By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Last night, the Eastside Catholic Crusaders spoiled Ranier Beach’s senior night, as they defeated the Vikings 42-6 at the Southwest Athletic Complex.
Eastside Catholic took the opening possession and wasted no time asserting control. Running back Nick Jones got things moving with back-to-back 8-yard rushes, setting the tone for what was yet to come. On third and five from the 30-yard line, quarterback Luca Villasenor found Cayden Pili for a 30-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was good, giving Eastside a 7–0 lead just minutes into the opening quarter.
Later in the quarter, Beach would respond with a big play as Oteko Mwamba returned a kick 63 yards to set up the Vikings deep down the field. Vikings quarterback Micah Illi-Meneese connected with his brother, Marques Illi-Meneese, twice during the series, then handed off the ball to Zevion Watkins, who powered through the Crusader defensive line for an 18-yard touchdown run. However, the extra point attempt was blocked by Eastside Catholic, as they the Crusaders held a 7–6 with 6:08 left in the quarter.
The Crusaders answered immediately. Cayden Pili ran down the sideline for a 60-yard kick return, placing Eastside near the endzone. Shortly after, Pili took a handoff on third and eight and ran 30 yards into the end zone for his second touchdown of the quarter. After the kick, Eastside extended its lead to 14–6 with 3:41 remaining.
Eastside’s defense then took over. Defensive lineman Aedyn Havili recorded a sack, and on the next play, Asa Thompson intercepted a pass to swing momentum back to the Crusaders. Beach briefly regained possession with an interception of their own by Yusef Parrish, but Eastside’s defense remained dominant. Wassie Lugolobi and Braden Pili combined for back-to-back sacks to close out the quarter with Eastside leading 14–6.
The Crusaders continued their dominance during the second quarter. Nick Jones and the offensive line set the tone with a series of runs. Jones picked up gains of 9 and 12 yards, then added another 7 to move the chains. Lugolobi chipped in a 9-yard run to bring the ball near the endzone. On the next play, Jones score on a 7-yard touchdown run to give Eastside Catholic a 21-6 lead with 7:45 left in the first half, after a successful point after attempt.
Beach’s offense continued to struggle against Eastside’s defense. Micah Illi-Meneese threw three consecutive incomplete passes, leading to another punt. Eastside’s offense then went right back to work, as Jones and Thompson combined for steady gains, but a series of incomplete passes quickly stopped their drive.
The Vikings faced another quick possession, and the Crusaders came back and scored again. Villasenor ran for six yards to set up first and goal, then Pili ended the short drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, his third score of the night. The extra point was good, extending Eastside Catholic’s lead to 28–6 with 1:12 left in the half.
The Crusaders would regain possession with just 44 seconds remaining, and Villasenor connected with Nepo Fareti for a 16-yard touchdown pass. The extra point made it 35–6 as the teams headed into halftime.
Beach started the second half looking for a spark, and quarterback Esquire Williams provided one with a 17-yard run. But Eastside’s defense quickly ended the Vikings’ possession, as Joseph Mbock-Nlend recorded a sack, and Beach was forced to punt again.
When Eastside regained possession, Jones picked up right where he left off. He powered through Rainier Beach’s defense with runs of 18 and 9 yards, while Lugolobi added a 25-yard run.
However, a fumble at the 14-yard line gave Beach a brief sign of hope, but the Vikings couldn’t act on it. Eastside’s Aedyn Havili and Braden Pili both recorded sacks on the drive, forcing yet another Rainier Beach punt.
Beach’s Jay’Shaun Banks-Hall, followed with a sack of his own, but Eastside quickly regrouped. Cade Boehl had a 28-yard run, and moments later, Jones finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, which was his second of the night. The kick was good, and Eastside led 42–6 with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Eastside’s reserves took the field in the fourth quarter but showed no signs of letting up. Backup running back Daniel Jones chipped in 9 and 7 yards on consecutive carries to move the chains before they ultimately turned the ball over on downs.
Havili added another sack, his third of the game, while Oteko Mwamba briefly gave Beach life with a 20-yard reception from Williams. But Eastside quickly stopped that momentum, forcing a turnover on downs.
The Crusaders were then faced with a quick possession as well, and then Beach quarterback Jayden Tyler connected with Marques Illi-Meneese for a short 10-yard gain in the closing seconds, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The clock expired with Eastside sealing a 42–6 victory.
Player Stats
Eastside Catholic Crusaders (Offense):
Luca Villasenor: 6/13 passing, 63 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 1 rush, 6 yards
Nick Jones: 11 rushes, 84 yards, 2 TDs
Cayden Pili: 1 rush, 30 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 30 yards, 1 TD; 1 punt return, 60 yards
Callum Skillestad: 1 rush, 1 yard, 1 TD; 1 reception, 9 yards
Robert Ingram: 2 receptions, 4 yards
Wassie Lugolobi: 2 rushes, 34 yards;
Nepo Fareti: 1 reception, 16 yards, 1 TD
Daniel Jones: 6 rushes, 29 yards
Eastside Catholic Crusaders (Defense):
Aedyn Havili: 2 sacks
Braden Pili: 2 sacks
Asa Thompson: 1 interception
Wassie Lugolobi: 1 sack
Joseph Mbock-Nlend: 1 sack
Rainier Beach Vikings (Offense):
Micah Illi-Meneese: 4/9 passing, 45 yards; 1 rush, 7 yards; 1 INT
Esquire Williams: 3/6 passing, 31 yards; 5 rushes, 41 yards
Jayden Tyler: 1/2 passing, 10 yards
Zevion Watkins: 2 rushes, 13 yards, 1 TD
Damari King: 1 punt return, 48 yards
Marques Illi-Meneese: 3 receptions, 35 yards
Ameer Johnson: 1 reception, 3 yards
Oteko Mwamba: 1 reception, 20 yards; 1 punt return, 63 yards
Jay’Shaun Banks-Hall: 1 rush, 4 yards
Rainier Beach Vikings (Defense):
Yusef Parrish: 1 interception
Jay’Shaun Banks-Hall: 1 sack
Aedyn Havili: 1 sack
Photos/Chris Bennett
