By Kira Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Coming into their 3A first-round playoff game against Shorecrest, O’Dea High School Head Football Coach Monte Kohler had concerns about how his team would respond after a week off prior to the playoffs. However, that concern was quickly laid to rest as The Fighting Irish (9-0) jumped out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back as they posted a 56-0 win over the Scots (4-6).
The Scots had to battle their way into the playoffs after previously defeating Marysville Getchell 14-13 to secure the fourth seed from the Wesco Conference South Division.
“I was a little worried after having a bye week last week, but we will take the win,” said Kohler, who believes his team still has some things to work on after the game.
O’Dea running back Jason Brown, Jr. continued his scoring barrage as he seemingly scored almost every time he touched the ball against Shorecrest. Brown, who had his first carry of the game, which went for a touchdown, called back due to a holding penalty, scored on a 15-yard touchdown run on his first official carry of the game to give O’Dea a 7-0 lead just minutes into the first quarter.
O’Dea knows what works for them, and they continue to stick with it every game, and this game was no different. From the outset, O’Dea came out with high energy and established their physicality on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the Fighting Irish were very active and kept pressure on Shorecrest’s quarterback while also giving the Scots very little space to run the ball. Offensively, O’Dea kept running the ball and racking up yards.
After holding Shorecrest to a three-and-out, O’Dea’s Kyan McDonald gave the Fighting Irish great field position as he returned a punt 14 yards to the Shorecrest 40-yard line. A few plays later, Brown struck again as he broke loose for a 35-yard touchdown run with 3:36 remaining in the first quarter to give O’Dea a 14-0 lead.
Energy and determination were high for all players on the O’Dea sideline, and it started to show as the second quarter began.
RELATED ARTICLE: High School Metro Playoff Briefs
Quarterback Antone Araujo connected with McDonald on a 39-yard pass play to set up O’Dea for success, bringing them just two yards away from the endzone. From there, O’Dea’s Sirkeenan Hart would find his way to the end zone as the two-play drive extended the Fighting Irish lead to 21-0.
It was almost like a domino effect watching as the Fighting Irish kept the ball moving and adding more points to the scoreboard. With multiple players scoring touchdowns, the Fighting Irish not only showcased their depth, but they also showed how well-rounded they are as a team.
Throughout the season, O’Dea earned their right to be in the playoffs, and defending that right is exactly what they did throughout the entirety of the game. Brown would continue setting the tone for O’Dea as he scored his third touchdown of the night, stretching the Fighting Irish lead to 28-0 midway through the second quarter.
The night seemed to be over soon for Brown after scoring his third touchdown as the Fighting Irish began to give playing time to some of their reserve players while their lead continued to grow. However, Brown’s night was not over, and he remained unstoppable as he exploded for his fourth touchdown of the night on a 46-yard touchdown run.
With 5:46 remaining in the first half, the game was getting out of reach for the Shorecrest Scots, and they were getting close to facing a running clock in the second half.
Playing more of their backup players did not change the momentum of the Fighting Irish. Cracking down on the Scots offense, the Fighting Irish began to cause the Scots’ quarterback to scramble on nearly every play. O’Dea’s Paki Crawford forced a fumble on the Scots’ Jaylen Viars, which was then recovered by Davonn Abaga of the Fighting Irish on the Shorecrest 25 yardline.
Not surprising to many, the Fighting Irish kept giving it their all. Going right up the middle to the end zone is not as easy as it may seem, but the Fighting Irish’s Luther Hill did just that as he scored his first touchdown of the night with 4:27 remaining in the first half to give his team a 42-0 lead.
With Shorecrest trying anything to make a positive play, they finally got their first first down of the game with three minutes remaining in the first half. But as the first half ended, they still faced a 42-0 deficit.
Starting the second half, the scoreboard now showcased a running clock for the remainder of the game. The halftime break gave the Fighting Irish even more energy to finish off the ball game strong.
Right off the bat, Ryan Phillips returned the second-half kickoff all the way to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown, extending the O’Dea lead to 49-0 within seconds of the start of the second half.
Due to the running clock, the second half flew by in a quick 24 minutes. Before you knew it, the game was coming to an end. Wrapping up the evening shortly, the Fighting Irish gave it one last go at adding to their lead.
A burst of energy from the Fighting Irish’s Tuie Aya-ay saw him find his way to the end zone, bringing the O’Dea lead to 56-0.
With the win, O’Dea advances to the next round of the state 3A playoffs. Seeding for the next round will take place this Sunday to determine the next opponent for O’Dea and the rest of the teams advancing to the next round.
