Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

high school football:

Basic pulls familiar playoff upset of No. 1 seed Canyon Springs

2014 High School Football

Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

From left, Basic High School football players Chris Flum, Dallon Ellett and Cristian Morales July 21, 2014.

Prep Sports Now

Welcome to the postseason

Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer transition into playoff mode and go over all of Friday's matchups.

This isn’t the first time Basic has been a No. 4 seed only to topple top-seeded Canyon Springs.

The Wolves were also the last team in from the Southeast League in 2011 before winning 42-21 at Canyon Springs. A week after Halloween, Friday’s playoff game — the 2014 version — had an eerily similar outcome.

Josh Villaros caught two touchdown passes and ran for another, and Basic held on for a 28-17 road victory over Canyon Springs to begin the Division I Sunrise Region playoffs.

“It’s a huge win for us,” Wolves coach Jeff Cahill said. “All year, we’ve been looking for a signature win.”

Basic found it against the Northeast champion, with much of the credit to junior quarterback Aeneas McAllister.

McAllister, who goes by the nickname “Tank,” also fired a touchdown strike to Chris Flum. D.J. Thomas II added a touchdown pass for the Wolves.

Villaros caught one touchdown pass from each quarterback.

“He’s been great all year for us,” Cahill said of Villaros. “Tonight, he really showed up big. He was all over the field for us, made big play after big play.”

Basic (5-5) advanced to play at Las Vegas (6-4) in a Sunrise Region semifinal next week.

“It was just an overall team effort, offense, defense, even the kids on the sideline picking us up,” Cahill said. “It’s great to see our team come together like that.”

Canyon Springs (6-4) scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, when Zaviontay Stevenson ran for a score and backup quarterback Tre’Von Dean hit C.J. Jones Jr. with a touchdown pass.

“They were the better team tonight,” Pioneers coach Hunkie Cooper said of Basic. “Coach Cahill had his team ready to play.”

Dean was forced into action after an injury to reigning Sun Player of the Week Bradley Alexander II.

Cooper, however, said Canyon Springs makes no excuses.

“(Basic) made plays, came out with the energy level,” he said. “We were the opposite, came out flat. Basic made plays and capitalized. They extended plays on third down.”

Cooper said he is optimistic about young talent the Pioneers have returning, but his parting thought for a decorated senior class was a lot bigger than football.

“I’m just grateful, I know every one of my seniors is on track to graduate, and that’s the main thing,” Cooper said. “Wins and losses don’t define you; it’s the things you do after football.”

Tristan Aird can be reached at 702-259-8829 or [email protected]. Follow Tristan on Twitter at twitter.com/tristanaird.

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