Basic ekes out close win at home

By Steve Silver (contact)

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008 | 1:45 a.m.

The Valley Vikings will never forget the name Anthany Lessier – especially Valley quarterback Kerwyn Williams.

Williams, who leads the Las Vegas area in rushing yards and touchdowns, had everything going his way in the first half of the Vikings’ Sunrise Regional quarterfinal clash with Basic Friday night.

The all-star quarterback had not only racked up close to 200 yards of total offense, but his two trips to the end zone had Valley up by one touchdown late in the second quarter.

The Vikings were poised to extend their lead when Lessier decided to steal the spotlight from Williams and propel the Wolves to a 34-21 victory.

With two minutes remaining in the first half, Lessier intercepted Williams and raced 70 yards down the sideline for the game-tying touchdown.

That interception not only knotted the score 21-21, but it shifted the momentum back to the Wolves.

“I didn’t want to go home and I didn’t want this to be my last game in high school,” Lessier said. “So I just kept telling myself I have to make a play, I have to do something … next thing I know, I have the ball and I’m just running. All I can think is ‘take it to the house, take it to the house.’”

But Lessier wasn’t finished.

At the start of the fourth quarter, with the scored still tied 21-21, Lessier picked off another one of Williams’ passes and returned it to the Valley 25-yard line. Four plays later Basic took a 28-21 lead on a 1-yard Martell Walker touchdown.

“That was huge. At that point we needed a big play and he came through with it to make it a whole new ballgame,” Basic coach Jeff Cahill said.

Less than seven minutes later Lessier punctuated his stellar night with a 19-yard touchdown scramble, which sealed the victory to send Basic to the Sunrise Regional semifinals against Del Sol Friday night.

“We are not done yet,” said Lessier, who finished with six rushes for 60 yards and two catches for 21 yards. “We have a lot to prove. This is not the same old Basic, this is Generation Next and that’s what we want everyone to know.”

After falling behind 21-7 early in the second quarter, the Wolves were in danger of resembling the bad-news Basic teams of the past.

By shifting its defensive scheme at halftime, though, Basic shut down Williams in the second half.

Unable to score in the final two quarters, Williams finished with 174 rushing yards on 15 carries, but he completed just five of 14 passes for 95 yards. His two passing touchdowns were offset by three interceptions.

“I know I made some mistakes out there, but I’m still proud of what we accomplished this season,” Williams said. “I got to play with a good team with a lot of players who worked really hard. What more could you ask for?”

Williams’ counterpart, Basic quarterback Robby Faiman, struggled in the passing game, going 10-for-24 with 156 yards and one touchdown. But Fiaman did pick up 120 yards on 11 carries.

Faiman will have to increase his point production in the next round against a potent Del Sol offense.

The Dragons average more than 33 points and 315 rushing yards per game. In their last meeting, Del Sol edged Basic 28-27 on Oct. 24.

“We know what we have to do,” Cahill said. “We have to stop their run, which is easier said than done. But if we do that, we win.”

Steve Silver can be reached at 948-7822 or steve.silver@lasvegassun.com.