Reported by Karringotn Kincaid, The Seattle Medium
In one of the most exciting semifinal matchups of the Washington Youth Football League playoffs, the B12P Bearcats punched their ticket to the 8U championship game with a 33–19 win over the CD Panthers.
Both teams traded big plays, momentum swings, and hard hits, but it was the Bearcats’ balance on offense and timely execution that proved to be the difference. The Panthers, who put together a tremendous regular season, gave everything they had. Camden Johnson led the charge with a pair of long scoring runs, but CD could not slow down the relentless Bearcats’ ground game powered by Leeangelo Bentley and Isaiah Dreakford.
B12 opened the game strong. Bentley ran for seven yards on the first play and then Kyng Bates followed with a 19‑yard burst to move the ball deep into Panther territory. D’ontae Bain‑Porter chipped in with eight more yards before quarterback Isaiah Dreakford added a six‑yard gain of his own. On a key third down, Jayven Taylor powered seven yards to keep the drive alive. Dreakford then connected with Taylor for an 18‑yard strike for the game’s opening touchdown. The extra point made it 7‑0.
The Panthers answered quickly. On their next possession Jarmaquil Keeley Jr. took a handoff and sprinted 51 yards for the tying touchdown. The conversion attempt failed leaving the score 7‑6.
Bentley immediately helped B12 regain control. He picked up six and eight yards on consecutive carries then Dreakford hit Taylor for a 37‑yard completion that put the Bearcats in scoring range. Early in the second quarter Bates finished the drive with a 14‑yard touchdown run giving B12 a 14‑6 lead.
CD continued to show why they were one of the league’s most dangerous teams. Johnson broke loose for a 59‑yard touchdown midway through the second quarter cutting the lead to 14‑12 after the conversion came up short.
Late in the half the Bearcats stayed in control. They recovered another fumble and kept pushing. Bentley and Bain‑Porter moved the ball downfield. Bentley capped the charge with a 48‑yard run for his second touchdown. That score pushed the B12 lead to 21-12 as the teams went into halftime.
After the break the Bearcats’ defense set the tone. Bentley and Bates combined on back‑to‑back tackles for loss to stop CD’s opening drive of the third quarter. From there the Bearcats seized the momentum. Bentley recorded runs of five, 26 and then broke free for a 39‑yard touchdown run to stretch the lead to 27‑12.
The Panthers tried to respond but B12’s defense stood tall. Bentley and Bates clogged the running lanes and kept Keeley Jr. to short gains.
In the fourth quarter the Bearcats closed the game out. Taylor opened the drive with a 19‑yard run then Dreakford connected with him for six more through the air. After a short rush by Bain‑Porter and a four‑yard gain from Bentley, Dreakford scored on a four‑yard touchdown run to push the lead to 33‑12.
CD would not go quietly. With under a minute left Johnson broke through the defense again for a dazzling 99‑yard touchdown run to make the final score 33‑19 after the extra point. At that point the outcome was settled.
After the game the Bearcats’ coaching staff praised the team’s collective effort. “We can’t do any of the things we do without each other,” one coach said. “We feed off each other’s energy getting the kids ready for game day.”
With the win the Bearcats move on to the 8U championship next week looking to finish their playoff run in style. The Panthers, despite the loss, showed tremendous effort, poise and determination.
Player Stats
B12 Bearcats (Offense):
Leeangelo Bentley – 13 rushes, 161 yards, 1 TD
Isaiah Dreakford – 6 rushes, 39 yards, 1 TD; 4/4 passing, 60 yards, 1 TD
Jayven Taylor – 4 rushes, 18 yards; 3 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD
Kyng Bates – 5 rushes, 23 yards, 1 TD
D’ontae Bain-Porter – 5 rushes, 12 yards
Jaxsen Smoot – 1 rush, 8 yards, 1 TD
CD Panthers (Offense):
Camden Johnson – 5 rushes, 155 yards, 2 TDs
Jarmaquil Keeley Jr. – 8 rushes, 23 yards, 1 TD
Da’Reek Whitner – 1 rush, 5 yards
Kenny Collier – 1 reception, 3 yards, 1 rush, 3 yards
Avery Clewis – 1/1 passing, 3 yards
