72°F
weather icon Windy

Gators dominate Skyhawks in celebration of coach’s birthday

Green Valley wanted to give its head football coach Brian Castro a birthday to remember.

The Gators didn’t disappoint Friday as they exploded for 14 first-quarter points and never looked back in their 43-6 blowout win over host Silverado.

“We like to win anytime we can get it done, but when it’s on your birthday, it’s a little more special,” Castro said after his team serenaded him with a rousing post-game rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

The Gators (3-1) rushing attack led the way for Castro’s birthday celebration. Senior running back Brenan Adams ran for two touchdowns and 210 yards on 23 carries, and Albert Lake added two touchdowns and 132 yards on 15 carries. Lake also intercepted a pass in the red zone and recovered a fumble.

“Albert usually starts for us, but it just depends on who’s going well at the time,” Castro said. “Brenan had a great night. He’s a bigger guy and is able to square his shoulders up and get some tough yards.”

Adams said he was just doing what needed to be done to get a victory.

“After we lost to Palo (Verde), I just felt like I had to really step my game up,” he said. “We knew we had to play better to win and that’s what was driving me.”

Adams wasn’t the only change in the starting lineup as quarterback Christian Lopez sat out the first half of action. Junior Xavier Jarvis led the high-paced Gators’ offense on three scoring drives. He completed his first seven passes, finishing the night 11 of 14 for 133 yards.

“We just wanted to get Xavier some reps,” Castro said. “He stepped in and did a great job and this is great game experience for him. I couldn’t be more proud of him.

“We do like to play fast. Xavier came in and he’s done that a lot. He has grown up in our youth program and was able to play some his freshman and sophomore years. He knows the system and what we want to accomplish. I have a lot of confidence anytime someone goes into the game with that much experience.”

The Skyhawks (2-1) running game came out clicking as quarterback Jarrett Alipio and running back Deyon McKinney ran through the Gators’ defense on their opening drive, going 58 yards on seven plays. However, the defense stiffened, forcing the Skyhawks to attempt a 25-yard field goal that was blocked by Jacob Houck.

After that drive, the Gators offense took over as Adams capped a 16-play, 80-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal. Three plays after Lake’s interception, Adams gave the Gators a 14-0 lead on a 30-yard touchdown run.

“We talked to our guys about jumping out early and moving the football,” Castro said. “If we can do that consistently, we have a great chance of scoring and our kids are starting to believe in that.”

The Gators pushed their lead to 20-0 late in the second quarter when Lake scored on a 3-yard run. Lake also had a 26-yard TD run on the Gators’ first possession of the second half.

The Skyhawks finally responded when Robert Richardson caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Alipio.

The Skyhawks defense could not contain the Gators offense all night, as Lopez scored on runs of 15 and one yard in the third quarter. Frank Canales booted a 24-yard field goal for the Gators to round out the scoring.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST