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    • Brodie Vehrs throws 5 TDs Basha in win over Nebraska Millard South
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    Brodie Vehrs throws 5 TDs Basha in win over Nebraska Millard South

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    Nobody said it was going to be easy.

    In the first game of the post-Demond Williams Jr. era since the star quarterback left for college in Washington, the Basha offense struggled to get going for the start of the 2024 season against Millard South-Nebraska.

    But after trading off a pair of drives, the Bears hit their stride in Friday’s season opener, as junior quarterback Brodie Vehrs and senior wide receiver Gio Richardson put on a show en route to a 39-25 victory.

    Vehrs threw five touchdowns, including two to Richardson, in his Bears debut. Despite a handful of uncharacteristic misses, Basha managed to win by two scores against one of the best teams in Nebraska.

    It was Richardson’s dazzling moves, both with the ball in his hands and his ability to score high, that broke this game open after a scoreless first quarter. Richardson, an Arizona commit, unleashed a spin move that sent the defensive back tumbling helplessly to the ground en route to a 33-yard touchdown to make it 6-0 with 10:56 left in the second quarter.

    Later in the quarter, Richardson made a ridiculous 40-yard catch for his second score of the game, giving Basha a 13-7 lead.

    The evening was full of highlights for Richardson.

    “I’m not surprised,” Basha coach Chris McDonald said. “I’ve been telling you guys for a long time that he’s the best wide receiver in the state. Nobody wants to believe me. But there you have it.”

    Sophomore running back Noah Roberts added a 16-yard touchdown on a pass from Vehrs and scored just before halftime, extending the lead to 19-7 at the break.

    After two three-and-outs by Basha to start the second half, Millard South cut its lead to 19-17. But Vehrs connected with sophomore wide receiver Jaden Baldwin on a monster 79-yard touchdown on a short pass to the left. That put Basha up 26-17 with 1:48 left in the third quarter.

    Vehrs then found an open Dash Blake on Basha’s next offensive drive and hit the veteran wide receiver for a 45-yard touchdown, making it 32-17 with 11:16 left in the game.

    Basha’s defense, who had struggled with punishment that night, started to get going at this point and forced him into another point.

    That’s when Roberts scored a 70-yard touchdown, sealing the deal with less than 6 minutes left as Basha built a three-score lead. Millard South added another touchdown late in the game to make it 39-25, but it wasn’t enough.

    “I’ve got guys around me, great talent, great coaches,” Vehrs said. “All I had to do was get the ball out.”

    Vehrs threw five touchdowns in his first-ever varsity game. Four of his five touchdown passes were 30-plus yards.

    He had big shoes to fill, but Friday night was a step in the right direction.

    “He’s done some good things,” McDonald said. “I think he learned a little bit tonight. You guys saw that he can throw the ball clearly. He’s got playmakers everywhere. We’ve had some sputters, but the name of the game is explosive. We’ve got explosive players making explosive plays. We can hit at any time. It’s not like we need 15-play drives to score. We’ve got multiple guys who can drive it home at any time. Our job is to get him in a better position formation-wise, keep the plays similar that we’re executing at a really high level, and just let our athletes be athletes.”

    On Monday, Vehrs’ nerves were gone as he prepared for the match.

    “You have to realize that it’s a blessing to play here,” Vehrs said. “Not many people get the chance to play 6A football like this. I would say I was more blessed than nervous. My nerves came out last week in the practice game against Liberty. I came out here, did my thing, played and my brothers and I can go celebrate.”

    Basha (1-0) will play Mesa (0-1) at home next week on September 6 at 6 p.m.

    Logan Stanley is a sports reporter at The Arizona Republic, covering high school, ASU and Olympic sports. For suggestions for human-interest stories and other news, contact Stanley at [email protected] or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.

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