By Kiara Doyal
The Seattle Medium
With their seasons on the line, the Benson Bruins and Renton Rangers faced off in a must-win, loser-out Washington Youth Football League (WYFL) 6U playoff matchup. The stakes were high as both teams took the field, but the Bruins came ready to make a statement. Behind a dominant rushing performance from Nasir Bosley and a relentless defensive effort, Benson controlled the game from the opening possession, defeating Renton 39-0 to advance to the championship game.
Bosley led Benson’s offense with 269 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, helping the Bruins establish control early and maintain their momentum throughout the contest.
Benson wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. On its opening possession, Bosley broke free for an explosive 60-yard touchdown run to give the Bruins an early 6-0 lead. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, but the big play immediately set the tone for the offense.
Renton struggled to find its footing on its first possession. Running back Cam’Ron Thomas managed a pair of three-yard carries, but the offense was unable to convert on third down and was forced to punt.
Benson took advantage of the field position, beginning its next drive at the Renton 24-yard line. Blaze Solo opened the possession with an eight-yard run before Bosley converted a third-and-two with a 12-yard gain. Despite back-to-back false-start penalties that pushed Benson backward, Bosley quickly erased the lost yardage with a 25-yard run.
Benson continued moving the ball efficiently, with Bosley adding another 23-yard carry before La’juan Sims and Dez Talitiga helped move the offense closer to the goal line. Benson finished the opening quarter leading 6-0.
The Bruins continued their offensive momentum to begin the second quarter. Bosley picked up eight yards to bring the offense within striking distance before Solo punched in a three-yard touchdown run on third-and-one. Talitiga converted the extra point, extending Benson’s lead to 13-0 with 7:01 remaining in the half.
Renton attempted to respond but struggled to establish consistency on offense. After an initial loss of four yards and a personal-foul penalty against Benson, Renton faced a difficult series of downs. A big loss on second down put Renton behind the chains, and although Thomas managed a short gain, the offense ultimately turned the ball over on downs.
Benson quickly returned to its ground game. Following a false-start penalty, Bosley broke loose for a 60-yard run to put Benson in excellent field position. Thomas came up with a huge stop to prevent another immediate score, but Benson continued to move the ball.
Zyeair Rogers and Leleyahna Ahto-Faamalele combined for nine yards before Solo broke through for a nine-yard gain. Benson moved inside the five-yard line, where Bosley continued the drive with a two-yard carry. After a fumble that Benson managed to recover, Bosley finished the possession with a four-yard touchdown run.
The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, but Benson had extended its advantage to 19-0 with just 24 seconds remaining in the half.
Renton attempted to put together one final possession before halftime, but Benson’s defense held firm. Thomas managed a short gain, while consecutive negative plays and short runs by Hendrix Mitchell-McClinton and Derek Lowe Jr. prevented Renton from making progress. Benson entered halftime with a 19-0 lead.
Benson opened the second half with another strong defensive stand. Renton began with a short run from Thomas before fumbling on its next play. Benson recovered the loose ball, giving its offense another opportunity to extend the lead.
The Bruins capitalized immediately. Rogers picked up 14 yards before Sims broke free for a 28-yard touchdown run. Solo converted the extra point, pushing Benson’s lead to 26-0 with 6:02 remaining in the third quarter.
Renton looked to respond on its next possession, with Thomas picking up consecutive short gains. However, Benson’s defense continued to limit the running game, allowing just one yard on a third-down carry by Faaifo Ohi before forcing another turnover on downs.
Benson took over and continued to lean on its rushing attack. Bosley opened the possession with a three-yard run before breaking loose for a 21-yard gain. Aho Sauni added seven yards, followed by a five-yard carry from Ahto-Faamalele.
After a false-start penalty, Bosley added another seven-yard run as Benson continued to control possession and field position. Although the Bruins did not add to the scoreboard during the remainder of the quarter, the offense continued to wear down Renton’s defense. Benson carried a 26-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
Benson continued its offensive dominance to open the final quarter. Bosley picked up eight yards before Kameha Titialii took over, breaking off a 17-yard run to move Benson inside the 10-yard line. Titialii finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 33-0 with 4:55 remaining. Solo added the extra point.
With the running clock in effect, Renton attempted to put together a final offensive drive. Thomas and Lowe Jr. managed short gains, but Benson’s defense continued to shut down the running game. On fourth down, Sauni recorded a sack on Lowe Jr. to force another turnover on downs.
Benson took possession and continued to run the football. Blaze Manio picked up eight yards before the offense suffered back-to-back negative plays. Facing fourth-and-eight, Benson turned to Bosley, who broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run to put the finishing touches on the performance, securing a 39-0 victory over Renton.
After the game, Benson head coach Jacob Westerlund credited the Renton Rangers organization and their 6U staff and players for always showing a great display of sportsmanship.
“I am so proud! Our team did an amazing job of sticking to the game-plan. Renton has some real talent on their team that we have to account for and our team was able to execute and come out with the victory,” said Westerlund. “Every week we preach “do your job” as individuals and that will lead to collective success and we did just that. Although this was a big win for us, our goals haven’t been met yet as we prepare for our championship matchup next week against Tac City 6U.”
Game Stats
Benson Bruins
Rushing: Nasir Bosley, 13 carries, 269 yards, 3 TDs; La’juan Sims, 2 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD; Kameha Titialii, 2 carries, 26 yards, 1 TD; Blaze Solo, 3 carries, 20 yards, 1 TD; Zyeair Rogers, 2 carries, 16 yards; Leleyahna Ahto-Faamalele, 2 carries, 12 yards; Blaze Manio, 1 carry, 8 yards; Aho Sauni, 1 carry, 7 yards; Dez Talitiga, 1 carry, 3 yards.
Defense: Aho Sauni, 1 sack; Benson recovered a Renton fumble in the third quarter.
Scoring: Bosley, 60-yard, 4-yard and 38-yard TD runs; Solo, 3-yard TD run; Sims, 28-yard TD run; Titialii, 9-yard TD run.
Extra points: Dez Talitiga, Blaze Solo (2).
Renton Rangers
Rushing: Cam’Ron Thomas, 7 carries, 14 yards; Derek Lowe Jr., 2 carries, 3 yards; Hendrix Mitchell-McClinton, 1 carry, 2 yards; Faaifo Ohi, 1 carry, 1 yard.
Defense: Cam’Ron Thomas, key tackle preventing a long Bosley run from becoming a touchdown.
