’re present now.”

Tunnell added 96 yards connected 6-of-12 passing to assistance the Skyhawks, and teammate Caden Harris rushed 11 times for 106 yards.

Chris Avila led the Cougars with 10 carries for 114 yards.