Arvada – When a decimated Pomona defensive backfield effectively stopped Arvada West’s short-passing game, Sean McDougal set his sights farther downfield.
The senior quarterback consistently beat the Panthers’ defenders with the long ball as the Wildcats outlasted Pomona 42-35 at the North Area Athletic Complex on Saturday.
McDougal threw for 285 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a 60-yard score to keep Arvada West (8-1, 4-0) atop the Class 5A Jeffco League and The Denver Post/9News 5A poll.
“Usually, they just drop off (and play deep), and I wanted to take the underneath stuff,” McDougal said. “But they gave me a shot. I took it, and it was successful at times.”
Playing without starting defensive back Kyle Mericle, who re-injured a sprained ankle early in the game, a vulnerable Pomona defense was exposed by a scrambling McDougal. After eluding several would-be tacklers, the quarterback launched a 53-yard scoring strike to receiver Ryan Hill.
McDougal’s 60-yard gallop put the Wildcats up by 14, and two more touchdown passes in the final 38 seconds of the half gave Arvada West a comfortable 28-7 cushion.
“We played without our best player the whole game,” Pomona coach Jay Madden said. “They threw three touchdown passes (to) the guy Mericle is supposed to be covering, but Mericle is over here with a bad leg and he can’t play.”
After turning the ball over four times in the first half, the Panthers (5-3, 2-4) stormed back to open the second half.
Pomona opened the third quarter with an 80-yard touchdown drive, then recovered an onside kick to set up a 5-yard scoring pass from sophomore quarterback Matt Castillo to Devon Davidson.
The two connected again on a 50-yard touchdown as the Panthers tied the game at 28. Castillo passed for 307 yards and three touchdowns but had four interceptions.
But McDougal found running back L.D. Briscoe with a 21-yard scoring pass to open the fourth quarter, and Briscoe broke loose up the middle for a 96-yard touchdown on the Wildcats’ next possession to help seal the win.
McDougal, who doubles as the Wildcats’ place-kicker, accounted for every Arvada West point except for Briscoe’s run.
The only blemish on the Wildcats’ record – a four-point loss in the season opener – came against Cherry Creek in a game McDougal was forced to watch from the sideline after breaking team rules.
Arvada West will face No. 4 Bear Creek to end the regular season this week for the Jeffco League title in a matchup that also will determine postseason seeds.
“I think if we can win out, we’ll probably be the No. 1 seed,” Wildcats coach Casey Coons said.
“But we’ve got to beat Bear Creek, and that’s not going to be an easy chore.”
Arvada West 7 21 0 14 – 42
Pomona 0 7 21 7 – 35
AW – Hill 53 pass from McDougal (McDougal kick). AW – McDougal 60 run (McDougal kick). P – Davidson 7 run (Reid kick). AW – Hill 28 pass from McDougal (McDougal kick). AW – Vinnola 50 pass from McDougal (McDougal kick). P – Krenke 4 run (Reid kick). P – Davidson 5 pass from Castillo (Reid kick). P – Davidson 52 pass from Castillo (Reid kick). AW – Briscoe 21 pass from McDougal (McDougal kick). AW – Briscoe 96 run (McDougal kick). P – Miles 3 pass from Castillo (Reid kick).
