Green Valley shuts out Silverado on road

Green Valley football coach Brian Castro expected to get a win on Friday, but he didn’t expect it to be a rout.

But the fourth-ranked Gators scored on their first offensive play and dominated both halves en route to a 49-0 road victory over Silverado.

A.J. Barilla completed 15 of 23 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns to lead Green Valley (5-1, 1-1 Class 4A Southest League).

“The game plan was to try to come in and be consistent on offense and play good defense,” Castro said. “I felt really good about things after the first play, but I didn’t know it was going to be this easy.”

The Gators defense set up the first score, forcing a Skyhawks fumble on the game’s second play. They needed just one play to find the end zone, scoring on an 18-yard pass from Barilla to Braxton Harms to go ahead 7-0.

Barilla connected with J-Vonni Sanchez for an 11-yard TD late in the quarter, and with Noah Hawthorne for a 4-yard TD midway through the second quarter to make it 20-0.

“If I had to use one word to describe it, I’d say he was efficient tonight,” Castro said of Barilla. “I thought he made some snap decisions, and it helps when you’re consistent.”

Silverado (2-4, 0-2), which struggled to move the ball offensively, trailed 27-0 at halftime after Green Valley’s Israel Robinson scored on an 18-yard intereption return late in the second quarter.

The Gators defense, meanwhile, held the Skyhawks to 104 total yards while forcing four turnovers. Silverado did not complete a pass in the second half.

“The defense played well tonight,” Castro said. “They made some big tackles and forced some turnovers.”

Things got out of hand when Green Valley opened the second half with a 90-yard, 16-play drive that ended with a 1-yard TD run by Julian Hulse to make it 34-0.

Desmond Bowers capped the Gators’ scoring with a pair of short TD runs in the fourth quarter

Bowers rushed six times for 118 yards, and Hulse compiled 77 yards on 15 carries. Teammate Charles Milana had five receptions for 80 yards.

Joshua Lathers carried eight times for 40 yards to lead Silverado.