Louden Cahill helps Basic hand Palo Verde 1st loss of season

By Lucas Gordon Special to the Review-Journal October 2, 2026 - 10:10 pm Basic secured a 37-34 victory over Palo Verde, handing the Panthers their first loss of the season in a Division II East showdown that had playoff implications. The Wolves improved to 6-1, matching Palo Verde’s record atop the standings with one week left in the regular season. Louden Cahill was instrumental across all three phases. Offensively, he hauled in 16 receptions for 266 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, he added an interception and a pass deflection while covering Palo Verde’s top receivers. On special teams, Cahill was perfect on extra-point attempts (4-for-4) and nailed a 21-yard field goal in the second half, his only kicking effort of the night. Palo Verde struggled to contain Cahill early. On Basic’s opening offensive snap, Andrew Rodriguez recovered a Cahill fumble and raced 58 yards for a touchdown, capping a two-yard score by senior Lynn Saltmarch to put Basic ahead. Later in the first half, faced with a third-and-30 from midfield, Rodriguez again recovered a Cahill fumble and returned it for a touchdown, extending the Wolves’ lead to 21-14. On the ensuing possession, Rodriguez and Cahill connected on a 33-yard touchdown pass with 30 seconds left before intermission, giving Basic a 28-21 advantage at the break. Cahill’s first-half production was staggering: 10 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns. Palo Verde’s offense kept pace. Quarterback Cooper Roberts linked with freshman X’Zavier McZeal for a 73-yard touchdown strike to tie the game at seven, then later found Zion Rich on a 57-yard touchdown pass to level the score at 21. After halftime, Basic stretched its lead to ten points when Cahill converted a 21-yard field goal, making it 31-21. The Panthers answered immediately as senior Beau Gardineer broke off a 52-yard touchdown run on their first play of the second half, trimming the deficit to 31-28. Palo Verde’s rally continued into the fourth quarter. Roberts connected with Joshua McLeod on a broken play that produced a 79-yard touchdown, putting the Panthers ahead 34-31. Roberts finished the contest with 288 passing yards and three touchdowns. With fewer than five minutes remaining, Cahill left the game due to injury. Basic drove to the Palo Verde 30-yard line, where it appeared the Panthers might force a stop. Despite missing his primary target, Rodriguez made a play on third down, finding senior Keoni Webb in the end zone. Webb juggled the ball before securing it, giving Basic the win, 37-34. Rodriguez finished with 337 passing yards and four total touchdowns, including one rushing score. Basic head coach Jeffrey Cahill remarked, “We got a large 1 adjacent week. Nothing’s settled yet, truthful our kids person to fastener successful and beryllium ready,” ahead of the Wolves’ upcoming matchup with Silverado.