Overland is headed onward in the Class 5A football playoffs thanks to an overtime victory over Rangeview.
The Trailblazers, seeded 19th, had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but a last-second interception sent the game to extra time. There, their defense held No. 14 Rangeview to a field goal before quarter Austin Conway scored on a game-winning 1-yard sneak for a 19-16 win.
We practice overtime one a week, usually on Wednesdays, and our kids were very, very used to playing overtime,” coach Seth Replogle told ColoradoPreps.com’s Built Ford Tough Scoreboard Show. “So it was real simple for us. We just said, ‘Hey, it’s just like practice. Let’s go.’ And our defense came out and played tough and shut them down.”
Prior to Overland’s possession, Replogle said, “I talked to the kids for about 30 seconds, and reminded our offense that a field goal ties, touchdown wins, don’t do anything stupid and take care of the football.”
On the Trailblazers’ first play, Ahjon White gained 9 yards to the 1.
“We called the next play pretty quick and Austin Conway saw and opening and took it, tucked it and went,” Replogle said. “It was pretty crazy. I don’t remember what happened after that. It was pandemonium.”
Overland will get No. 3 Cherry Creek in the second round, a rematch of a game on Sept. 27 which the Bruins won 20-6.
Cherry Creek beat No. 30 Lakewood in the first round, 52-12.
No. 12 Doherty grabbed a big win for its program on Friday night, 59-35 over No. 21 Gateway. It is the Spartans’ first playoff win since 2006.
“It was a big win,” Doherty coach David Joyce told the Scoreboard Show. “Our offense was on point tonight. We were throwing and catching, we were blocking, we were running, and our defense was playing pretty good.”
From 2008-12, Doherty went 9-41. The Spartans are 8-2 this season.
“We only average 181 pounds a man. We’re tiny,” Joyce said. “But these kids have been — literally, we might have one kid that plays another sport — so we have been working literally since the Monday after our last game last year all year long. Just the execution of it, the familiarity of each other and the timing.
“The kids are so invested because they’re with me everyday and just building up physically and mentally,” he added later. “Those are the keys to turning it around and getting playoff wins: just investment with teenage kids. They have to be invested.”
Doherty will face No. 5 ThunderRidge in the second round. The Grizzlies beat No. 28 Castle View 40-15.
More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
In a shootout, No. 16 Douglas County beat No. 17 Legend 64-34.
“There were a lot of points,” Douglas County coach Jeff Ketron told the Scoreboard Show. “It was one of those deals where we were running the football quite effectively and they were throwing the football very well.”
The Huskies amassed 546 yards on the ground.
“It was the first game that we’ve had all of our offensive linemen back,” Ketron said. “We’ve been pretty nicked up and had some eligibility issues earlier this year. It was great to see all those guys back and out there playing together and I think that they really look forward to that aspect again, which they haven’t had since the Cherry Creek game.”
Douglas County gets No. 1 Fairview in the next round. The Knights easily handled No. 32 Mountain Vista, 42-7, behind Jason Harvey’s three touchdowns.
No. 7 Columbine beat No. 26 Hinkley behind its famous rushing attack, 57-27.
“I told our kids it doesn’t matter what it looks like, as long as you survive each week,” Rebels coach Andy Lowry told the Scoreboard Show. “We started slow in the first quarter, and came back on them and had a pretty decent second quarter. Then, the third quarter, they tried to kick it onside and we picked it up and ran for a touchdown. Our second-team kids did a good job and put a couple more touchdowns on the board.”
Columbine will face No. 10 Grand Junction, which beat No. 23 Westminster 32-8. Tyler Heinsma had three touchdowns.
Elsewhere in the 5A bracket, No. 8 Pomona beat No. 25 Fountain-Fort Carson, 49-30. The Panthers will face No. 9 Chatfield — a 35-12 winner over No. 24 Rocky Mountain on Thursday — in the second round.
No. 4 Regis will meet No. 20 Grandview in Round 2. Regis topped No. 29 Fort Collins 49-7, while Grandview upset No. 13 Prairie View 47-6.
Second-seeded Valor Christian didn’t have a problem with No. 31 Eaglecrest in a 63-22 win. A.J. Cecil threw for three scores, while Christian McCaffrey had five total touchdowns.
The Eagles will get No. 15 Ralston Valley following the Mustangs’ 58-28 win over No. 18 Arapahoe.
No. 6 Cherokee Trail beat No. 27 Arvada West 40-21. The Cougars will face No. 11 Mountain Range in the second round. Mountain Range beat No. 22 Heritage 24-20 for the first postseason win in school history.