(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — Jake Heimlicher gathered in the loose ball and looked toward the south stands. There was nothing in front of him but the semifinals.
The Regis Jesuit junior made the play of the night when he forced a fumble late in the third quarter, then returned it 46 yards for a score. It gave his fourth-seeded Raiders a 31-24 lead, one they’d turn into a 34-24 victory over No. 5 Eaglecrest in the Class 5A football quarterfinals on Friday.
And yes, it punched RJ’s ticket to the semifinals, the program’s first appearance at that stage since the Raiders went to the 5A championship game in 2010.
“It’s big winning this game,” said Regis quarterback Justin Lamb, a junior. “Not only for the program, but for the school and the entire atmosphere around it. We’re a huge community here, and this is great thing for our community.”
Heimlicher’s play — he knocked down a lateral pass to force the fumble — was the shining example on a night full of big moments for Regis Jesuit.
The Raiders (11-1) recovered an inadvertent onside kick to start the game that it turned into points. They had a big defensive stop on fourth down inside their own 5-yard-line in the first quarter, and that led to a touchdown.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
But there were other, smaller moments that were just as important. For example, facing third-and-5 from their own 38, Lamb escaped what looked to be a sure sack and found Aubrey Marschel-Parker for a first down. The Raiders later converted a fourth down on that same drive, and ultimately kicked a field goal.
Or there was Regis Jesuit junior Brandon Roe, who recovered a fumble on Eaglecrest’s final possession and returned it to the 5 to seal the win.
“That’s these kids,” said Regis Jesuit coach Danny Filleman, now in his second season. “They’re resilient, and they find ways to make plays, and make it happen.”
The game saw the lead change hands six times. At one point, Eaglecrest went up 21-10 following Victor Garnes’ long interception return for a score in the second quarter.
But Regis clawed its way back, responding nearly immediately with a touchdown drive. And then Lamb gave his team a 24-21 lead at halftime on a 6-yard run with 16 seconds left in the second quarter.
“It was the biggest dog fight we’ve been in,” Lamb said. “It was back-and-forth. It was defense, offense. We had some issues in some places, but we really bounced back. I’ve never seen us play harder than that.”
Lamb finished 7-of-14 passing with 131 yards, a touchdown to Quentin Birch, and two interceptions. He also had the rushing score and 41 yards on the ground.
Alfred Jones, a senior, led Regis’ rushing attack with 99 yards. Kiahn Martinez also had 81 yards, and DJ Jackson had 48 yards and a touchdown.
Regis Jesuit had been to the quarterfinals each of the past two seasons, but wasn’t able to break through until this year.
The Raiders will face Pomona next week. Pomona beat Columbine 42-21 in the quarterfinals.
“This is a good one,” Filleman said. “We’ve just got to keep finding ways to win ball games.”
Eaglecrest, meanwhile, was in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2012. The Raptors entered the game 11-0 and in search of their first semifinal appearance since 1993.
But their passing attack couldn’t duplicate its first-half success, when Eaglecrest racked up 141 yards and two touchdowns. In the second half, Eaglecrest had 28 passing yards.
Still, it is a season to remember for the Raptors, who won their first league title since 1993, and had just the second undefeated regular season in program history.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)