PARKER — So, how’s the left side of your Class 5A football playoff bracket?
Colorado’s seeding process, based on a convoluted point system in an attempt to measure strength of schedule, may want to add a little more of the human element.
Certain big boys are playing well and making their points, such as the 20th seed in the field, the Regis Raiders, who thoroughly knocked off No. 13 Ponderosa 34-13 Friday night at Stadium in the preliminaries.
In improving to 6-4, Regis is assured of its first winning record since 2005 and won its first big-school playoff game since 1983, when big schools occupied 4A. It also was the Raiders’ first postseason victory since they made the 4A semifinals in 1997.
The Raiders joined Eaglecrest and Cherry Creek as lower seeds that earned first-round victories on the left side of the bracket. The Raiders next get Eaglecrest, the 29th seed that won at No. 4 Fort Collins. No. 24 Cherry Creek downed No. 9 Chatfield.
Let the Raiders’ gushing begin.
“It was awesome,” Regis junior wide receiver Casey Young said. “We started off (our season) a little slow, but we just had to get things going.”
The Raiders began 2009 1-4, including tough losses to Arvada West and Pomona, two card-carrying members of the 5A heavyweight club, but have gone on a five-game roll that they are confident will grow.
“Even after the losses to Arvada West and Pomona, we knew we had a lot of season in front of us,” Young added. “We’re stopping people, and offensively we’re running and throwing the ball. We came in with a lot of confidence and we knew we could out-physical this team.”
The Raiders did. They controlled the line of scrimmage, mixed passing with solid rushing and never let Ponderosa, which ended 6-4, get anything going when it mattered.
Before being dinged late, Raiders quarterback Davis Brendel threw three touchdown passes, and Marcus Walker ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, Regis permitted only 4 yards rushing at halftime, weathered an early Mustangs move in the third quarter and rode its ground game down the stretch.
Entering the season, first-year coach Mark Nolan inherited a program that hadn’t had a winning season since 2005, was 9-21 the past three seasons and had a reasonably long recent history of being blown out in the first round.
“Our guys are really jelling and believing in what we’re doing,” Nolan said. “I don’t think we ever thought we weren’t in it, we just weren’t clicking. We had a brand-new staff and brand-new system.
“But thank goodness for the 32-team bracket.”
Even beginning slowly — there were a combined seven possessions and two lost fumbles in the first quarter — Brendel’s three touchdown tosses came within 8 minutes, the last a 30-yarder to Connor McKay 1:24 before halftime. Mc-Kay managed late separation from Ponderosa coverage and scored standing up.
Ponderosa finally showed some life on its first drive of the third quarter, but that was about it for the Mustangs.
Coach Randy Huff could only watch as his injury-plagued Mustangs constantly struggled.
“Not a whole lot went right,” Huff said. “It was a very difficult way to end the year. We’ve had more than our share of injuries and it has been a tough finish.”
But not for Regis.
“This is not a shock for us,” Young said.
Nolan, who has preached believing all season, is seeing some of his vision come true.
“Our kids are starting to feel it,” he said. “Playoff momentum is an exciting thing, and it has a momentum and confidence all to itself.”
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
