By Karrington Kincaid, The Seattle Medium
In the closing minutes of the WIAA 3A state championship, with O’Dea trailing Mt. Tahoma 14-13, there was no panic in the huddle. No forced throws. No scramble from the sideline. Just a confident, composed quarterback in Hutton Leverett, steering the moment with quiet authority. What followed was a drive that didn’t just win a game. It defined a title repeat.
Leverett’s stat line, 3-of-5 passing for 41 yards and a touchdown, plus 8.5 yards per carry on the ground, might not scream MVP. But his decision-making, efficiency and poise during a pressure-packed fourth quarter elevated him above the numbers.
After Mt. Tahoma seized the lead with a 51-yard touchdown run and extra point with 5:45 remaining, Leverett and the O’Dea offense went to work. The drive began with a 15-yard return from J Shaun Wilson, setting the Irish up at their own 33-yard line. On second down, Leverett scrambled for 14 yards and a first down, giving his team a spark when it needed one. Following a false start and a short run for a loss, Max Speller broke free for a 22-yard burst into Mt. Tahoma territory, shifting the momentum.
Then, on third-and-five from the 30-yard line, came the defining moment. With the season on the line, Leverett dropped back, read the defense, and delivered a perfectly thrown deep ball to wide receiver Owen Brustkern, who had slipped behind the safeties. Brustkern caught it in stride for a 30-yard touchdown, giving O’Dea a 19-14 lead with just 1:27 remaining.
Leverett wasn’t done.
On the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, a play the team had practiced since midseason, he executed flawlessly again. Out of the shotgun, he found David Schwerzel in the flat for the conversion, stretching the lead to 21-14 and giving O’Dea the cushion it needed to secure the championship.
The drive, seven plays for 67 yards, showed everything Leverett brought to the team throughout the season. Calm under pressure. Confidence in his teammates. Precise execution when it mattered most.
“It’s a crazy feeling,” Leverett said. “I want to give thanks to God first and foremost. These guys bought into God and into Jesus, and He led us to where we are now. Shoutout to all the fans and families who came out tonight. None of this is possible without them. They’re the ones really running this thing.”
A junior with another season ahead, Leverett didn’t need to dominate the stat sheet or force the spotlight. But when O’Dea needed someone to guide them through the biggest moment of the season, the captain of the team delivered. In a program built on consistency and toughness, his final drive was the perfect ending.
