Basic’s dynamic offense should again be productive in 2013

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 | 2 a.m.

The Basic football team typically produces one of the highest-scoring offenses in Southern Nevada.

For the past two seasons, they’ve had a first-team all-state wide receiver, and they've averaged about 30 points per game.

This fall, they’ll again have an explosive player leading the charge.

Senior Antraye Johnson (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) is a threat to score each time he touches the ball, using his elite speed to rush for 921 yards and 13 touchdowns, and catch 30 passes for 582 yards and five more touchdowns. He also returns kicks.

Johnson, a preseason all-city selection for the second straight season, will move to quarterback to give the Wolves another dimension to the spread attack.

“He can do everything. He can throw it a mile; he can run,” Basic coach Jeff Cahill said. “Anywhere we put him he’ll be effective. ... We’ve always ran our quarterbacks so the offense will look very similar. We’ll still have some packages (from Johnson) at running back.”

Aside from Johnson, the Basic offense will be a work in progress with inexperienced players in critical spots.

Basic will have two first-time starters at wide receiver, losing its top player from 2012 in all-state receiver Devonte Boyd. However, newcomer Aaron Bashaw (5-foot-9, 185 pounds) has shown potential and should get plenty of balls thrown in his direction.

The Wolves will have size on the offensive line, but none of the starters were regulars last year. The group is led by Steven Lalli, who will also play on the defensive line.

“We have the potential to be good. A lot of potential,” Cahill said. “The talent is there, we are just very inexperienced.”

Jon Scoffield (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) at running back and linebacker will bring stability on both sides of the ball, linebacker Chandler Kamai (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) was an all-Southeast League selection last year, and safety Pale Laulu and defensive back Dekota Gonzales will lead the secondary.

“We are looking good this year. We are working hard to get better,” Laulu said. “Just hard work and lots of conditioning, that’s what we’ve been doing.”

Basic, which took third in the Southeast League last season, will be tested immediately when it travels to defending Northeast champion Green Valley Saturday for the annual Henderson Bowl rivalry game. The series is one of Nevada’s most significant rivalry games, dating back to 1991 when Green Valley opened in Henderson to become the city’s second high school.

It’s one of the lone rivalry games that hasn’t lost its luster over the years. But with the teams in different leagues, the game will be Basic’s season opener — a first in a series of much history and tradition.

“I don’t like it,” Cahill said. “A game like this should be played like it was last year — in the middle of the year when both teams have games under their belts.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.