AURORA — Cameron Connell was hoping his go-ahead touchdown would stand up as the game-winner. He had no clue it would be his own interception that made it happen.
His pick near the goal line preserved Rangeview’s season-opening 21-17 Class 5A nonleague win against Arapahoe at Aurora Public Schools Stadium, which seems a nice enough story. But consider: Connell had never played defensive back in a varsity game until Thursday’s waning moments, when Raiders top cornerback John Tidwell left with severe cramps.
“I read it well, kind of, considering I’ve never played DB before,” Connell said. “They did a play-action, I went to the middle and got lucky I guess.”
In the third quarter, Connell got behind the Arapahoe defense for a 37-yard touchdown pass from Jaleel Awini to give Rangeview its first lead. Arapahoe had taken a 17-14 lead on the final play of the first half on a 49-yard field goal by Parker Semin, but thanks in large part to Connell, the Warriors were shut out in the second half.
“That’s our secret weapon, man, No. 13; what do you think?” Rangeview coach Dave Gonzales said. “He’s not a highlighter. He’s not going to be on the front page of any paper, but he’s a good football player.”
The way things started — rampant, fast-strike offense with a rash of turnovers — few would have predicted Arapahoe would put together a 19-play, 10-minute-plus drive that began late in the third quarter. Problem was, the Warriors turned it over on downs after getting to the Raiders’ 4-yard line. A key sack by Kevin Hunholz and deflection by Jon Mathews thwarted the drive.
“It’s upsetting we couldn’t capitalize on it,” Arapahoe wide receiver Taylor Schmidt said. “We were working our hearts out.”
Arapahoe’s Brett Menter contributed numerous sizable returns, including a pair of first-half kickoff returns that keyed Arapahoe touchdown passes from Alec Gieser to Will Ratterman (17 yards) and Greg Bechler (27).
Rangeview, which received 130 yards on the ground from Mathews and 117 from Awini, countered the scores with a 63-yard run by Awini — it capped a two-play, 99-yard drive — and an 8-yard TD reception by Tidwell. The headliner, though, was Connell.
“It’s an amazing feeling winning that first game,” he said.
Arapahoe 14 3 0 0 — 17
Rangeview 7 7 7 0 — 21
ARAP — Ratterman 17 pass from Gieser (Semin kick). RNG — Awini 63 run (Handy kick). ARAP — Bechler 27 pass from Gieser (Semin kick). RNG — Tidwell 8 pass from Awini (Handy kick). ARAP — FG Semin 49. RNG — Connell 37 pass from Awini (Handy kick).
