Big second half boosts Silverado

Silverado running back Telvin McMillian had a bad feeling in his gut as he jogged off the field with his team clinging to a one-point lead at halftime on Friday night.

That feeling intensified when he overheard a conversation between Chaparral players.

"When they were walking off, I heard them talking about how it wasn't over," McMillian said. "I took that to heart. I told my team in the locker room to get ready to play their hearts out."

The Skyhawks must have listened, as they took over in the second half and rolled to a 49-18 home victory in their Sunrise Region playoff game.

The win lifted them into the regional semifinal round, where they will play Las Vegas at home on Friday.

McMillian led the fourth-ranked Skyhawks (10-0) with 262 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Even so, his team struggled offensively in the first half and took a 13-12 lead into halftime.

"We knew coming in that Chaparral kept all their games close this season," Silverado coach Andy Ostolaza said. "And we knew they were a scary No. 4 seed."

But the Skyhawks defense created scoring opportunities in the second half, forcing three fumbles and an interception. Silverado seized each chance, scoring 29 points off the turnovers.

After Silverado expanded its lead on touchdowns by McMillian and Kolton Villa, Chaparral quarterback Tyquise Anthony answered by capping a 48-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown plunge that cut the deficit to 28-18 late in the third quarter.

The Cowboys (3-8) threatened to make it closer early in the fourth, but a 10-play drive was squelched when Silverado's Alex Jones intercepted a pass from Anthony.

It was all Silverado from there, as Michael Wadsworth and Teran Madu-Jules scored on 10-yard runs, and T.J. Alofipo scored on a 54-yard fumble return.

"We took care of the ball better in the second half," said Ostolaza, whose squad turned the ball over twice in the first half. "And I think our depth wore them down."

Anthony rushed 16 times for 51 yards and completed 10 of 21 passes for the Cowboys.