Just when Arapahoe began to breathe new life in the fourth quarter, Joey Chott snuffed it out as Regis Jesuit rode to an 11-5 victory in the Class 5A state title game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Friday night.
“No words,” Chott said of the Raiders second state title in three years. “Incredible.”
Chott, a senior midfielder and attacker, deposited two goals in 23 seconds to double the Raiders’ advantage with just over 10 minutes left after Arapahoe senior midfielder David Babb cut the Warriors’ deficit to 6-4.
“I think he was upset at himself because he came down on a break right before that and he took his shot, he didn’t finish it,” coach Jim Soran said. “The goalie put it the other way and they scored on us. He’s got that responsiveness where if he makes a mistake, he’s going to correct it.”
Chott also scored once in the first half. Senior attacker Mikey Bealer, who led the Raiders with 28 total goals this season, had a hat trick in the first quarter that put Regis Jesuit ahead 3-1 and settled the Raiders’ nerves.
The Raiders’ defense, which stifled Cherry Creek in a 7-3 quarterfinals win, allowed only 11 goals during the tournament.
The defensive squad carried over its previous performance early on and gave up only one goal on three shots in the first half.
Senior attacker Keenan Moffitt, Arapahoe’s leading scorer with 42 total goals this season, was held in check by Raiders’ junior defender Joey Soren until he scored with 41 seconds left in the third quarter to cut Arapahoe’s deficit to 6-3.
“He’s a dangerous attacker,” Jim Soran said of Moffitt. “You have to get low on him and stay on his hands, and Joey did a nice job of that.”
Soran and senior Tyler Reynolds acted as engulfing defensive shadows and struck with physicality whenever a Warriors attacker invaded their space.
Arapahoe sophomore attacker Ryan Carlson, however, broke the defense at 9:41 of the third quarter to pull the Warriors within 5-2 after junior attacker Chase Douglas scored his team’s lone first-half goal.
The Raiders took the second meeting after Regis Jesuit edged Arapahoe, 7-4, when the Raiders hosted the Warriors on April 5.
It seemed fitting these two teams met for this year’s title since each has brought out the best in the other in recent postseason memory.
Although the Raiders and Warriors didn’t meet in last year’s playoffs, which ended with a Cherry Creek victory over Regis Jesuit, the Raiders defeated Arapahoe in the 2014 semifinals en route their state championship title. In 2013, it was the Warriors who bested Regis Jesuit in the semifinals before winning the state championship.
