CASTLE ROCK — There is something eerily similar to the lipstick on Jeff Ketron’s face.
The Douglas County football coach, who during the Huskies 2005 championship run would receive a postgame kiss from principal Edna Doherty, has his team on a roll again.
Douglas County (9-2) played its best half of football to date in the first 24 minutes against Arvada West, most notably on the defensive side, and rolled into the Class 5A quarterfinals with a 31-21 victory over the Wildcats at Douglas County Stadium on Friday night.
“You want to peak now, and the whole goal for the past three or four years was to peak in November and December,” Ketron said. “The first four weeks, we really didn’t play that well anyway and then the two-game losing streak, but after that our seniors made that commitment to each other.”
Up next for the sixth-seeded Huskies is unbeaten Thomas Jefferson (11-0), the No. 3 seed, at All-City Stadium on either Friday or Saturday. The Spartans cruised past Denver Prep league rival East 34-3 on Friday night.
After a scoreless first quarter, Douglas County’s Jose Astorga capped a 13-play, 79-yard drive early in the second quarter with a 3-yard run, and the defense took over.
Junior safety Nick Ruff was on the prowl all night. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder had several big hits including one that knocked Wildcats tight end Perry Sammons, 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, out of the game for a period of time.
Ruff was Johnny-on-the-spot on A-West’s first play from scrimmage after the Astorga score. A bubble-screen pass was fumbled by Tyler Hill and Ruff jumped on it, giving the Huskies prime field position at the Wildcats’ 39-yard line.
“It’s defense playing as a team,” Ruff said. “This team isn’t going to be overconfident.”
The Huskies, who lost back-to-back games to then-winless Regis and Heritage during the season, forced a fumble on Arvada West’s next possession and turned it into six points. Drew Kesinger returned a Joe Altman fumble 51 yards to put the Huskies up 14-0.
Arvada West, came out firing in the second half and closed to within 31-21 with 8:30 to play on touchdown runs by Rocco Delorenzo and quarterback Luke Campbell. After forcing DC to a three-and-out, Campbell was picked off by Ruff to end any momentum the Wildcats might have had.
“We told them at halftime, let’s just come out and play, don’t worry about the score, just play and good things will happen,” Arvada West coach Casey Coons said. “I’m proud of how our kids battled, but we put ourselves in a serious hole in that second quarter.”
Astorga, who had 318 yards and six touchdowns last week against Palmer, finished with 104 yards on 28 carries and one score.
Arvada West 0 0 6 15 – 21
Douglas County 0 24 7 0 – 31
DC – Astorga 3 run (Romano kick). DC – Kesinger 51 fumble recovery (Romano kick). DC – Stevens 4 pass from Arnold (Romano kick). DC – FG Romano 23. AW – Delorenzo 5 run (pass failed). DC – Misare 39 run (Romano kick). AW – Delorenzo 1 run (Castor kick). AW – Campbell 6 run (Delorenzo run).
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
