By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Last night, the O’Dea Fighting Irish advanced to the next round of the state 3A playoffs with a 56–14 victory over the Snohomish Panthers.
O’Dea took the opening possession and wasted no time showcasing its offensive talent. Running back Uriah Stringfield got things started with a touchdown run that was called back for a penalty. However, the Fighting Irish offense kept its rhythm. Peyton Egan, Max Speller and Giulio Banchero each contributed solid runs as O’Dea strategically moved the ball down the field.
Despite a few setbacks—including another touchdown by Stringfield that was called back—the Fighting Irish offense maintained its poise and discipline. On 3rd-and-1 from the 11-yard line, Stringfield powered his way into the end zone for O’Dea’s first score of the night. The extra point was good, giving O’Dea a 7–0 lead with 4:54 left in the first quarter.
Snohomish responded with some big plays of its own. Quarterback Nate Kendall connected with Jack Rotondo for a 40-yard pass, putting the Panthers in scoring position. But a holding penalty stalled the drive, and the quarter ended with O’Dea leading 7–0.
Snohomish got its first points of the night early in the second quarter, as Kendall found Chase Clark on 4th-and-12 for a 29-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7–7 with 11:53 remaining in the quarter.
O’Dea responded immediately as Hutton Leverett completed passes to Banchero and David Schwerzel. The O’Dea offense, led by J’Shaun Wilson, moved the chains efficiently. However, with seven minutes left, the game paused after a Snohomish player went down with a serious injury, requiring medical attention and a 20-minute delay.
When the game resumed, Wilson burst through the defensive line for a 12-yard touchdown run to give O’Dea a 14–7 lead. Moments later, O’Dea’s defense recovered a Snohomish fumble, and Allias Moimoi quickly capitalized, connecting with Schwerzel for another touchdown, as the Fighting Irish extended their lead to 21–7.
Snohomish struck back when Bryson Acosta broke loose on a 39-yard run to set up a 30-yard touchdown pass from Kendall to Rotondo, cutting the deficit to 21–14 with 3:40 left in the half. But O’Dea didn’t back down. Wilson returned a punt 50 yards to set up another scoring drive, which he finished off himself with a 3-yard touchdown run—his third of the half—as O’Dea entered halftime with a 28–14 lead.
Coming out of halftime, O’Dea’s defense quickly made a statement. Timo Sousou sacked Kendall for a 6-yard loss to force a Snohomish punt. From there, O’Dea’s offense completely took over the game.
Wilson chipped in a 27-yard run, Egan added 11 more, and Speller ended the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to make it 35–14. After another quick possession for Snohomish, the Irish struck again. This time, Wilson finished a 52-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, stretching O’Dea’s lead to 42–14.
Snohomish tried to fight back, but O’Dea’s defense—led by J. Andre Castillo and Sousou—kept applying pressure, as the third quarter ended with the Irish leading 42–14.
Early in the final quarter, O’Dea’s defense recovered yet another Snohomish fumble, setting up Wilson for one more touchdown—this one a 36-yard dash to the end zone to push the Fighting Irish’s lead to 49–14 with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Irish defense forced yet another turnover on downs, and O’Dea’s offense continued to dominate. Moimoi and Wilson combined for another quick drive that saw Moimoi score on a 3-yard run with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter. The extra point made it 56–14.
With a running clock now in effect, O’Dea ran out the clock efficiently while Snohomish tried to find some rhythm with backup quarterback Dawson Cobb. The final seconds ticked away, and the Fighting Irish secured their victory with a 56–14 win over the Panthers.
After the game, O’Dea head coach Monte Kohler praised his defensive players and said they are already looking ahead to their next opponent.
“We played great, but were a little rusty and need to clean it up after penalties, or we won’t go very far. But the defense did a great job in the second half,” said Kohler. “It’s win or go home, so next week it is 1–0. Get our mind right, and Sunday we will know who we have next.”
Player Stats
O’Dea Fighting Irish (Offense):
• J’Shaun Wilson – 15 rushes, 164 yards, 4 touchdowns; 1 punt return, 50 yards
• Uriah Stringfield – 9 rushes, 47 yards, 1 touchdown
• Max Speller – 6 rushes, 57 yards, 1 touchdown
• Allias Moimoi – 4 rushes, 41 yards, 1 touchdown; 1/1 passing, 2 yards, 1 touchdown
• Peyton Egan – 3 rushes, 44 yards; 1 reception, 16 yards
• Giulio Banchero – 2 rushes, 20 yards; 1 reception, 10 yards
• Ray Clark III – 1 reception, 15 yards
• David Schwerzel – 2 receptions, 17 yards, 1 touchdown
• Hutton Leverett – 4/4 passing, 56 yards
O’Dea Fighting Irish (Defense):
• Timo Sousou – 2 sacks
• J. Andre Castillo – 1 sack
Snohomish Panthers (Offense):
• Nate Kendall – 1 rush, 1 yard; 6/6 passing, 129 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Jack Rotondo – 6 receptions, 102 yards, 1 touchdown
• Chase Clark – 3 rushes, 4 yards; 1 reception, 29 yards, 1 touchdown
• Bryson Acosta – 5 rushes, 74 yards
• Luke Sage – 1 rush, 13 yards
• James Flores – 1 rush, 3 yards; 1 reception, 3 yards
• Aden Booth – 1 rush, 4 yards
• Dawson Cobb – 2/2 passing, 5 yards
Snohomish Panthers (Defense):
• Chase Clark – 1 sack
• James Flores – 1 sack
• Jack Rotondo – 6 tackles
• Peyton Perkl – 1 fumble recovery
Photos/Tyler Artis
