Jammal Boyd is a 6-foot-1, 330-pound offensive lineman for the Silverado High School football team.
His value comes in protecting senior quarterback Brandon Tunnell, blocking for running back Caden Harris or lifting star Donavyn Pellot high into the air to celebrate a touchdown.
Never in his wildest imagination did Boyd picture himself scoring a touchdown in the state championship game — let alone the winning touchdown.
But when Harris fumbled near the goal line Monday during the third quarter of the title game at Allegiant Stadium, Boyd came to the rescue by diving on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
The ball rolled helplessly into open space, giving Shadow Ridge a chance for what would have been a game-changing turnover. But Boyd saved the day — and season.
Silverado used the momentum from the touchdown to control the final quarter-plus in pulling away for a 51-27 victory and second straight state championship.
Harris had three touchdowns, Pellot bullied his way through two Shadow Ridge defenders for a score and Tunnell connected late with D’Angelo Hagans for an insurance touchdown.
But little of that matters if it weren’t for the offensive tackle Boyd’s quick thinking in what became one of the defining moments in Silverado’s second straight undefeated season.
“That might have been the biggest play of the game,” Silverado coach Andy Ostolaza said. “Jammal Boyd made the biggest play of the game by recovering that ball in the end zone.”
Boyd also scored earlier in the season on a rushing touchdown on a gadget play. This touchdown, obviously, came with extra significance.
“I saw the ball and knew I had to get,” he said. “I never thought I would score a touchdown in this game, but it felt great.”
Silverado entered having only surrendered 40 points in 11 games and needed just one play to score the game’s first touchdown, when Harris caught a screen pass from Tunnell and raced into the end zone.
But Shadow Ridge wouldn’t be a pushover.
The Mustangs battled Silverado touchdown for touchdown for more than half of the game, answering the initial score with a long scoring drive and Coen Colema touchdown run.
There were several parts of the game where Shadow Ridge controlled the line of scrimmage, whether that was Evan Cannon rushing for three scores or the defense stopping Silverado behind the line of scrimmage.
“Their kids are as tough as them come. That is a credit to coach (Travis) Foster,” Ostolaza said. “We did not control the line of scrimmage. We did a better job in the second half. ...They kind of rolled us up for a little bit.”
The win caps the best two-year run in the school’s 25-year history, as the Skyhawks went 24-0 and haven’t lost a game since 2019 when the program’s current core group of seniors where freshmen.
Ostolaza feels Pellot, who is committed to UCLA, is the state’s best player regardless of classification. The coach raves about the leadership of Tunnell, who had one of the game’s other signature moments when he scrambled for 14 yards on a third down play to extend a scoring drive in the fourth quarter.
And linebacker Chris Federico, a four-year varsity player, is the classification’s best defender. The Federico-led defense had a crucial fourth-down stop near midfield in the first half that shifted the momentum back to Silverado.
It’s been seemingly going that way for two seasons, as Silverado is the unquestioned king of class 4A. It also beat Shadow Ridge in the 2021 championship game.
“I am overwhelmed right now with happiness,” Tunnell said. “...Two years, 24-0. Not bad at all.”