AURORA — You may have heard of Regis Jesuit for its dominance in boys swimming, having taken every Colorado big-school title since 1995, all but one since 1992.
The Raiders long have been solid in other sports, notably soccer and tennis, won the past two ice hockey titles and swept the past season’s boys and girls championships (girls were added earlier in the decade) in basketball.
But in football? Truth is, the Raiders have mostly been a mediocre afterthought. First-year coach Mark Nolan had heard the stories when he left University of Colorado recruiting to take over the program.
“Oh, sure, absolutely,” he said this week. “And it wasn’t that long ago as I’ve been told.”
True, Regis Jesuit made the 1982 big- school (Class 4A in those days) final, losing to the first of consecutive great Cherry Creek teams. It also advanced to the 1997 semifinals on a lower level.
But since 1998, when they rejoined big schools (5A), the Raiders went on an 11- year run of 60-55, including 0-7 in the postseason in which they were outscored by an aggregate 225-85, or an average of 32-12. From 2006-08, they were 9-21.
Plus, they were repeatedly whipped by parochial rival Mullen, twice in the playoffs by a combined 103-34.
“Regis was tapped out,” Nolan said of the school that left Denver for southeastern Aurora. “They didn’t want to play Mullen anymore, because we were getting our fanny kicked.”
In their second season of having to play on the other side of the Denver area against Jefferson County in the Big 8 League, the Raiders began 2009 at 1-4.
More of the same problems appeared inevitable. However, when the Class 5A quarterfinals begin Friday, it’s a 7-4 Regis team that arguably is the talk of the postseason, on a six-game roll that has forced a rematch at home against Arvada West.
“The talk was, ‘We can’t hang with folks.’ But, for the most part, we’ve dispelled that,” Nolan said. “In the past, Regis hadn’t retained its talent. Kids came out for football and now are staying out. We’re developing that talent. We’re working kids in the weight room. It’s just necessary to have a successful program. Everyone bought into what we’re doing and what we’re doing is coaching them, and coaching them hard. You don’t always find that.”
And you don’t always start so slowly — the Raiders opened with a 6-0 home loss to Overland before slipping past eventual nonplayoff qualifier Arapahoe. The meat of the Big 8 then had its way with Regis Jesuit. Columbine, Arvada West and Pomona pushed the Raiders to 1-4.
“Nothing was clicking. We struggled,” Nolan said. “Even at 1-4, there was no panic, no doing this or that differently. We just kept plugging and hammering away.”
Regis Jesuit’s resolve was rewarded. Only Bear Creek was able to come within 14 points of the Raiders the rest of the regular season, which they ended 4-5 and entered the playoffs as the No. 20 seed in a 32-team bracket. No matter. Regis Jesuit dominated Ponderosa 34-13 in the preliminaries, then crushed Eaglecrest, which knocked off fourth-seeded Fort Collins in the first round, the past week 49-0.
Lineman Alex Bienemann, quarterback Davis Brendel, running back Marcus Walker and a deep pack of receivers have taken turns at the front of a revival.
Their next crack at fifth-seeded A-West should be full of feeling. Even Wildcats coach Casey Coons admitted, “We don’t like each other.”
The busy intersection of Arapahoe and Parker roads figures to be even busier a hair past Friday night rush hour.
“They’re hungry,” Nolan said of his players. “They’ve got everything going for them. . . . But the kids have been asking, ‘Why shouldn’t we be good?’ “
