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Basic offense explodes in win over Coronado

A week after being held to just seven points in the first half at Silverado, Basic’s offense blasted into hyperdrive from the onset Friday at Coronado.

The Wolves scored touchdowns on their first six positions, as quarterback Aaron McAllister was near-flawless in directing the Basic fast-break attack.

McAllister threw for 406 yards and six touchdowns as the Wolves built a 40-14 lead at halftime and coasted to a 47-28 victory.

McAllister, who also rushed for 41 yards, connected on 23 of 27 passes in the game and threw TD passes of 92, 7, 7, 11, 6 and 11 yards. He said the team felt it had something to prove after its slow start the week before.

“We know last week we got caught up a little bit in the atmosphere of homecoming,” McAllister said. “Knowing that, this week we had to prove a point. We had to come out with our explosive offense.”

It only took 49 seconds into the game for Basic to get on the board. On the Wolves second play of the game, McAllister tossed a screen to wideout Frank Harris at the Basic 8, and Harris rumbled down the sideline 92 yards to give his team a 7-0 lead.

“We noticed their DBs were playing so far off on our receivers. They weren’t adjusting to our trips (formation),” McAllister said. “So we knew right away to get it to Frank and he worked with it and we scored.”

Harris finished with five receptions for 190 yards, and DeShawn Eagles had 10 catches for 131 yards and 3 TDs for Basic (5-1, 2-0 Southeast League).

“Personally I think it’s all about chemistry and trust,” Eagles said of Basic’s offense. “Pretty much we all grew up together, so we all are pretty much on the same page, and we all trust one another. We know we have the ability to do it, we just have to go out there and make plays.”

McAllister said a big key to his success is his faith in his receivers.

“I have great confidence. I trust them and they have trust in me,” he said. “As long as I keep getting them the ball, they trust me more and more.”

No sequence demonstrated the confidence of Basic’s offensive squad more than the last minute of the first half.

After an interception, the Wolves’ offense took possession at their own 7-yard line with 51 seconds left in the second quarter. But instead of playing it safe, McAllister came out firing, completing a 15-yard pass.

Then on the next play, McAllister stepped up in the pocket and heaved a deep pass to Harris, who hauled it in at the 30 and struggled his way to the 6 for a 72-yard gain.

“When I stepped up in the pocket, I saw the safety bite and Frank beat him,” McAllister said. “So I just threw it up and he made a play.

Basic scored on the next play, as McAllister found Eagles with six seconds to spare in the half to bump the Wolves’ lead to 40-12.

Coronado (2-4, 0-2) tried to match Basic’s onslaught in the first quarter, thanks to an 82-yard kickoff return by Ryley Kimball and a 59-yard TD run by La’Avionce Richard.

Richard had 21 carries for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Cougars.

But Basic answered behind McAllister, who engineered a six-play, 73-yard drive, culminating with his 7-yard TD toss to Jordan Gallegos in the center of the end zone on the last play of the second quarter to push the lead to 27-14.

Basic outgained Coronado, 484-321.

Eagles said having Basic’s offense start rolling right before next week’s showdown with Green Valley couldn’t have been timed better.

“It’s amazing,” Eagles said. “Coming off of a win like this, and then turning around and going against Green Valley at home for the Henderson Bowl? The feeling is indescribable.”

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