By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Last night, the Garfield Bulldogs shut out the Nathan Hale Raiders 38-0 at the Southwest Athletic Complex, riding a dominant defense that held Nathan Hale to just 164 yards of total offense.
Nathan Hale opened with a promising drive, highlighted by runs of 9 yards from Korel Kulisewa and 16 yards from JC Osorio, but the possession stalled after penalties and an interception by Garfield’s Henrik Maloney. Garfield capitalized immediately, converting a fourth-and-1 when Amir Codrington connected with LJ Jones for a 34-yard gain. Jones then finished the drive with an 18-yard touchdown run, putting Garfield ahead 7-0.
Nathan Hale struggled to find momentum on its next possession, losing yardage before another turnover gave Garfield the ball back. Garfield’s offense again moved efficiently, with Porter Rohde connecting with Codrington for 14 yards before Josiah Montgomery-Irving found Rohde for a 16-yard gain. Jason McIntosh capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run, extending Garfield’s lead to 14-0 with 37 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Raiders opened the second quarter with a fumble that they recovered, but the drive ended with a punt from their own 19-yard line. Garfield then made its way downfield behind a series of strong runs from Bryan Hurd, McIntosh and Codrington. The drive ultimately ended when Kulisewa intercepted a pass from Montgomery-Irving, but Nathan Hale gave the ball right back when Rohde picked off Kulisewa.
Garfield’s Steven Davis Baker then broke loose for a 35-yard run, setting up Codrington for a 19-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs followed with a successful two-point conversion to take a 22-0 lead with 6:32 remaining in the half.
Nathan Hale showed some life on its next possession, with Kulisewa, Jake Kolias and Osorio combining for several solid runs, but penalties and a loss on third down forced another punt.
Garfield was determined to add to its lead late in the half, moving inside the Nathan Hale 20-yard line before its 22-yard field-goal attempt was blocked. The Bulldogs recovered the loose ball and appeared to return it for a touchdown, but officials ruled there was no touchdown. Nathan Hale then came up with a sack on fourth down to end the threat, sending the Raiders into halftime trailing 22-0.
Garfield opened the second half with a three-and-out, but Nathan Hale was unable to capitalize. After recovering its own fumble, Hale was pushed back 15 yards and then lost another 12 yards on the next play before eventually punting from its own 19-yard line.
Garfield responded with a strong drive led by McIntosh, who broke loose for a 23-yard run, but the Bulldogs were eventually forced to punt.
Nathan Hale again struggled to move the ball, and a fumble with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter gave Garfield possession at the 19-yard line. Garfield quickly took advantage, with Baker connecting with Codrington and Rohde on the drive before McIntosh finished it with a 2-yard touchdown run. The extra point gave Garfield a 29-0 lead with 51 seconds remaining in the quarter.
The Raiders’ next possession ended with another interception by Maloney, his second of the game. Although Nathan Hale recorded a sack to stop the ensuing Garfield drive, the Bulldogs remained comfortably in control heading into the fourth quarter.
Garfield’s offense struggled to open the final quarter, and after three consecutive incomplete passes, the Bulldogs settled for a 30-yard field goal to make it 32-0 with 11:09 remaining.
Nathan Hale slowly moved the ball on its next possession, with Kulisewa completing passes to Kolias and another receiver, but the drive stalled after a Garfield sack and ended in a punt.
Garfield then moved 40 yards down the field, with Baker, McIntosh and Codrington combining for key runs before Baker powered into the end zone from 1 yard out. The touchdown extended Garfield’s lead to 38-0 with 5:50 remaining.
Still putting up a fight, the Raiders mounted their strongest drive of the game late, relying heavily on Kolias, who chipped in several runs to move the ball into the Garfield red zone. Osorio added a 10-yard run, and Kulisewa followed with a 12-yard gain to bring Hale near the Garfield goal line with less than a minute remaining.
But Garfield’s defense held firm, stopping Nathan Hale just short of the end zone as time expired to preserve the 38-0 shutout.
Garfield’s ground game featured several contributors, led by Codrington, who rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, averaging more than 12 yards per attempt. He also contributed as a passer and receiver, including his 34-yard fourth-down completion to Jones on Garfield’s opening touchdown drive.
McIntosh added 77 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, while Baker rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown on four attempts. Amir Gambol added 21 yards on two carries, and Jones contributed an 18-yard touchdown run as the Bulldogs received production from several players throughout the game.
Garfield’s defense complemented the balanced offensive attack by repeatedly ending Nathan Hale possessions with turnovers. Maloney recorded two interceptions, including one on the Raiders’ opening possession and another late in the third quarter, while Rohde added a second-quarter interception. The Bulldogs then protected the shutout with their goal-line stand as time expired.
Game Stats
Garfield 38, Nathan Hale 0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Garfield | 14 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 38 |
| Nathan Hale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Garfield Rushing: Amir Codrington 7 carries, 88 yards, TD; Jason McIntosh 12 carries, 77 yards, 2 TD; Steven Davis Baker 4 carries, 48 yards, TD; Amir Gambol 2 carries, 21 yards; LJ Jones 1 carry, 18 yards, TD; Bryan Hurd 1 carry, 8 yards.
Garfield Receiving: LJ Jones 2 receptions, 41 yards; Porter Rohde 3 receptions, 21 yards; Amir Codrington 2 receptions, 16 yards; Henrik Maloney 2 receptions, 0 yards.
Garfield Defense: Henrik Maloney, 2 INT; Porter Rohde, INT. The play-by-play records another Garfield interception in the first quarter, but does not identify the defender.
Nathan Hale Rushing: Jake Kolias 8 carries, 41 yards; JC Osorio 3 carries, 38 yards; Korel Kulisewa 4 carries, 28 yards; Wes Sherwood 2 carries, 3 yards.
Nathan Hale Total Offense: 164 yards.
Nathan Hale Defense: Korel Kulisewa, INT; blocked field goal; fourth-down sack late in the second quarter.
Pictorial Highlights of Garfield vs Nathan Hale
Photos by John Saunders
