Warriors nomatch for rival Raiders
REG. JESUIT 16, ARAPAHOE 8
aurora » He hasn’t heard it since middle school, but Chet was a jet. On a pleasant Saturday afternoon, Chet Dunstan, a junior who will attend the Air Force Academy, flew around Lou Kellogg Stadiumand helped the Regis Jesuit Raiders stay undefeated in boys lacrosse.
Dunstan scored four goals and set up two others as the Raiders handled twotime defending state champion Arapahoe 16-8 in what may be the game’s topClass 5A nonleague matchup. The Warriors, who dipped to 6-2, won 5A a year ago and took it all in 2012 when the sport had one class. Regis Jesuit won it all in 2011. Arapahoe eliminated the Raiders (now 9-0) in last season’s quarterfinals, and their regular-season and playoff meetings have been worthwatching. Plus, Arapahoe was ranked No. 1 in The Denver Post 5A poll and Regis Jesuit was No. 2.
“Very much so,” Regis Jesuit coach JimSoran said of the familiar, high-end rivalry. “The kids have played together a bunch, so they know each other. As far as the schools go, they’ve gone after each other a few times.”
Dunstan said “it’s always a game with us. Arapahoe’s a great team, but we came out in the first quarter and just buried them.”
Regis Jesuit never trailed. The Raiders made it 9-4 by halftime, but certainly had to sweat in the third quarter, when Arapahoe, despite losing more than half its 2013 team to graduation, climbed to within 10-8.
But Dunstan and Chase Konkel (five goals and one assist) each scored twice in the fourth, after rally-killing scores from Ben Bechter and Matt Soren late in the third, to clinch it. It was the most goals allowed by Arapahoe since coach Guy Cerasoli took commandlast decade, but the Warriors are in a learning mode.
“This Regis team reminds me a lot of my team last year,” Cerasoli said. “They’re good, and this a rebuilding year for us. And it’s early. We’re just trying to get better every day leading up to the playoffs.”
Raiders goalkeeper Bret Quartuccio was stellar, pitching a shutout in the fourth quarter and rising up when his team’s defense permitted Arapahoe to roam freely out front.