Arvada – Phillip Morelli would have been a good pickup this week for your fantasy football team.
In the biggest game of his prep career, the Mullen junior running back scored seven touchdowns and accumulated 284 yards of offense Friday night as the defending Class 5A champions ran over Arvada West 58-38 at the North Area Athletic Complex.
Morelli carried the ball 23 times for 257 yards, ran for five touchdowns and scored two on passes from quarterback Clint Brewster to book Mullen’s spot in next Saturday’s first state championship match at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Mullen (11-2), winner of five straight, will play Grandview or Douglas County in the state final.
“I could never imagine that I would ever do this in this caliber of game,” said Morelli, who scored on runs of 5, 27, 20, 3 and 36 yards. “I’ve got to give it up to the linemen, wide receivers, quarterback – everybody did their job.”
And everybody put up some gaudy statistics in the process.
The Mustangs ran for 422 yards against a Wildcats defense that has given up 30 points or more in seven games this season. Brewster, who was intercepted twice, completed 10 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
Mustangs senior running back Jarrett Hullum carried 19 times for 138 yards and began the offensive onslaught with a 53-yard touchdown run. Standout junior receiver Devin Aguilar caught six passes for 64 yards and freshman kicker Dalton Lane, who is not even on the printed roster, converted all eight extra-point attempts while filling in for Caleb Pavy (flu).
Mullen’s defense got in the books as well. Able to focus on the pass with Wildcats running back L.D. Briscoe hobbled by an ankle injury, the Mustangs forced A-West quarterback Sean McDougal into a safety in the third quarter that led to a key nine-point swing.
“Once we took out the running game, they were kind of one-dimensional,” said Mullen lineman Garrett Simpson, who had an interception early in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats (10-3) scored three consecutive touchdowns in the first half to lead 20-14, only to have Mullen answer with 30 straight points to take a 44-20 lead with 9:47 remaining.
McDougal threw for 382 yards, six touchdowns and one interception on 26-of-43 passing. Senior receiver Trevor Zott hauled in 14 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns.
“They ran the ball well,” A-West coach Casey Coons said of the Mustangs. “Too many rushing yards … I think they’re playing well at the right time.”
A-West is 0-3 in state semifinal games since 2002.
Mullen 14 14 9 21 – 58
Arvada West 6 14 0 18 – 38
M – Hullum 53 run (Lane kick). M – Morelli 3 pass from Brewster (Lane kick). AW – Zott 28 pass from McDougal (kick blocked). AW – Ullrich 2 pass from McDougal (pass failed). AW – Zott 53 pass from McDougal (Ullrich pass from McDougal). M – Morelli 5 run (Lane kick). M – Morelli 9 pass from Brewster (Lane kick). M – Safety, intentional grounding in end zone. M – Morelli 27 run (Lane kick). M – Morelli 20 run (Lane kick). AW – Hill 45 pass from McDougal (pass failed). M – Morelli 3 run (Lane kick). AW – Herblan 18 pass from McDougal (pass failed). M – Morelli 36 run (Lane kick). AW – Herblan 1 pass from McDougal (run failed).
