LAKEWOOD | For the second time in three seasons, the Regis Jesuit football team saw its season end at the hands of the same team in the same round of the Class 5A state playoffs on the same field in nearly the same conditions.
Like they had in 2015 at snowy Jefferson County Stadium, the Raiders ran into a tough task in Columbine Friday night in the quarterfinals and waged a physical battle before coming up short.
Regis Jesuit scored twice in the last 2 minutes, 41 seconds, of the second quarter to take a 10-7 lead into halftime, only to see the third-seeded Rebels reel off the first 21 points of the second half and hold on for a 28-18 victory.
Columbine (11-1) moved into a noon Nov. 25 semifinal at Legacy Stadium against second-seeded Eaglecrest (12-0), which precedes the other semifinal between No. 8 Grandview (10-2) and No. 4 Pomona (10-2) at 5 p.m.
Coach Danny Filleman’s Regis Jesuit team finished the season 10-2 overall and broke the double-figure mark in wins for the third time in four seasons. The Raiders — who also won a second straight Mount Antero League championship — reached last season’s semifinals, but remain in still in search of their first state championship game appearance since 2010.
The teams pushed back and forth in a see-saw first half before the methodical Columbine offense eventually broke through when Tanner Hollens reached the end zone from 44 yards away on the Rebels’ first possession of the second quarter.
Regis Jesuit finally got a drive going and pulled even with 2:41 left in the half when senior quarterback Justin Lamb found his most frequent target of the season, senior wide receiver Aubrey Marschel-Parker, with a 34-yard touchdown pass.
The Raiders kept the momentum and capped it with a 35-yard Pierce Thrasher field goal to go into the lockerroom with the lead.
Columbine’s vaunted rushing attack — which produced nearly 300 yards on the ground — got some traction in the second half as it produced points and shortened the game by taking chunks of time off the clock.
Connor Snow’s 9-yard touchdown run capped the Rebels’ opening possession of the second half and put them in the lead, while quarterback Logan DeArment extended the lead to doubles figures at 21-10 late in the third quarter when he faked a handoff and took the ball inside the far pylon.
Snow’s second TD run — a 42-yarder — gave the Rebels the extra cushion they needed with just 4:15 remaining.
Lamb found senior Cade Mendenhall in the middle of the field for a 10-yard touchdown two minutes later and junior Kiahn Martinez caught a 2-point conversion pass, but that’s as close as the Raiders got in the closing minutes.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
(3) COLUMBINE 28, (6) REGIS JESUIT 18
Score by quarters:
Regis Jesuit 0 10 0 8 — 18
Columbine 0 7 14 7 — 28
SCORING
Second quarter
Columbine — Tanner Hollens 44 yard run (Logan DeArment kick), 8:48
Regis Jesuit — Aubrey Marschel-Parker 34 yard pass from Justin Lamb (Pierce Thrasher kick), 2:41
Regis Jesuit — Thrasher 35 yard field goal, 0.08
Third quarter
Columbine — Conner Snow 9 yard run (DeArment kick), 8:18
Columbine — DeArment 2 yard run (DeArment kick), 1:28
Fourth quarter
Columbine — Snow 42 yard run (DeArment kick), 4:15
Regis Jesuit — Cade Mendenhall 10 yard pass from Lamb (Kiahn Martinez pass from Lamb), 2:02