ARVADA — Rangeview played “follow the leader” Saturday.
At the front of the Raiders’ line was senior quarterback Jaleel Awini, who deftly rushed and passed them into the Class 5A quarterfinals.
Refining his candidacy for recognition as the state’s top quarterback, Awini threw two touchdown passes, ran for another and fired a bullet lateral for the game’s opening score as Rangeview fended off Arvada West 35-28 at the North Area Athletic Complex in 5A’s second round.
The Raiders improved to 11-0 and will take on Aurora neighbor Grandview, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago, in next weekend’s quarterfinals.
Arvada West, which kept it interesting until the final play, finished 6-5.
“We’re excited,” said Awini, who threw for 184 yards and ran for 71. “Nobody knew we could do it but us.”
The Raiders overwhelmed A-West early. They scored on their first three possessions, kept the Wildcats playing catchup and got away with many of its front-liners going both ways.
To cap the opening drive, Awini fired a strike to his left to Khalil Sellers, who had stepped behind Awini. Sellers caught it, then motored 25 yards. Awini next had scoring tosses to Sammie Smalldon (9 yards) and John Tidwell (12) to make it 21-0 with 7:44 to go before halftime.
The Wildcats climbed to within 21-7, but Awini responded with a 2-yard TD run with 4 seconds remaining in the second quarter, as the Raiders rolled to 263 yards at halftime and generally kept the A-West offense off the field.
Rangeview knew the Wildcats were coming after the break.
“Sometimes a team like this is scary to have at halftime like that, then they come out and have nothing to lose,” Raiders coach Dave Gonzales said. “You tell the guys many times over, ‘Don’t let your guard down.’ “
Behind Taylor Connors (237 yards passing, 140 rushing), A-West twice got within two touchdowns, then had two chances to tie it down the stretch. But an interception at the goal line by Rangeview’s Steffen Johnson and a couple of incomplete passes, one in the end zone, in the final seconds sealed it.
“It was that kind of year,” Wildcats coach Casey Coons said. “A roller-coaster ride, highs and lows.”
Said Gonzales, “We need to finish better, put teams away.”
Tidwell had eight receptions for 111 yards, and Jonathon Mathews rushed for 108 and a touchdown behind a Raiders line, Awini said, “that has great guys and is kind of underrated.”
Just like the rest of the team.
Rangeview 7 21 7 0 — 35Arvada West0 7 14 7 — 28RNG — Sellers 25 run (Handy kick). RNG — Smalldon 9 pass from Awini (Handy kick). RNG — Tidwell 12 pass from Awini (Handy kick). AW — Leslie 33 pass from Connors (Burgard kick). RNG — Awini 2 run (Handy kick). AW — Connors 1 run (Burgard kick). RNG — Mathews 10 run (Handy kick). AW — Connors 5 run (Burgard kick). AW — Connors 1 run (Burgard kick).
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
