Basic eyeing playoffs after win over Skyhawks

Richard Brian

Basic wide receiver Justin Burdno (12) runs the ball during Friday’s home game against Silverado.

By Sean Ammerman (contact)

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 | 12:45 a.m.

Basic coach Jeff Cahill saw his team’s matchup with Silverado on Friday as an opportunity for it to regain some respect after years of mediocre football.

With a 21-11 victory against the Skyhawks, the Southeast Division champions from a season ago, the Wolves also proved they could be a playoff contender.

“We have been talking about this since I got the job in January,” Cahill said. “We told our players that you don’t get respect, you earn respect. This was a win that maybe earned us a little respect.”

While Basic gained respect, the Silverado players wondered how they lost their first two league games after going undefeated in the regular season last year.

“They just wanted it more,” Silverado running back Terran Madu-Jules said from the sidelines before shaking hands with the victors.

After outscoring opponents 98-19 in their first three weeks, the Skyhawks have just one touchdown in two weeks.

Basic held Silverado to 127 yards on the ground while forcing a fumble and two interceptions.

Michael Wadsworth led the Skyhawks with 47 yards on 10 carries.

“We’re just not executing on offense,” Silverado coach Andy Ostolaza said. “We’re going to have to do something or else this season is going to slip by the wayside.”

The game began as a defensive battle as both teams remained scoreless through the first quarter and a half.

Kicker Brandon Romano gave the Skyhawks an early advantage with a 26-yard field goal with 4 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the first half.

Basic responded on its next possession as running back Charles Phillips, who led all rushers with 93 yards on 11 carries, took a 76-yard run to the Silverado 1-yard-line.

Anthony Ireland ran it in for the score on the next play to put Basic up 7-3 at the half.

“We couldn’t move the ball because they have such a good defense over there,” Cahill said. “When Charles busted that run, he got everyone up, and once we were ahead, we could play a totally different ball game.”

On the Skyhawks’ first possession in the second half, quarterback Kyle Simmons threw an interception that was returned 26 yards for a touchdown by Basic’s Anthany Lessier.

Basic recovered a fumble on the first play of the third quarter and followed it with a 16-play drive that ate up nearly nine minutes of the clock.

The drive was kept alive by a personal foul against Silverado after Basic failed to convert on fourth down.

“We were just gassed on defense,” Ostolaza said “We spend too much time on defense, and we don’t control the ball enough.”

Basic quarterback Robby Faiman ended the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Faiman made up for a poor day throwing the ball -- he had two completions for 18 yards -- by running for 59 yards and a touchdown.

“Our offensive line did a great job not blocking with the keeper but the running back, so really it was them that opened up those running plays,” Faiman said. “We’re feeling really confident after beating a team we lost to last year. We just need to stay focused and keep winning.”

Silverado tried a more pass-oriented offense to gain some momentum in the second half, but its only success was a 26-yard touchdown reception by Trenten Tipton with 1:31 remaining.

Silverado will go for its first league win Friday against Coronado, while Basic looks for three wins in a row against Liberty the same night.

Sean Ammerman can be reached at 990-2661 or sean.ammerman@hbcpub.com.