The play was perfect, and it perfectly symbolized how the Regis Jesuit Raiders executed their offensive game plan on Sunday afternoon.
On a first-and-10 play from their own 45, freshman quarterback Luke Rubley handed the ball off to sophomore running back Joe Pron, who approached the line of scrimmage and then tossed it back to Rubley, who then found senior Peyton Lindell all alone behind the secondary.
The 55-yard flea-flicker touchdown put Regis ahead 21-0 with 2 minutes and 29 seconds left in the first quarter. From there, the No. 12 Raiders cruised to a 45-14 win over No. 21 Eaglecrest in the first round of the Class 5A state football playoffs.
“We were connecting on offense really well today, and every game we are playing better and better,” said Rubley, who completed 16 of 21 passes for 192 yards and three TDs. “Toward the end of the season, we are putting a lot of things together.”
The flea-flicker was Exhibit A.
“We were working on it all week and that was our big trick play,” Rubley said. “We were in max protection there and Peyton did a great job selling it like he was blocking. I got a little pressure from the right side, but I saw him free and just threw it out there.”
Regis improved to 6-5 and advanced to the second round where it will take on No. 5 Valor Christian (9-1) on Saturday at Valor. The Eagles beat Regis 17-0 in the Raiders’ season opener.
“Each week, we keep getting better and we have a freshman (Rubley) leading it,” coach Danny Filleman said. “Throughout the year, he’s gotten better and better and we are rotating some young running backs and young receivers. They have improved week after week.
“We’ve played a hard schedule and now we’re starting to see the benefits. We are a totally different team than when we first played Valor. We’ve grown, but they’ve grown, too. It will be a good game.”
While Regis executed from the beginning, the Raptors self-destructed early and often and were never in the game. As a result, they suffered their third straight loss in the first round of the state playoffs.
On the game’s first play from scrimmage, Eaglecrest senior quarterback Joe Steiner threw a 5-yard swing pass to junior wide receiver Quincy Clayton, but Clayton was hammered and fumbled the ball away to Regis at the Raptors’ 19. On the next play, Regis’ Benjamin Bacon burst through the middle of the line for a 19-yard touchdown.
Eaglecrest’s offense, which lost three fumbles and gave up a pick-six, malfunctioned again later in the first quarter. A backward pass hit the turf, and senior middle linebacker Kai Shelton recovered for the Raiders at the Raptors’ 26. Pron’s 4-yard TD run put Regis ahead 14-0.
Unfortunately, Pron injured his leg in the third quarter and did not return. Filleman said he did not know the extent of the injury or whether Pron would be able to play against Valor.
The other line of demarcation Sunday was Regis’ dominance on the offensive and defensive lines. The Raiders took control of the trenches, freeing up Bacon and Pron for big gains and giving Rubley plenty of time to pick his targets.
Rubley’s prettiest pass came on third-and-7 from the Eaglecrest 20. He threw a perfect pass to Lindell in the corner of the end zone, where Lindell got one foot down for the TD and a 28-0 lead with 11:08 left in the half.
Rubley’s 32-yard pass to senior tight-end Grayson McPherson stretched Regis’ lead to 35-0 in the third quarter. The Raiders’ other scores came on sophomore Cade Filleman’s 34-yard interception return and a 46-yard field goal by junior Jack Manthey. Manthey’s field goal would have been good from well over 50 yards.
Eaglecrest scored twice in the fourth quarter with two huge pass plays. Steiner found senior Burke Withycombe all by his lonesome behind the Regis secondary for an 82-yard TD. Late in the game, Steiner burned the Regis defense again, hitting Clayton for a 78-yard pass.
Danny Filleman, while pleased with almost every aspect of the Raiders’ play, was especially happy with his defense collecting four turnovers.
“We have turnover Tuesday every week in practice, so that was good to see,” the coach said. “To go far in the playoffs, we have to be able to create turnovers. We took a step forward today.”
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