By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The O’Dea Fighting Irish, fueled by an incredible performance from Uriah Stringfield, defeated the Bellevue Wolverines 38-15 on Friday night to secure their fifth 3A State Championship in school history. Stringfield amassed 170 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns — two rushing and one receiving — as O’Dea ended Bellevue’s 23-game win streak, handing them their first loss since September 8, 2023. The victory also marked a historic milestone for head coach Monte Kohler, tying him with legendary Tumwater coach Sid Otton for the most career wins in state history with 394.
Bellevue began the game with the ball, but it became apparent early on that the reality of this being the biggest game of their season began to set in, as their nerves got the best of them as they started off slow and punted the ball on their first possession of the game. On the other side, O’Dea seemed ready for the moment as they methodically made their way downfield. However, Bellevue’s defense, led by Ryken Moon, stood strong, stopping O’Dea’s Case Barker on fourth down, as the Wolverines took possession of the ball after a turnover on downs.
On the ensuing drive, Bellevue pushed downfield, coming within a yard of the endzone. Despite a tackle by O’Dea’s Davian Sherlock to stop Moon short of the endzone, Bellevue’s Bryce Smith capitalized on the next play, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run, making the score 7-0 with the help of a successful extra point kick made by Charlie Miller.
Following the touchdown, O’Dea tried to break through the Bellevue defense but was repeatedly stopped by Smith, forcing the Fighting Irish to turnover the ball on downs once again. However, a Bellevue fumble that was recovered by O’Dea would give the Fighting Irish the spark they needed. With just seven seconds left in the first quarter, Nate Olmstead scored O’Dea’s first touchdown, and Owen Livingston’s extra point tied the game 7-7 as the opening period ended.
Starting the second quarter with the ball, the Wolverines struggled against the strong defensive efforts of Peter Sander and Sage Salopek, who repeatedly stopped Moon and the Wolverine offense on nearly every play, forcing a 4th down and a punt. With the score tied at 7-7, it was still anyone’s game, and both teams stepped up their play defensively. Mathaias Kalepo and Mason Hill would lead the Bellevue defensive efforts, while King Allah, Tevita Nonu, and Barker played a crucial role down the stretch for O’Dea as they completely shut down the Wolverine offense on a pivotal series late in the quarter, forcing another Bellevue punt.
With 3:20 remaining in the half, Salopek had a 17-yard punt return to help set the tone for O’Dea. O’Dea would quickly work their way down the field, and as the clock was winding down on the half, O’Dea quarterback Hutton Leverett connected with Olmstead on a 20-yard touchdown pass to give a 14-7 halftime lead.
O’Dea started the second half with the ball, and sure enough, just a couple minutes in, O’Dea’s Uriah Stringfield scored a 63-yard touchdown, making the score 21-7, with just under 10 minutes remaining. Defensively, O’Dea continued their relentless pressure. Big plays by Jeremiah Nonu and Rasaan Thomas would give the Fighting Irish even more momentum as the quarter progressed, forcing turnovers on downs.
Offensively, Stringfield was unstoppable during the third quarter. Running routes all over the field, Stringfield managed to score a 24-yard touchdown reception, as he dodged multiple Bellevue defenders on his way to the endzone, to extend the O’Dea lead to 28-7 with just under 2 minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Wolverines were completely out of sync, as the Fighting Irish were riding a 14-0 run, and their struggles would continue as they fumbled the ball on their next possession, allowing O’Dea to take possession of the ball at the Wolverine 21-yard line with 12 seconds left in the quarter. The Fighting Irish would let the clock run out to end the quarter, as they went into the final period of play with momentum and a 21-point lead.
In the final quarter, O’Dea quickly added to their lead with a 40-yard field goal by Owen Livingston, making it 31-7. Down but not out, the Wolverines responded with a pass from Smith to Moon to give Bellevue a first down a the O’Dea 10-yard line to set up a touchdown that was followed by a successful 2-point conversion by Max Jones, narrowing the lead to 31-15.
The Fighting Irish didn’t see much movement during their next possession, but their energy was still as high as ever as they knew they were just three minutes away from being the 3A State Champs.
As the clock was ticking down, Bellevue struggled with several incomplete passes. Seizing the moment and opportunity, Sherlock would intercept a pass at the Bellevue 44-yard line, which set up a game-sealing 44-yard touchdown run by Stringfield, making the score 38-15.
The Fighting Irish defense continued to dominate until the final whistle, forcing one last Bellevue fumble recovered by Sioeli Siale as O’Dea would claim the 2024 3A state football title.
For O’Dea, the win was a culmination of stellar individual performances and historical achievements. Giulio Banchero added to his family’s storied legacy with O’Dea football, becoming the third member of his family to win a state title. His father, Mario Banchero, won in 1991, and his brother, Paolo Banchero of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, led the Fighting Irish to a title in 2017 as a quarterback.
Meanwhile, Ryken Moon, the son of former NFL quarterback Warren Moon, stood out for Bellevue, accounting for 135 of Bellevue’s 258 total yards on the night.
Pictorial Highlights of 2024 State 3A Football Championship – O’Dea vs Bellevue
Photos by Tyler Artis
