By Kiara Doyal The Seattle Medium
The O’Dea Fighting Irish wasted little time taking control under the Friday night lights at West Seattle Stadium, scoring 19 first-quarter points on their way to a 40-7 victory over the Lincoln Lynx.
O’Dea established its dominance early, scoring 33 unanswered points in the first half. Running back J’Shaun Wilson led the offensive surge, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns on five carries, while the Fighting Irish defense repeatedly forced Lincoln into difficult situations.
After O’Dea kicked off to start the game, Lincoln began its opening possession at its own 20-yard line. Montrese Weaver Jr. gained one yard on the ground, but an incomplete pass from quarterback Ben Ward and another short gain forced the Lynx to punt.
O’Dea quickly took advantage of the opportunity. Wilson opened the possession with a 9-yard run, Max Speller added eight yards, and Wilson broke loose for a 36-yard gain to bring the Fighting Irish to the Lincoln 2-yard line. Following a Lincoln timeout, Wilson scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, and the extra point gave O’Dea a 7-0 lead with 8:51 remaining in the first quarter.
Lincoln lost two yards on its next possession. Although Ward connected with Zyren Massey for a 3-yard completion, another incomplete pass forced the Lynx to punt.
O’Dea continued its offensive momentum when quarterback Allias Moimoi connected with Kaydon Tatum for a 10-yard completion. Wilson then broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run, extending the Fighting Irish lead to 13-0 with 6:59 remaining. Lincoln blocked the extra-point attempt, preventing O’Dea from adding another point.
The Lynx showed some signs of life on their next possession when Ward completed a 13-yard pass to Massey on third down, but Lincoln was unable to sustain the drive and was forced to punt again.
O’Dea capitalized on the opportunity as Moimoi connected with Tatum for another 10-yard completion. Kaylen Moore then helped move the Fighting Irish downfield with runs of 10, eight and three yards before Moimoi completed a 15-yard pass to Callum McLeod, putting O’Dea at the Lincoln 7-yard line.
Moore finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:33 remaining in the quarter. Lincoln blocked the extra point for the second time, leaving O’Dea with a 19-0 advantage.
Lincoln’s next possession ended in another punt following a loss of yardage and an incomplete pass. O’Dea took possession near midfield as the first quarter ended with the Fighting Irish firmly in control.
O’Dea picked up where it left off in the second quarter. Wilson broke loose for a 29-yard run before Moimoi scored on a 17-yard touchdown run. The extra point extended O’Dea’s lead to 26-0 with 10:59 remaining in the half.
Lincoln responded with one of its better possessions of the first half, as Ward completed passes to Nicky Theodore and Massey to move the ball downfield. Theodore also added a 4-yard run, but a penalty and a pair of incomplete passes eventually forced another punt.
The Fighting Irish struck again when Moore broke loose for a 38-yard run, setting up a 28-yard touchdown pass from Moimoi to Tatum. The extra point was good, giving O’Dea a 33-0 lead with 6:17 remaining before halftime.
O’Dea continued moving the ball on its next possession, with Jayden Magee and Jaxon Turner contributing on the ground. Quarterback Stetson Kitts also kept the drive alive with a 5-yard completion to Manaia Titialii-McKinnon on fourth down. Although the Fighting Irish did not score again before halftime, they carried a commanding 33-0 lead into the break.
Lincoln kicked off to begin the third quarter, and O’Dea continued working its running game behind Magee and Turner. The Fighting Irish moved the ball downfield before an incomplete pass stalled the possession and forced a punt.
Lincoln began its next possession deep in its own territory, with Abner Ackley gaining three yards on the opening play. But the Lynx were pushed backward on the ensuing plays, nearly surrendering a safety before being forced to punt.
O’Dea regained possession and continued moving the ball with runs from Magee and Turner, but an incomplete fourth-down pass from Cayne Rodriquez ended the drive.
Lincoln began to find some offensive rhythm late in the third quarter, as Ward connected with Theo Fammartino Johnson and Theodore to move the ball downfield. Ward completed passes of 12 and five yards to Johnson, along with an 8-yard completion to Theodore, while Weaver added an 8-yard run to help keep the drive moving.
But just as the Lynx appeared to be building momentum, a fumble ended the possession, with O’Dea recovering the football. Neither team scored during the third quarter, leaving the Fighting Irish ahead 33-0 entering the fourth.
O’Dea opened the final quarter with strong rushing plays from German Benavidez and Siaki Failautusi. Benavidez picked up gains of five and eight yards, while Failautusi added a 10-yard run to help keep the Fighting Irish moving.
After Calder Moore added a 3-yard gain, Turner broke loose for a 35-yard touchdown run. The extra point extended O’Dea’s lead to 40-0 with 7:57 remaining.
Lincoln continued to battle and finally found the end zone on its next possession. Ward connected with Massey for an 11-yard gain before completing a 20-yard pass to Johnson to move the Lynx downfield. Weaver then broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run, and the extra point cut O’Dea’s lead to 40-7 with 4:48 remaining.
O’Dea continued to run the ball behind Magee and Turner on its final possession before taking a knee to run out the clock and secure the 40-7 victory.
After the game, O’Dea head coach Monte Kohler praised his team’s performance and the opportunity for younger players to contribute.
“They did a heck of a job. Younger guys came in and played some tough football,” said Kohler. “They did what we wanted them to do, and it was fun. This is what you want, a game like this.”
Game Stats
O’Dea Fighting Irish
Passing: Allias Moimoi, 4 completions, 6 attempts, 63 yards, 1 TD; Stetson Kitts, 1 completion, 1 attempt, 5 yards; Cayne Rodriquez, 0 completions, 2 attempts.
Rushing: J’Shaun Wilson, 5 carries, 123 yards, 2 TDs; Jaxon Turner, 9 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD; Kaylen Moore, 5 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD; Jayden Magee, 5 carries, 18 yards; Allias Moimoi, 1 carry, 17 yards, 1 TD; German Benavidez, 2 carries, 13 yards; Ja’Ray McKnight, 2 carries, 13 yards; Siaki Failautusi, 1 carry, 10 yards; Max Speller, 1 carry, 8 yards; Stetson Kitts, 1 carry, 5 yards; Calder Moore, 1 carry, 3 yards.
Receiving: Kaydon Tatum, 3 receptions, 48 yards, 1 TD; Callum McLeod, 1 reception, 15 yards; Manaia Titialii-McKinnon, 1 reception, 5 yards.
Scoring: J’Shaun Wilson, 2 rushing TDs; Kaylen Moore, 1 rushing TD; Allias Moimoi, 1 rushing TD; Kaydon Tatum, 1 receiving TD; Jaxon Turner, 1 rushing TD.
Defense: O’Dea recovered a Lincoln fumble and held the Lynx scoreless through three quarters.
Lincoln Lynx
Passing: Ben Ward, 11 completions, 18 attempts, 100 yards.
Rushing: Montrese Weaver Jr., 4 carries, 51 yards, 1 TD; Abner Ackley, 2 carries, 9 yards; Nicky Theodore, 1 carry, 4 yards; Ben Ward, 2 carries, 2 yards.
Receiving: Theo Fammartino Johnson, 3 receptions, 37 yards; Zyren Massey, 5 receptions, 36 yards; Nicky Theodore, 3 receptions, 27 yards.
Scoring: Montrese Weaver Jr., 1 rushing TD.
Special Teams: Lincoln blocked two O’Dea extra-point attempts.
Pictorial Highlights of O’Dea vs Lincoln
Photos/John Saunders
