AURORA | The Grandview football team has a lot of big playoff victories in its history, but Saturday’s figures somewhere near the top of the list.
Fueled by a defense that came through in the big moments and the hard running of junior running back Chukwuma Obinnah, the 2oth-seeded Wolves stunned fourth-seeded Regis Jesuit 31-21 in an all-Aurora Class 5A state football second round playoff game at Legacy Stadium.
Obinnah — who transferred from Regis Jesuit prior to the season — rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns and also threw a halfback pass for a score against his former teammates, while the Grandview defense forced four turnovers from the Raiders to move into the 5A quarterfinals for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.
“This one ranks right up there,” coach John Schultz said afterwards.
The Wolves improved to 7-4 overall and earned themselves a rematch with fifth-seeded ThunderRidge, which beat them in the quarterfinals of last season’s playoffs.
Regis Jesuit had a six-game winning streak snapped and finished the season 9-2.
The Raiders — who scored on two big plays in the first half as junior quarterback Matt Houghtaling hit Cody Lippert for a 72-yard touchdown and senior running back Jalen Williams rushed for an 80-yard touchdown — went ahead 21-17 on senior Grant Neal’s 3-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.
Still with the lead, the Raiders went for a 4-and-1 on their own 19-yard line, but Grandview senior linebacker Kolten Johnson penetrated the backfield and brought down Neal short of the first down to open the fourth quarter.
On the next play, Obinnah rolled right and threw a pass for the first time in a football game, hitting senior Trent Richardson for a 16-yard touchdown that pushed the Wolves in front 24-21.
Two players later, Grandview’s Kiefer Glau knocked the from Regis Jesuit running back Kameron Butler’s hands and the Wolves recovered.
Obinnah ripped off a big run down the sideline punctuated by his hurdle of a Raiders defender and a few plays later stretched the ball across the goal line on 4th-and-1 from the Regis Jesuit 2 to extend the lead to double figures.
Senior Sean Gelsey intercepted Houghtaling on Regis Jesuit’s last drive and Grandview was able to run the rest of the time off the clock.
(20) GRANDVIEW 31, (4) REGIS JESUIT 21
Score by quarters:
Regis Jesuit 7 7 7 0 — 21
Grandview 3 14 0 14 — 31
SCORING
First quarter
Grandview — Aiden Pirrin 39 yard field goal, 8:37
Regis Jesuit — Cody Lippert 72 yard pass from Matt Houghtaling (Vince Sabin kick), 7:15
Second quarter
Grandview — Chukwuma Obinnah 8 yard run (Pirrin kick), 10:16
Regis Jesuit — Jalen Williams 80 yard run (Sabin kick), 10:04
Grandview — Obinnah 4 yard run (Pirrin kick), 1:42
Third quarter
Regis Jesuit — Grant Neal 3 yard run (Sabin kick), 6:35
Fourth quarter
Grandview — Trent Richardson 16 yard pass from Obinnah (Pirrin kick), 11:51
Grandview — Obinnah 2 yard run (Pirrin kick), 9:24
RUSHING
Grandview: Chukwuma Obinnah 32-220, Ben Marshall 11-43, Tyler Smith 9-29, Frank Solomon 1-14, Austin Quarles 1-1
PASSING
Grandview: Smith 6-13, 73 yards; Obinnah 1-1, 16 yards, 1 touchdown
RECEIVING
Grandview: Trent Richardson 3-43, Solomon 2-23, Morgan Smith 1-12, Jason Burger 1-11
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel.
If i didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. All who truly know RJ Head coach Mark Nolan understand how arrogant, belittling, and two-faced he can be. The coaches around the league call him a nut case. The best on his own coaching staff hold their nose while working with him, just because they support those players. We have seen time after time what a bad example he is for the players – saying one thing but doing another. Control freak, in the worst sense of the word, doesn’t begin to fully describe him, which leads to such ridiculous play calling. But nothing can top the utter stupidity of going for it on 4th and 1 on your own 19 yard line, when you have a 4 point lead in the the 4th quarter. Whether he goes 9-2 or 2-9 doesn’t matter – he is the worst role model for these young men. But to let his arrogance waste all of the months of hard work this team put in is inexcusable. His contract is up, and it is way beyond time to send him on his way. He has earned the same fate as the last 2 men to hire him – Gmelich and Hawkins. They both have been removed from their last 2 positions. He needs to go – now. His kool-aid drinkers may rally around him again, but truth will win out. Regis Jesuit deserves so much more.