LAKEWOOD — Columbine didn’t waste any time getting into the playoff form for the start of the Class 5A football postseason.
The No. 3-seeded Rebels scored on every offensive possession in the first half against No. 13 Highlands Ranch on Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. The Rebels cruised to a 45-14 victory to set up a state quarterfinal date with No. 6 Regis next week.
Columbine will host the Raiders (10-1) at Jeffco Stadium. Regis hung on to defeat Mullen 17-10 on Friday night at Regis High School.
“Defense played great and our offensive line pretty really well,” Columbine coach Andy Lowry said after the Rebels advanced to the state quarterfinals for the third straight season. “Highlands Ranch has two or three of the better linemen I’ve seen all year. Our guys did a good job against those guys.”
Columbine’s Andrew Arterburn (8) returns an interception in the first half Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Junior quarterback/kicker/defensive back Logan DeArment got things going with a 37-yard field and 62-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
“I knew I would have some sort of breakaway,” DeArment said of his 62-yard touchdown run. “A couple of guys missed. I just run scared and that’s how I get into the end zone.”
Columbine took advantage of a trio of short fields in the second quarter. Sophomore Tanner Hollens had a pair of touchdown runs of 3 and 24 yards to put the Rebels up 24-0 midway through the second quarter.
Senior Conner Snow finished off the scoring in the first half with a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Rebels a 31-0 lead going into the locker room.
“We’ll take all the help we can get,” Lowry said of the Rebels taking advance of short fields.
Highlands Ranch junior running back Dominic Bettini came into Friday’s game with nearly 1,500 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. Columbine’s defense was clearly focused to limit Bettini.
Bettini had nine carries for zeros yards in the first half. The Falcons cross midfield once in the opening half, but Columbine senior Andrew Arterburn intercepted Highlands Ranch senior quarterback Joseph Alber put a quick end to the best drive of the half by the Falcons.
“The focus was playing our gap defense and playing strong inside,” Columbine sophomore defensive end Justin Lohrenz said. “Everyone doing their job and being where they are supposed to be.”
Bettini finally got the Falcons on the board with an 11-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. However, the Rebels answered with a second touchdown run by DeArment to extend Columbine’s lead to 38-7 going into the final quarter.
Columbine’s Andrew Lauritzen (90) closes in on Highlands Ranch QB Joseph Alber. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Columbine sophomore Braeden Hogan capped up a fourth-quarter scoring drive with a 22-yard touchdown run to make the score 45-7.
“We wanted to take all hope away,” DeArment said of Highlands Ranch coming into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak. “They have a great defensive and offensive line. We just had to win the line-of-scrimmage and I we did that.”
Bettini had a 19-yard touchdown run against Columbine’s backups in the final minutes in the last score of the game.
Columbine (10-1) has won seven straight games after a non-league defeat to the hands to cross-town and 4A powerhouse Chatfield on Sept. 22.
“We’ll just take care of one step at a time,” Lohrenz said. “We just took care of Highlands Ranch. Whoever it is next, we’ll do our job and come out with the ‘W’.”
Highlands Ranch ends its season with a fourth straight loss. The Falcons (6-5) were 6-1 heading into Week 8, but lost Mt. Lincoln League games to Valor Christian, Legend and Poudre to close out the regular season and slide into the state tournament.
Columbine’s Corbin Leyshock (78) reaches for Highlands Ranch RB Dominic Bettini during the first quarter Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)