Seattle Prep Defeats Garfield 54–14 To Close Out Regular Season

Reported by Juwuan Buchanan, The Seattle Medium

Seattle Prep closed out its regular season in dominant fashion Friday night at the Northwest Athletic Complex (NWAC), overwhelming Garfield 54–17 in a one-sided Metro League matchup. The Panthers, who came into the contest at 3–3 in league play (4–3 overall), were looking to sharpen their form before the postseason — and they did exactly that, putting together their most complete performance of the season on both sides of the ball.

For Garfield, it was another tough outing in a season full of growing pains. The Bulldogs entered the night winless in both league (0–5) and overall (0–6) play, and while they showed flashes of talent and fight — especially in the second half — they were simply outmatched early and never quite recovered from a lopsided first half.

The game started with a bang. On the opening kickoff, Win Chandler immediately set the tone for Seattle Prep with a 40-yard return that gave the Panthers excellent field position. On the very next play, Reilly Cahill took a handoff and raced 36 yards to the end zone. A successful two-point conversion gave Prep a quick 8–0 lead just seconds into the game.

Garfield’s opening possession ended in a three-and-out, and Prep wasted no time striking again. After a short drive, quarterback Leo Harnetiaux rolled right and launched a 30-yard touchdown pass to Chandler in stride. Though the PAT was missed, Prep had already built a 14–0 cushion just minutes into the first quarter.

The Bulldogs attempted to claw back, highlighted by a 32-yard strike from Josiah Montgomery-Irving to Gabe Burns. But the drive fizzled out, and Prep responded with another well-executed series. Cahill broke a 14-yard run, and Harnetiaux kept the chains moving with completions to Ben Cunningham and Chandler, setting up another touchdown and extending the lead to 21–0 by the end of the opening quarter.

The second quarter turned into a clinic by the Panthers. After forcing a punt, Prep’s special teams came up big — as Seattle Pep blocked the punt, which was recovered by Chandler in the endzone for a touchdown. Moments later, Harnetiaux connected with Beckett Archer for a short gain before dropping a perfectly placed pass into the arms of Cunningham for a 13-yard touchdown. The score ballooned to 35–0.

Garfield’s offense continued to sputter as the pressure mounted. Meanwhile, Prep was relentless. Harnetiaux returned to the air, this time finding Chandler for a 36-yard touchdown — his second receiving score of the game – to increase the Seattle Prep lead to 41-0. Prep would get the ball back and Lines would gash the Garfield defense on a 57-yard run that nearly went the distance before being caught at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, Callum Skillestad punched it in from a yard out to make it 47–0 just before halftime

Despite the deficit, Garfield showed some heart in the third quarter. Avery Jones made a momentum-shifting play by forcing and recovering a fumble deep in Prep territory. On the ensuing drive, Michaal Wayman threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Nas Souleyman to put Garfield on the board.

But Seattle Prep responded instantly. On the next series, Lines took a handoff and sliced through the Bulldogs’ defense for a 46-yard touchdown run, his second score of the night, extending the lead to 54–7. That drive typified Prep’s balanced attack — blending explosive plays with clock control and mistake-free execution.

Garfield refused to fold. Wayman connected again with Souleyman for a 39-yard gain, then hit Porter Rohde with a 25-yard strike down the sideline to set up a first-and-goal. After a couple of stops near the goal line, Wayman found Rohde again for a 3-yard touchdown pass with under four minutes to play, for a final score of 54–14 in favor of Seattle Prep.

Prep’s offense was clicking on all levels. Harnetiaux completed 7 passed for 104 yards and two passing touchdowns. Cahill rushed for 68 yards and two scores on just four carries. Lines led all rushers with 124 yards and two touchdowns, while Chandler stood out with two touchdown receptions, a kickoff return, and a blocked punt recovery in the end zone — a three-touchdown performance across all three phases of the game.

For Garfield, Wayman completed 10-of-16 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Souleyman posted 93 yards and a touchdown on three receptions, while Rohde added four catches for 39 yards and a score. Though the Bulldogs struggled early, their ability to generate explosive plays in the second half provided a bright spot heading into the offseason.

With the victory, Seattle Prep improves to 5–3 overall and heads into the playoffs with momentum and confidence. Although Garfield finishes the regular season winless, they showed that they have something to build on for the future.

Player Statistics

Seattle Prep Panthers (Offense):