2016 CLASS 5A STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF MATCHUP
NO. 13 FAIRVIEW (8-2) VS. NO. 4 REGIS JESUIT (9-1)
At Regis Jesuit (Lou Kellogg Stadium), Nov. 11, 7 p.m.
BREAKDOWN: Fresh off wrapping up an undefeated run through the Mount Antero League, Regis Jesuit plays host to the third place team out of the rugged Mount Cameron League — Fairview — to open the Class 5A state playoffs. It will be the second time the Raiders and Knights have met in the playoffs, with the last time coming in 2011 on the same field at Lou Kellogg Stadium, with Fairview pulling off a 28-24 upset. That’s also the only time the programs have played recently, as they rarely, if ever, have met in regular season play.
FAIRVIEW: Coach Tom McCartney’s Knights have had an outstanding season with just two losses, to playoff powerhouses Mullen and Columbine. As it often has been in the past, Fairview has been explosive on offense and has piled up 396 points on the season, second only to Grandview (412) in that category, while it also has allowed the sixth-fewest points in the classification (162)…The Knights have balance on offense, but certainly favor the pass, as senior QB Jake Willemsen has thrown for 2,240 yards and 32 touchdowns (against nine interceptions) and features a trio of passcatchers who have more than 650 yards receiving. Senior WR Quinn Sharp leads the team in receiving yards with 786 (plus 11 touchdowns), while senior WR David McWilliams has snared 15 TD passes (plus 783 yards) and senior WR Timmy Wakefield has added 655 yards and nine touchdowns as well. Junior RB Mariano Kemp has scored double-digit rushing TDs (10) and has piled up 779 yards on the ground, well in front of Willamsen (308) for the team lead…Senior LB Cliffy Smith has racked up 96 tackles and is part of a pack of Fairview defenders with two or more sacks, while sophomore DB Bryce DesJardins is a ballhawk with seven interceptions and ranks third in tackles, just behind junior S Ethan Villarreal.
REGIS JESUIT: Coach Danny Filleman’s Raiders have been rolling for the past eight weeks since their only loss at Mullen and have been excelling on both sides of the football, as they ranked fourth in 5A in points scored (368) and points allowed (144)…The Regis Jesuit offense rebounded from going scoreless against Mullen to pile up at least 34 points again its next eighth opponents, including a high of 64 points against Mountain Vista on Sept. 30. With strong play along the offensive line and a trio of elusive running backs, the Raiders’ ground game has been very effective with a team average of 7.0 yards per carry and 36 touchdowns coming on the ground. Senior RB Alfred Jones leads the team with 632 yards rushing (plus nine touchdowns, including at least one in eight straight games), sophomore RB Kiahn Martinez paces the team in carries with 72 (for 535 yards and eight touchdowns) and junior RB DJ Jackson has racked up a team-best 12 touchdowns (at least one in each of the last eight games) to go with 508 yards. Regis Jesuit has employed two players under center for most of the season, both dual threats, with junior QB Justin Lamb starting the season and throwing for 880 yards and nine touchdowns (including five against Mountain Vista and three vs. Bear Creek in the regular season finale) and senior QB Mike McPeek racking up 504 yards through the air plus 172 yards on the ground. Senior WR Quentin Birch leads the team in receptions (41) and receiving yards (502) and a two-touchdown performance against Bear Creek gave him four for the season, while junior WR Aubrey Marschel-Parker has 336 yards receiving and a team-high five scores…Defensively, Regis Jesuit has . Senior LBs Will Kulick and Alec Hamilton get to ballcarriers early and often and both have eclipsed the 100-tackle mark (105 for Kulick, 100 for Hamilton), while junior DE Jake Heimlicher has harassed opposing quarterbacks all season with 12 sacks and senior DB Patrick Roe has five of the Raiders’ whopping 15 interceptions.
