Fairview airs it out to beat Overland in 5A football’s playoffs

BOULDER — The Fairview Knights can sling the football. One look at senior quarterback Johnny Feauto’s stats this season (3,296 yards and 34 touchdowns heading into Friday) will tell you that.

But come playoff time, it takes a total team effort to advance. That’s just what the second-seeded Knights got Friday night at Recht Field, beating three-seed Overland Trailblazers 45-27 to advance to the third round of the Class 5A state football playoffs.

Facing a Trailblazers team that put up 45-points last weekend, the game belonged to the Knights right from the get-go. Overland had trouble finding any traction on the ground, and quarterback Austin Conway, often under intense heat from Fairview’s front four, couldn’t connect with his at recievers downfield.

“They’re a tremendous offense. I mean, they just put up 50 on Cherokee Trail a couple weeks ago, and their quarterback is dynamic,” said Fairview head coach Tom McCartney after the game. “He’s got weapons. So I thought our defense played great.”

Meanwhile, Fairview had no trouble moving the ball, alternating between throwing deep down the sideline and using the aggressiveness of Overland’s front four against them with hard counts to draw off-side penalties, as well as different types of screens that kept the athletic Trailblazers defense off-balance.

“Those screens are always part of our game-plan, and they were doing a good job of flying up,” said Feauto. “We were able to get them to think we were going to do that, and they were getting off their man and getting wide open.”

By the time Fairview senior Tim Ryan caught a bubble screen mid-way through the second quarter, broke a tackle, and raced down the sideline for a 66-yard touchdown – his third of half – the score was already 28-0 in favor of Fairview.

Feauto finished the first half 19 of 27 for 287 yards and four touchdowns. Ryan caught six passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns, while senior receiver Connor May also caught six passes for 69 yards and a score.

“Johnny was able to find the grass and able to see the open receivers. And he was throwing well. He was great tonight,” said May after the game. “Our receiver corps, we’ve known each other a long time, so there’s a lot of chemistry there. Johnny and I have played together for a really long time. So that chemistry has been there since we were little.”

Following halftime, with the game in danger of turning into a rout, Overland was able to put points on the board right away. A touchdown run from Conway made the score 28-6 after a missed extra point. Still down big, the Trailbalzers tried an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but Fairview recovered. Helped out by the fortunate field position, the Knights kicked a 44-yard field goal a few plays later.

Conway and Overland came right back with a 12-yard touchdown pass to junior wide-out Sam Warren III (who made a circus catch in the corner of the end-zone) to cut the lead to 31-13.

But the early deficit was just too much for the Trailblazers to overcome. Fairview would add two more touchdowns – the first Ryan’s fourth touchdown of the night – to push their total to 45. Conway had one more moment of brilliance – a 75-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes left in the game – before the result was final.

Fairview, still undefeated on the season, will pit their overpowering offense against third-round matchup, No. 1 Ralston Valley’s immovable defensive unit. The Mustangs won on a last-second 56-yard field goal Friday.

“We’re playing a team we know pretty well because we’ve been in the same league the last few years. We know how talented they are,” said a cool-headed McCartney about next week’s matchup. “We’ll get to work tomorrow, and get our prep in.”