High school football rewind: Silverado is No. 1 in Class 4A

The expected smashmouth battle to decide the early favorite in Class 4A never truly materialized Friday.

That’s because Silverado coach Andy Ostolaza had a different plan of attack against Shadow Ridge. He wanted his Skyhawks to throw the ball — and throw it they did.

Brandon Tunnell, a junior who started two years ago as a freshman, was 12-for-22 passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns in Silverado’s 50-29 win.

Jaden Thrower caught all three of Tunnell’s touchdown passes and finished with 190 yards on seven receptions.

“Now people are going to know that Silverado can throw the ball,” Ostolaza said after the game.

There’s no doubt about that. It’s only Week 2, but that final score — especially how it happened — is a clear message to the rest of 4A. Shadow Ridge came in ranked No. 1 in 4A by the Review-Journal, with Silverado right behind at No. 2.

There’s no doubt after Friday which team is better, at least right now. If the Skyhawks can throw it like they did Friday in addition to their traditional bruising running game, it’s hard to imagine anyone in 4A keeping up with them.

A lot can change over the course of the season, and Shadow Ridge can take some positives out of the game. The Mustangs rushed for 231 yards and seemed to wear down the Silverado defense in the second half.

But for now, there’s a new No. 1 in 4A — and it’s not that close.

Off to a flying start

The newest rivalry in town, the Air Space Showdown between Mojave and Sunrise Mountain, was a rousing success in its inaugural game.

Zaquon Henderson ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, and Mojave stopped Sunrise Mountain on a play from the 10-yard line with three seconds left to secure its 21-14 win. Just how a rivalry game should be.

Speaking of Henderson, remember his name. The junior is off to a blazing start with 442 yards and four touchdowns on 53 carries, and a Mojave team that didn’t win a game on the field in 2019 is 2-0 under first-year coach Wes Pacheco.

Game of the night

There were a few candidates, but let’s go to Durango. The Trailblazers allowed 41 points in a season-opening loss to Silverado last week, and things didn’t look any better when Centennial put up 28 in the first quarter.

The Durango defense made a 180-degree turn after that point, however, and didn’t allow a single point the rest of the way.

The Trailblazers also received help from their special teams., Andre Washington returned a blocked punt 40 yards for a touchdown, and Cole Marquez’s 10-yard TD run in the third quarter proved to be the difference in a 32-28 win.

Best of the rest

Legacy coach Zach Monticelli likely never dreamed his first win would come the way it did. The Longhorns trailed 7-0 against Las Vegas most of the night. But Raekwon Weatherspoon’s 74-yard touchdown on a punt return and Damarion Holloway’s ensuing two-point run in the fourth quarter were enough to give Legacy the 8-7 win.

Virgin Valley has yet to allow a point through two games. The Bulldogs beat Del Sol 46-0 in the opener and Eldorado 47-0 on Friday.

First look ahead

Bishop Gorman makes the cross-country trip to Florida to meet Miami Central on Saturday. The Gaels’ game this week against Bishop Manogue was canceled.

Faith Lutheran will host a Class 5A power from Northern Nevada in Damonte Ranch. Both suffered setbacks in their openers Friday, with Faith Lutheran dropping a 23-3 decision to Arbor View and Damonte Ranch losing to Clovis West from Fresno, California, 28-6.

The Class 3A race should begin to short itself out, with Moapa Valley hosting Boulder City. Both teams are 2-0 and have outscored their opponents by a combined 181-24.

Liberty travels to face Class 5A foe Foothill, which had its opener canceled Friday. Coronado, at Cimaron-Memorial, and Basic, hosting Bonanza, also hope to get on the field after having their Friday openers called off.

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.