By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Coming off a narrow two-point loss to Rainier Beach, Seattle Prep entered its Metro League matchup against Lincoln looking to get back on track, while the Lynx were still searching for their first win of the season.
On a cold, rainy night at the Northeast Athletic Complex, both teams had to contend with the elements, but the wet conditions did little to slow a Seattle Prep team that repeatedly produced big plays. The Panthers built a 21-0 halftime lead before Dylan Gilbert returned the opening kickoff of the second half 80 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone for a second half in which Prep pulled away for a 42-6 victory.
Seattle Prep held an early 7-0 lead as Lincoln quarterback Ben Ward and the Lynx offense tried to find their rhythm. Ward connected with Hirsch Ackley for five yards during one possession, but the Panthers’ defense eventually forced Lincoln to punt.
Prep responded by moving the ball through the air and appeared to add to its lead when quarterback Leo Harnetiaux connected with Ben Cunningham for a 70-yard touchdown. A holding penalty wiped out the score and pushed the Panthers backward, but Prep kept moving as Harnetiaux found JD Rudolf for 20 yards before Rudolf added six more on the ground. Lincoln’s defense eventually stiffened and forced a punt.
The Lynx continued trying to establish their ground game behind Montrese Weaver Jr., but penalties made it difficult to sustain momentum. Late in the quarter, Prep regained possession and Harnetiaux connected with Rudolf for a 12-yard gain as the Panthers carried the ball and a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.
Prep didn’t take long to add to it.
Harnetiaux broke loose for a 22-yard touchdown run, and Keaton Oseran converted the extra point to extend Seattle Prep’s lead to 14-0 with 11:36 remaining in the half.
Down two touchdowns, Lincoln began to find some rhythm offensively. Ward connected with Truman Atkins for seven yards, and Jake Marion moved the chains with a four-yard run. After a penalty and consecutive plays for no gain threatened to stall the possession, Ward found Fammartino Johnson for 15 yards to keep the Lynx moving.
Lincoln continued to chip away at Prep’s defense. Ward picked up five yards with his legs and converted fourth-and-2 with a completion to Johnson before finding Atkins for another 12 yards. Weaver then broke loose for 12 yards and followed with another five as Lincoln moved deeper into Prep territory.
But for all the ground Lincoln covered, the Lynx couldn’t finish the drive. On fourth down, Ward’s pass fell incomplete, and Prep took over.
The Panthers didn’t need long to make Lincoln pay.
Harnetiaux connected with Rudolf for 16 yards before breaking loose himself for a 59-yard touchdown run. Oseran’s extra point gave the Panthers a 21-0 advantage with 2:21 remaining in the half.
Lincoln continued to battle. Ward completed a nine-yard pass to Marion before converting fourth-and-1 with a seven-yard completion to Ackley. He then found Weaver for 17 yards and again for three as the Lynx pushed into Prep territory with time running down.
Once again, however, the Panthers kept Lincoln out of the end zone. The Lynx came away empty, sending Seattle Prep into halftime with a 21-0 lead despite Lincoln having put together multiple sustained drives.
Any hopes Lincoln had of quickly changing the momentum in the second half took an immediate hit.
Gilbert fielded the opening kickoff of the third quarter and raced 80 yards for a touchdown. Oseran added the extra point, and just 12 seconds into the half, Seattle Prep’s lead had grown to 28-0.
Lincoln refused to go quietly.
The Lynx put together another lengthy possession, mixing Weaver’s running with Ward’s passing. Ward connected with Atkins for nine yards, while an unnecessary roughness penalty against Prep moved Lincoln farther downfield. Ward continued spreading the ball around, finding Nicky Theodore, Atkins and Johnson as the Lynx worked their way into Panthers territory.
But the same problem that plagued Lincoln in the first half surfaced again. The Lynx could move the football, but they couldn’t finish the drive. After offsetting penalties forced a down to be replayed, Prep’s defense tightened. An incomplete pass and a sack eventually ended another Lincoln threat.
Then, in one play, Seattle Prep covered nearly as much ground as Lincoln had during its entire possession.
Harnetiaux connected with Cunningham for an 80-yard touchdown pass, making up for the pair’s 70-yard touchdown that had been erased by a penalty in the first quarter. Oseran added the extra point, and Prep’s lead had ballooned to 35-0 with 4:37 remaining in the third.
Still, Lincoln kept coming.
Ward found Ackley for an 11-yard gain, and another unnecessary roughness penalty against Prep helped the Lynx move downfield. Johnson followed with a nine-yard run, but a Lincoln holding penalty pushed the offense backward. Two incomplete passes followed, and Prep once again stopped the Lynx on downs.
Seattle Prep carried its 35-0 advantage into the fourth quarter, but Lincoln continued looking for a way to break through.
The opportunity came after Lincoln’s Sebastian Lampman recorded a sack and Jack Graham later recovered a Prep fumble. A 15-yard personal foul against the Panthers helped move Lincoln forward before Abner Ackley picked up eight yards.
Then Atkins provided the explosive play Lincoln had been searching for all night, breaking loose for 55 yards and putting the Lynx in scoring position.
This time, Lincoln finished the drive.
After another unnecessary roughness penalty against Prep, Ward and Weaver continued working toward the end zone. Ward eventually connected with Theodore for 12 yards before finding him again for a five-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, but Lincoln had finally broken through, cutting Prep’s lead to 35-6 with 6:19 remaining.
The Panthers answered almost immediately.
After recovering Lincoln’s onside kick at midfield, Prep turned to its ground game. Mason Rosauer broke loose for a 45-yard run and then finished the possession himself with a three-yard touchdown run. The extra point extended Seattle Prep’s lead to 42-6 with 5:11 remaining.
Even with the outcome largely decided, Lincoln continued fighting until the final seconds.
Seattle Prep’s Sean McDowall intercepted Ward on the Lynx’s next possession, but the Panthers were unable to turn the takeaway into points after Lincoln’s defense stopped Prep on downs.
The Lynx got the ball back for one final possession and again moved downfield. Ward found Theodore for nine yards, while Ackley added two on the ground. Ward also used his legs to keep the drive moving as the final seconds ticked away.
With two seconds remaining, however, Seattle Prep’s Oscar Morgan intercepted Lincoln’s final pass to bring the game to a close.
After the game, Seattle Prep head coach Aaron Maul said the Panthers’ ability to contribute in all three phases was an important part of the victory.
“We played complimentary football and each phase set up the other phases for success,” said Maul. “We need to continue to get better with a great opponent ahead next week.”
