For the third straight year, longtime Jeffco rivals Pomona and Columbine met in the postseason.
And for the third straight year, the Panthers ended the Rebels’ season, using a dominant second half en route to a 42-21 gut-check victory in a cold Friday night quarterfinal at Jeffco Stadium.
The familiar foes came out and put together solid first drives in a game that was physical from the opening whistle. Columbine senior quarterback Mikey Griebel evaded capture in the backfield and ran for a 6-yard score to put the Rebels up 7-0 early, but Pomona came right back to tie the game 7-7 on a long drive capped by junior Cam Gonzales’ 1-yard touchdown push.
Both defenses settled in after that, but the occasional big play led to more points in the first half. First, senior Tim Mullin who ripped off his second big run of the ballgame—the first being a 59-yard scamper to set up Columbine’s first score—to set up another short Columbine touchdown late in the first quarter.
Then midway through the second quarter, junior quarterback Ryan Maquez tossed a 40-yard, on-the-money dime pass to sophomore wideout Billy Popisil to even the game at 14, where the score stayed heading into the half.
But the final 24 minutes were all Pomona.
“In the locker room, our coaches told us that now was the time to see what we were made of,” Ryan Marquez said. “We knew Columbine was going to come out hot in the second half, so it was important we set that tone from that very first drive.”
The Panthers received the ball to start the second half and, using a steady mix of run and pass, marched down the field to take a 21-14 lead on another Gonzales touchdown run, this time from 3 yards out. The Rebels’ following drive had promise but ended in a fumble, and the very next play Marquez again connected with Popisil, this time for a 58-yard score, to give the Panthers a 28-14 advantage.
The Rebels showed fight with two fourth down conversions on a drive that ended with a score on the first play of the fourth quarter, but the next drive Marquez connected with Popisil once again, this time for a 61-yard touchdown strike, to make it 35-21 Pomona.
Marquez then iced the game with a five-yard touchdown run with less than five minutes to play for a Panthers team that had its playmakers step up in crunch time.
“Ever since Billy Popisil stepped on the varsity field with us, he’s been one of the top receivers in the state, and he showed that tonight,” Marquez said. “And Cam played big in big moments, too, especially after (sophomore running back) Max Borghi had to sit out with an injury.”
Popisil finished with 211 yards and three scores, while Gonzales added 118 yards and two scores on the ground for Pomona.
IN OTHER 5A QUARTERFINAL ACTION:
No. 4 34, No. 5 Eaglecrest 24
In a back-and-forth affair at Lou Kellogg Stadium, the Raiders scored twice with less than five minutes to play in the first half and then held the Raptors to just three points in the second half.
No. 3 66, No. 6 Grandview 35
Valor Christian used a big second half en route to a victory over the Wolves at Valor Stadium, outscoring Grandview 35-7 in the final two quarters for a finely-tuned Eagles offense that’s put up at least 40 points in eight straight games.
No. 7 34, No. 2 Mullen 17
The Mustangs took a 10-0 lead early, but the Bruins responded with 34 unanswered points—including over 100 yards on the ground and through the air by senior quarterback Trey Windham—as Cherry Creek pulled off the upset.
5A SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS:
No. 1 Pomona (11-1) vs. No. 4 Regis Jesuit (11-1)
No. 3 Valor Christian (9-3) vs. No. 7 Cherry Creek (9-3)
