Seattle Prep Cruises To A 57-6 Win Over Ballard

By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium

In a Metro League matchup under the Friday night lights, the Seattle Prep Panthers delivered an outstanding all-around performance against the Ballard Beavers. With explosive plays on offense, a stifling defensive effort, and key contributions on special teams, Prep surged ahead early and never looked back, as they cruised to a 57–6 victory.

The game opened with a quick exchange of possessions, as both teams struggled to gain momentum in their opening series. On its second drive, Seattle Prep fumbled, giving Ballard a great opportunity. However, the Beavers couldn’t capitalize.

Ballard quarterback Eli Gebbie made a strong first impression, gaining 25 yards on 2 carries, but unfortunately, he threw back-to-back incomplete passes, which eventually forced Ballard to punt on 4th down.

Early on, Prep struggled to find its rhythm against a tough Ballard defense. On 3rd-and-32 at the 43-yard line, Seattle Prep quarterback Leo Harnetiaux found Callum Skillestad for 9 yards, but the Panthers would turn the ball over on downs on the next play, as Harnetiaux’s pass fell incomplete.

After another short Ballard possession, Prep began to find their rhythm. Reilly Cahill rushed for 5 yards to start the series, and on the next play, Harnetiaux connected with Ben Cunningham for a 75-yard touchdown pass, which ignited the Prep sideline. The extra point was good, and with 1:59 left in the opening quarter, Prep took a 7–0 lead.

After a sack on Gebbie by Seattle Prep’s Sam Davidson, Ballard was forced to punt again. The Panthers then followed with a long 27-yard run from Cahill to end the first quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, the Panthers started right where they left off. Cahill powered through Ballard defenders with back-to-back runs, and a 5-yard touchdown run, as Seattle Prep took a 14–0 lead.

For Ballard, they were looking out of sync after the Panthers’ touchdown. On the following possession, a bad snap flew over Gebbie’s head and into the end zone for a safety.

Ballard then kicked the ball back to the Panthers, and slowly but surely, the Panthers made the most out of the opportunity. Beckett Archer returned the kickoff 80 yards for another Prep touchdown, making the score 23–0 with just under 11 minutes to go in the first half.

Ballard tried to respond with a few good plays, including a 15-yard run by Gebbie, but the offense struggled again with several incomplete passes. Meanwhile, Prep’s defense held strong, forcing another Ballard punt.

Back with possession of the ball, Harnetiaux rushed for big gains and connected on short passes to Ben Cunningham and Ezra Maul. Cahill added a key 13-yard run on 4th and 2, and Harnetiaux finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, making the score 30–0.

On their next possession, the Beavers continued to struggle, as a pass by Gebbie was intercepted by Seattle Prep’s Sam Davidson. Harnetiaux then wasted no time, throwing a 19-yard pass to Win Chandler, followed immediately by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Chandler to make the score 44–0 with 1:53 remaining in the second quarter.

Ballard managed to move the ball a bit before halftime, but time ran out, and the Panthers held a 44–0 halftime lead.

The Beavers kicked off the second half, and Prep continued to dominate the game. Cahill and Skillestad moved the ball down the field, and Harnetiaux added a 16-yard run before securing a 2-yard touchdown, as Seattle Prep stretched out their lead to 51–0 halfway through the third quarter.

As the third quarter was ticking down, Ballard finally began to put things together. Gebbie completed a pass to Indro Sypher on a 4th down, who was able to move the chains for the Beavers. Jackson Keller and Oliver Broadgate chipped in a few short runs on the following plays, as the third quarter quickly came to an end.

On the first play of the final quarter, Gebbie managed to move the chains, and after a few plays, he connected with Keller on a 25-yard touchdown pass, scoring Ballard’s first and only score of the game, bringing the score to 51–6 with 9:31 remaining.

With a running clock in play, the quarter flew by quickly. On their next possession, Seattle Prep was forced to punt, giving Ballard another chance with the ball. However, Gebbie fumbled, and Seattle Prep’s Charlie Wattula recovered.

On the next play, Seattle Prep’s Gavin Lines made it to the end zone after an 11-yard run, making the score 57–6. The Beavers then attempted one final drive in the remaining few seconds of the fourth quarter, and while Gebbie did manage to run for 16 yards, the clock ultimately ran out on an incomplete pass, and the Seattle Prep Panthers sealed their 57–6 victory over the Ballard Beavers.

After the game, Ballard head coach Malik Prince stressed the critical importance of attendance at practice, as it could have potentially changed the outcome of the game.

“Only 17 out of 50 of us were out on that field, so I need them all at practice,” said Prince after the game. “Everyone needs to be held accountable. We had some really good moments tonight, but everyone needs to understand to be at practice [so we can all help out on the field].”

Player Statistics

Seattle Prep (Offense):