O’Dea Improves To 4-1 With 45-0 Victory over Blanchet

By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium

O’Dea entered Friday night’s Metro League contest against Bishop Blanchet with an undefeated conference record and wasted no time showing why. Behind a powerful ground game and suffocating defense, the Fighting Irish posted an impressive 45-0 win over the Bears.

The game started with O’Dea kicking off to Bishop Blanchet, who started their first drive at the 22-yard line. Will Condon rushed for a short gain, but a holding penalty set them back. On third down, Blanchet quarterback Gavin Henry connected with Condon for an 8-yard completion to keep the chains moving. However, the Bears’ momentum stalled after an incomplete pass on third down led to a punt.

O’Dea wasted no time responding, and on their first offensive play, Uriah Stringfield darted down the field for a 50-yard touchdown run. The extra point by Alec Petricic was good, putting O’Dea up 7-0 with nine minutes left in the first quarter. The Bears tried to return the favor with a successful series, but a sack by O’Dea’s Ramere Collier-Banks forced another Blanchet punt.

On O’Dea’s next possession, Ray Clark III broke free on a 53-yard touchdown run, with no Blanchet defender in sight. After a successful point after attempt, the Fighting Irish had built a 14-0 early lead in the opening quarter.

After taking possession of the ball, Henry began to ramp up his offense with successful hand-offs to Charlie Slatt and rushes on the ground of his own. A pass interference call and a personal foul against O’Dea gave Blanchet great field position. However, after completions to Matthews and a few short runs by Gabe Ariz and Henry, the Bears missed a 24-yard field goal attempt and came away with no points on a productive drive.

With under two minutes remaining in the quarter, O’Dea once again turned to Stringfield, who added two big runs for a total of 26 yards to close out the opening quarter with O’Dea leading 14-0.

The second quarter started with a big play for Bishop Blanchet after O’Dea’s Allias Moimoi fumbled the ball, and the Bears recovered it. However, they couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, as Henry threw three consecutive incomplete passes, forcing yet another punt.

O’Dea, on the other hand, kept their foot on the pedal as Timo Sousou scored on a 70-yard touchdown run, extending O’Dea’s lead to 21-0 after a successful extra point.

Midway into the second quarter, the Bears started to show a little more effort and rhythm on offense. Henry was able to pick up a few short yards, but ultimately, an encroachment penalty on O’Dea gave them the push they needed to get a much-needed first down. Ariz followed the automatic first down with a strong 16-yard run, and Henry connected with Nate Siderius for a 7-yard gain. But despite the offensive efforts from the Bears, they couldn’t finish and turned the ball over back to O’Dea.

O’Dea quickly regained control, with J’Shaun Wilson and Max Speller combining for helpful gains before Stringfield added a 26-yard run. For the first time of the night, it looked like O’Dea was slowing down after a false start call. But it would be short-lived as Stringfield found his way to the end zone again on a 16-yard run to give O’Dea a 28-0 lead with just under seven minutes left in the first half.

The Bears’ offense continued to struggle, as Henry was sacked twice during their next possession by Timo Sousou, leading to another punt on fourth down. The Fighting Irish then attacked quickly, with all members on the field working well together. Stringfield, Owen Brustkern, Peyton Egan and Moimoi all chipped in significant yards, securing multiple first downs. Egan then ended the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run, extending O’Dea’s lead to 35-0.

With just under two minutes remaining, the Bears’ final possession of the half ended in disappointment, as Henry’s pass was intercepted by Moimoi. O’Dea would strike again, this time with a 32-yard field goal by Petricic, to stretch their lead to 38-0 at halftime.

Blanchet showed some life in the third quarter, as Finn Bernson grabbed an interception. However, the Bears quickly turned the ball over on downs after an incomplete pass on fourth down.

The Fighting Irish were truly fighting and seemed only interested in continuing to get as many points on the board as they could. Wilson would pick up 42 yards on two carries, while Spiller would pick up 7 additional yards on a run to give O’Dea a first and goal at the 8-yard line. Egan would finish the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to give O’Dea a 45-0 lead with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter.

The Bears had a few good runs during their next possession, and Henry connected with Sonny Marona for 11 yards, and before adding a strong 11-yard run of his own. But, unfortunately for the Bears, they couldn’t get past midfield and were forced once again to punt.

O’Dea took over once again and yet again also wasted no time establishing themselves on offense, as J’Andre Castillo had a 9-yard run, which he followed with a huge 45-yard gain to close out the quarter.

In the final quarter, O’Dea would continue to rack up rushing yards and run the clock. Chrystian Ervin and Ja Ray McKnight each picked up short gains for O’Dea to set up a field goal attempt by the Fighting Irish, but O’Dea would miss the kick and gave the ball back to the Bears.

A quick 9-yard rush by August Matthews helped bring some positive spirits to Blanchet fans. After an incomplete pass by Matthews on second down, teammate Teo Faragher Quinn was there to pick him back up, securing a first down after a short 2-yard run. Matthews then continued the momentum by adding a 4-yard gain. A false start penalty and a tackle for loss would push the Bears back. Cooper Einfeld entered the game at quarterback but couldn’t connect on his pass attempt, and the Bears were forced to punt once again.

O’Dea would regain possession and run out the clock to secure a 45-0 victory over Blanchet.

Player Stats

O’Dea Fighting Irish (Offense):

• Uriah Stringfield: 7 carries, 135 yards, 2 TDs

• Timo Sousou: 1 carry, 70 yards, 1 TD

• Ray Clark III: 1 carry, 53 yards, 1 TD

• Peyton Egan: 7 carries, 41 yards, 3 TDs

• J Shaun Wilson: 4 carries, 64 yards

• J Andre Castillo: 2 carries, 54 yards

• Max Speller: 2 carries, 12 yards

• Owen Brustkern: 1 carry, 11 yards

O’Dea Fighting Irish (Defense):