Accident-prone Johnson sends Wolves past Skyhawks

Accidents are usually bad in football.

Basic’s Antraye Johnson might beg to differ.

The sophomore running back had a pair of “accidents” on Friday at Silverado that became a pair of game-changing, second-half scores for the Wolves.

Johnson had a touchdown reception, and a TD on a punt return — both plays that did not go as planned — that sparked Basic to a 20-10 victory over Silverado.

Johnson hauled in a 39-yard reception from quarterback Eddie Vega down the middle of the field with 6:17 left in the third quarter to put Basic (3-2, 2-1 Southeast League) ahead 13-2 on a bit of improvisation.

“The safety went off with the wide receiver, so I just cut it up the middle,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t supposed to, but I did anyways.”

Silverado (1-4, 0-3) answered with Deandre Gause’s 80-yard TD run and two-point conversion run on the first play of the next drive to trim the lead to 13-10.

But Johnson put the game away with 5:35 left in the fourth quarter, as he zigzagged 69 yards on a punt return for a touchdown — after initially going the wrong way.

“It was return right as a matter of fact. I was supposed to go right,” Johnson said. “I was just trying to do what I could. God gave me a good play.”

Izaiah Thurmon had 21 carries for 138 yards to lead Silverado, and Gause added 101 yards on 10 carries as the Skyhawks outgained Basic 260-222.

But Silverado’s accidents didn’t work out as well as they did for Johnson.

The Skyhawks had five key miscues — an interception, two fumbles, a bad snap on a punt and a muff while receiving a punt.

“Defensively they were driving the ball, but we just weren’t breaking,” Basic coach Jeff Cahill said. “It was tough. They have some good backs and a big offensive line, and they are physical. But our defense did a great job once they really got down to the red zone. They really stiffened up and stopped them.”

Vega completed 14 of 24 passes for 169 yards for Basic, and DeVonte Boyd made nine catches for 97 yards.

The Wolves also had a few accidents that weren’t as fortuitous. A bad snap on a punt went out of the end zone in the first quarter, giving Silverado a safety and a 2-0 lead.

Basic also missed a field goal at the end of the first half, and fumbled in the second half.

“It just came down to big plays, and we made a few more then they did,” Cahill said.