'This is just the beginning': Basic football beats Green Valley in Henderson Bowl

'This is just the beginning': Basic football beats Green Valley in Henderson Bowl As the final seconds ticked off the clock Friday night at Don Taylor Stadium, Basic’s football squad realized what they had just accomplished: a victory over rival Green Valley in the Henderson Bowl. The rivalry game, played since 1991, never loses its luster. Players tossed water into the air, hugged each other and their coaches, and celebrated against a roaring home‑crowd backdrop. The final score read Basic 21, Green Valley 12. After shaking hands, the Wolves raced to the end zone to claim the Henderson Bowl trophy. The celebration — photos, hugs, tears and smiles — mirrored the chaotic joy that has marked the contest for more than three decades. Then came a remark from head coach Jeff Cahill. “This is just the beginning,” he barked twice to his players. Basic improved to 2‑1 on the season, with seven games left to play. If the Wolves finish 2‑8, the memory of a Henderson Bowl victory won’t feel nearly as sweet. “This win is truly going to propel us,” Cahill said. “It is going to give us some respect we didn’t have across the valley from the past two years.” Basic did not win a game last season, but if it continues to play as it did Friday night, finding more victories should not be a problem. The Wolf Pack defense kept Green Valley off the scoreboard deep into the second half, pressuring three‑year starter Michael Lewis into rushed throws. The defensive effort was especially notable given Green Valley’s offensive size advantage. Lewis finished with just one touchdown pass — a short toss that came after a Basic turnover — and completed 12 of 28 attempts. “Our defense was huge,” Cahill said. “(Lewis) is simply a large player. We knew we had to incorporate him.” Basic jumped out to a 14‑0 lead and never looked back. Dominic Fredrickson, who at 6‑foot‑1, 220 pounds is tough to bring down, opened the scoring with a short touchdown run in the first quarter. He finished with about 70 rushing yards — nearly all of them earned only after multiple defenders converged to slow him down. “I’m 1 of 11 (players on offense),” Fredrickson said. “I wouldn’t have (scored) if it weren’t for my teammates.” Quarterback Andrew Rodriguez was masterful in extending drives with his legs, including in the fourth quarter, when he led Basic to a game‑sealing touchdown. Rodriguez connected on a long pass to Shane Moulding to move the ball inside the 5‑yard line and Carl Napoleon rushed in for the score. Cahill’s postgame remarks could have been inspired by his team’s play in the second half, when the offense went quiet — the rushing attack was contained and Rodriguez grew inconsistent. He did hook up with Louden Cahill seven times for about 60 yards. “This isn’t the Basic squad of the past two seasons, which lost to Green Valley by a combined three points. When it mattered most, the Wolves held strong — and, as Cahill says, that’s a large foundation for the remainder of the season.” It is, after all, Labor Day weekend, and there’s plenty of football left. “This team — we never give up,” Fredrickson said. “We have a strong bond. We are going to keep fighting together.” Cahill added, “That showed the large quality from last year to this year. Last year in close games we folded and lost.”