By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Coming off a 16-7 loss last week to an undefeated O’Dea Fighting Irish team, the Eastside Catholic Crusaders hosted Garfield in front of their home crowd with an opportunity to reclaim the second-place spot in the Metro League’s Mountain Division. Garfield, riding a four-game winning streak, aimed to maintain their second-place position in the division and seek vengeance for last year’s loss to the Crusaders.
During their four-game winning streak, Garfield’s defense limited opposing teams to just 16 points per game, while their high-powered offense averaged nearly 42 points per game. Though these numbers were impressive, Eastside Catholic had been on an impressive run of their own, defeating Ballard, Bishop Blanchet, and Lincoln before their loss to O’Dea. The Crusaders’ defense hadn’t allowed a single touchdown during their three-game win streak, and offensively, they were scoring over 40 points per game. The two teams, both hitting their stride midway through the season, faced off in a critical matchup with significant playoff implications.
The game remained scoreless for the majority of the opening quarter, as neither team’s offense, accustomed to quick scoring, could find the endzone. Garfield, playing without running back Reylen Witherspoon, struggled to establish their running game, as Eastside Catholic’s defense dominated the line of scrimmage.
Offensively, Eastside Catholic, which had relied on big pass plays throughout the season, couldn’t find success against Garfield’s secondary in the first quarter. This forced them to rely on their rushing attack to set up their passing game as the match progressed.
With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter and the ball on their own 25-yard line, the Crusaders marched downfield, primarily behind running back Jeremiah Burroughs, who consistently gained five or more yards on each carry. This positioned quarterback Jake Tiryakioglu to throw a 25-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tyson Weaver.
The Crusaders’ aggressive defense played a crucial role in minimizing Garfield’s time of possession and swiftly returning the ball to their offense, allowing Eastside Catholic to add more points to the scoreboard.
Eastside Catholic scored right before halftime with a six-yard touchdown run by Burroughs, giving them a 14-0 lead heading into the half.
Down at halftime for the second time this season, Garfield needed an immediate score to prevent Eastside Catholic’s lead from expanding. The game remained scoreless for the first five minutes of the third quarter until Weaver caught a short pass from Tiryakioglu and sprinted 86 yards for his second touchdown of the night.
Trailing 21-0, the Bulldogs managed to score 10 unanswered points in the third quarter. Finn Terry kicked a 40-yard field goal, and Rahshawn Clark recorded Garfield’s first and only touchdown of the game on an 86-yard kickoff return at the end of the third quarter.
Eastside Catholic extended their lead, adding 10 more points to their scoring total, resulting in a 31-10 victory over the Bulldogs. Burroughs led all rushers with 130 yards and a touchdown, while Weaver contributed with two touchdowns for the Crusaders. Despite the game’s outcome, Garfield’s secondary performed exceptionally well, intercepting three passes from Crusaders quarterback Tiryakioglu.
With this win, Eastside Catholic (4-2 overall, 4-1 in Metro) moved into a second-place tie with Garfield in the Metro League’s Mountain Division. The Crusaders will conclude their season with away games against Seattle Prep and Rainier Beach.
Garfield (4-2 overall, 4-1 in Metro) will face inner-city rival Rainier Beach before closing out the regular season against the undefeated Fighting Irish of O’Dea.
Pictorial Highlights of Garfield vs Eastside Catholic coming soon.
