Undefeated Arvada West football avoids upset bid by Columbine

ARVADA — Trailing late and with their backs literally against their own end zone, Arvada West’s football responded in a big way Thursday night at the North Area Athletic Complex.

“We just believe in ourselves and believe in our team,” A-West quarterback Logan Duhachek said of the mindset before he hit senior Keegen Balistreri for an 83-yard pass to set up the game-winning touchdown in the final minutes. “We fight through adversity. We know the players we have. I don’t think anyone lost hope.”

Columbine had A-West — No. 4 in this week’s ColoradoPreps.com 5A football rankings — on the ropes. The Rebels rallied from a 13-3 halftime deficit to take a 17-13 lead with 4:33 left in the fourth quarter.

A 2-yard touchdown run by Columbine senior Mark Snyder gave the Rebels the lead with under five minutes to play. However, with the Wildcats’ undefeated record on the line A-West found a way to escape with a 20-17 victory.

“Their whole demeanor on the sideline was, ‘We got this.’ They have the upmost confidence not only in themselves, but in their teammates,” A-West first-year coach CJ Hanna said. “That is so cool to watch.”

Duhachek was sacked by Columbine sophomore Brayden Westerkamp on the first play of the eventual game-winning drive to put the Wildcats on their own 12-yard line. Still there was no panic by A-West (7-0, 2-0 in 5A Metro League). 

“Sometimes it’s the play design, but who is the player running it,” Hanna said. “We wanted to give our top players the ball and putting them in the right spot to get them the ball.”

Duhachek launched a deep by to Balistreri who hauled it in and carried a few Columbine defenders all the way down to the Rebels’ 5-yard line for a gain of 83 yards. Two plays later Duhachek found senior Noah Meurer in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown with 2:28 remaining in the game.

“It was all slants and he (Meurer) was covered,” Duhachek said of the go-ahead touchdown. “Noah and I just have that special connection. When I roll out I’m going to find him every time.”

It was Meurer’s ninth touchdown of the season and third time this season he has had multiple touchdown catches in a game.

“I know if I’m in the right spot at the right time he (Duhachek) is going to hit me,” Meurer said. “I knew he was going to hit me.”

A-West’s defense that had to endure five long punishing offensive drives by Columbine was able to push the Rebels back to their own 1-yard line before Columbine turned the ball over on downs. Two knees by Duhachek sealed the dramatic victory to keep the Wildcats undefeated.

“We knew we had to get over this hump,” Hanna said referring to A-West’s 1-9 record against Columbine in their last 10 meetings. “They just battled. I had all the confidence in them of what they did.”

A-West’s last win over Columbine came in 2021. Despite the Rebels (3-4, 1-1) dropping their first three games of the season, Columbine proved it is still a team to be reckoned with late in the season.

“Anytime you play someone like Columbine you know it’s going to be hard,” Meurer said. “Columbine is almost impossible to prepare for. Kudos to Coach Andy Lowry. He defintely knows what he is doing. I did think it was going to be this hard.”

Columbine had a 15-play drive that lasted over 8 minutes in the first half that ended with a 30-yard field goal by junior Connor Kaali-Nagy on the first play of the second quarter to give the Rebels a 3-0 lead. 

A-West countered in a hurry with a trick play that went the distance. Balistreri threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to senior Ayden Garcia on the next offensive play from scrimmage to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead with 11:34 left in the second quarter.

Garcia came up big on the defensive side of the ball with an interception to give A-West the ball on Columbine’s 28-yard line. 

Duhachek connected with Meurer for a 29-yard touchdown on a 4th-down play to push the lead to 13-3.

Columbine is back at NAAC next week Thursday, Oct. 16, to face Ralston Valley (7-0, 2-0). The Mustangs remained undefeated with a dominating road victory over Denver South on Thursday.

A-West will attempt to stay undefeated Friday, Oct. 17, at NAAC when the Wildcats host Denver East (1-5, 0-1). 

“They know how to win,” Hanna said of the close wins over Fairview, Legend and Columbine so far this season. “When it comes down to those final minutes we are going to do what we need to do and make plays. We have seen it all now. We’ve been test and it’s about keeping it going.”