The 12U RISE football team used an explosive rushing attack and timely defensive stops to defeat the 11U HEIR team 19-8 in a Washington Youth Football League (WYFL) 12U playoff matchup, advancing to the next round of postseason competition.
RISE scored in each of the first three quarters, taking a 7-0 lead after the opening period and extending its advantage to 13-0 at halftime. A third-quarter touchdown pushed the lead to 19-0 before HEIR responded with eight points in the fourth quarter.
Aiden Quintanilla delivered the game’s biggest offensive play with a 96-yard touchdown run, while Garen Johnson contributed 80 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jeremyah Griffin-Armstrong also played an important role, recovering a first-quarter fumble and catching a 22-yard touchdown pass from Moses Boyd in the third quarter.
HEIR opened the game on offense, with Isaiah Johnson Jr. gaining three yards on the first play. Quarterback Liam Bartlett then completed a short pass to Johnson, but the possession ended when Johnson fumbled on third down and Griffin-Armstrong recovered the ball for RISE.
The turnover gave RISE excellent field position, and the offense quickly capitalized.
Myking Williams opened the drive with a four-yard run before Johnson broke free for a 20-yard gain, moving RISE to the HEIR 3-yard line. Johnson finished the possession with a two-yard touchdown run, and the successful extra-point attempt gave RISE a 7-0 lead.
HEIR responded with a sustained drive behind Bartlett and several of its offensive playmakers.
Bartlett connected with Adriel Soron Williams for a 17-yard gain on third-and-long before finding Jason Doelman for another seven yards. HEIR continued moving the ball with runs from Williams and James Sears IV, eventually reaching the RISE 24-yard line.
However, RISE’s defense tightened up near the goal line.
Tua Tuiasosopo stopped Sears for a two-yard loss, and an incomplete pass put HEIR in another difficult situation. Bartlett connected with Doelman for seven yards, but the drive eventually stalled near the RISE 7-yard line.
Taking over deep in its own territory, RISE needed only one explosive play to extend its lead.
Quintanilla broke free for a 96-yard touchdown run, giving RISE a 13-0 advantage in the second quarter.
HEIR attempted to answer before halftime, with Sears contributing a 16-yard run to move the offense into RISE territory. However, the drive ended when Isaiah Barnett Jr. sacked Bartlett for a two-yard loss on fourth down.
RISE took over and moved the ball with a 13-yard completion from Maddux Sua to Moses Boyd and a short run by Johnson, but neither team scored again before halftime.
The second half began with RISE putting together a sustained offensive drive.
Johnson picked up gains of three, 12 and nine yards, while Amillio Clay contributed a 14-yard run. Boyd also added a five-yard gain as RISE moved deeper into HEIR territory.
After a penalty pushed the offense backward, Boyd connected with Griffin-Armstrong on a 22-yard touchdown pass, extending RISE’s lead to 19-0.
HEIR refused to back down, responding with one of its strongest offensive possessions of the game.
Sears opened the drive with a five-yard run before Bartlett connected with Nathaniel Smiley Jr. for a 16-yard gain. After another short run by Sears, HEIR faced third-and-long, but Bartlett found Smiley for a 17-yard completion that moved the offense to the RISE 13-yard line.
Bartlett followed with a short run before Sears gained seven yards, moving HEIR to the RISE 5-yard line as the third quarter came to an end.
On the opening possession of the fourth quarter, Bartlett connected with Doelman for a five-yard touchdown reception. HEIR successfully converted the two-point attempt, cutting RISE’s lead to 19-8.
RISE responded with another lengthy drive, relying on Johnson and Clay to move the ball downfield.
Johnson contributed runs of seven, eight and five yards, while Clay added gains of 14 and eight yards. However, HEIR’s defense came up with several important stops, including tackles by Julian DeMarco and Cortez Foster, before forcing a turnover on downs.
HEIR regained possession looking to cut further into the deficit, but RISE’s defense delivered another critical stop.
After Sears picked up six yards, Bartlett faced fourth-and-four. Barnett broke through the offensive line and sacked Bartlett for a seven-yard loss, giving RISE possession deep in HEIR territory.
RISE continued running the ball to protect its lead, with Johnson adding a 10-yard gain before HEIR’s defense prevented another score.
HEIR made one final attempt to move the football, with Bartlett connecting with Doelman for 12 yards and Smiley on consecutive completions of 10 and nine yards. However, the comeback effort fell short as RISE secured the 19-8 victory.
Johnson finished with 80 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Quintanilla added 96 yards and a touchdown on two carries. Clay contributed 36 rushing yards, and Griffin-Armstrong caught the 22-yard touchdown pass.
Defensively, Barnett recorded two sacks, while Quintanilla was credited with an interception in the defensive statistics and Tuiasosopo contributed two tackles.
For HEIR, Smiley was credited with 52 rushing yards on four carries, while Sears added 39 yards on eight carries. Bartlett completed 11 of 19 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, with Doelman catching four passes for 31 yards and HEIR’s lone touchdown.
Game Stats
RISE
Passing: Maddux Sua, 3-of-3, 22 yards; Moses Boyd, 1-of-1, 22 yards, 1 TD.
Rushing: Aiden Quintanilla, 2 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD; Garen Johnson, 10 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD; Amillio Clay, 4 carries, 36 yards; Myking Williams, 1 carry, 4 yards; Moses Boyd, 3 carries, minus-2 yards.
Receiving: Jeremyah Griffin-Armstrong, 1 reception, 22 yards, 1 TD; Garen Johnson, 1 reception, 12 yards; Moses Boyd, 2 receptions, 10 yards.
Defense: Isaiah Barnett Jr., 2 sacks; Aiden Quintanilla, 1 tackle, 1 INT listed in defensive summary; Tua Tuiasosopo, 2 tackles; Trey Saumani, 1 tackle; Jeremyah Griffin-Armstrong, 1 fumble recovery.
Scoring: Garen Johnson, 2-yard TD run; Aiden Quintanilla, 96-yard TD run; Jeremyah Griffin-Armstrong, 22-yard TD reception from Moses Boyd; one successful extra-point kick.
HEIR
Passing: Liam Bartlett, 11-of-19, 102 yards, 1 TD.
Rushing: Nathaniel Smiley Jr., 4 carries, 52 yards; James Sears IV, 8 carries, 39 yards; Adriel Soron Williams, 4 carries, 21 yards; Isaiah Johnson Jr., 4 carries, 5 yards; Liam Bartlett, 2 carries, 5 yards.
Receiving: Nathaniel Smiley Jr., 4 receptions, 52 yards; Jason Doelman, 4 receptions, 31 yards, 1 TD; Adriel Soron Williams, 1 reception, 17 yards; Isaiah Johnson Jr., 2 receptions, 2 yards.
Defense: Julian DeMarco, 2 tackles; Isaiah Johnson Jr., Jason Doelman, James Sears IV, Cortez Foster and Nainoa Alexander, 1 tackle each.
Scoring: Jason Doelman, 5-yard TD reception from Liam Bartlett.
