By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Last night, the undefeated West Seattle Wildcats took on the Lakeside Lions in a highly anticipated matchup to determine who would be the number one team coming out of week 6 in the Metro League’s Sound Division.
The opening quarter began with West Seattle kicking off to Lakeside, and the Wildcats wasted no time making their presence known on the field. On their second play of the game, West Seattle quarterback Desmond Parkinson connected with LJ Moody for a 22-yard touchdown, as the Wildcats took an early 7-0 lead after a successful extra point attempt. early on.
During the Lions’ first possession of the night, running back Andrew Lane responded with multiple steady runs, but a false start penalty and a sack by Coco Cicero on third down forced Lakeside to punt.
The Wildcats continued to build momentum as their rhythm on the field as a team was quick and precise. Parkinson connected with Moody for an 8-yard gain, and once again for 10 more yards. After a 40-yard pass to Breck Estep, the Wildcats found themselves in scoring position. However, after facing some challenges, a penalty and two incomplete passes, the Wildcats managed to convert a 28-yard field goal, extending their lead to 10-0 with 2:54 left in the first quarter.
The Lions struggled on their next possession, as Connor Ward fumbled the ball on third down, which was recovered by West Seattle’s Carlos Patino, as the quarter came to an end.
Despite the turnover, Lakeside’s defense held their ground and forces West Seattle to punt just minutes into the second quarter. Lakeside’s Andrew Lane, who was the main ball carrier of the night for the Lions, had several positive runs for his team, including a 16-yard dash down the field. On 4th-and-1, Ward added a 9-yard run, but the Wildcats tightened up their defense as the Lions approached the end zone, ultimately stopping Lakeside on fourth down and forcing a turnover.
With under 3 minutes left in the first half, West Seattle took over and continued tomethodically move the ball downfield. Parkinson completed passes to Miles Guidry, Moody, and Estep,to move the Wildcats back into scoring position. On 1st-and-10 from the 12-yard line, Parkinson threw his second touchdown of the game to Moody. With the help of the extra point, the Wildcat took at 17-0 lead into halftime.
After the halftime break, the Wildcats continued to build momentum and dominate the game on both sides of the field. Moody ignited West Seattle’s initial drive of the half with a 36-yard run, and on the following play, Parkinson threw an almost effortless pass to Estep for a 34-yard touchdown. Another extra point stretched the Wildcats’ lead to 24-0.
Lakeside responded with a few good plays during their possession, including Ward connecting with Cannon Dean and Eddie Rho, as the Lions showed some signs of lief during the third quarter. However, on 1st-and-10 from the 13-yard line, Ward was sacked again by Cicero, and after the Wildcats blocked a field goal attempt, the Lions remained scoreless.
Parkinson wrapped up the third quarter with two long passes to Grady Scheff, but after a holding penalty, the clock ran out and the quarter ended with the Wildcats in full control, with a 24-0 lead.
Lakeside finally found the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Running back Andrew Lane carried the load for the Lions, piecing together a series of determined runs—including gains of 9, 14, and 19 yards—to move the chains and keep the drive alive. On 3rd-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Lane punched in a hard-fought touchdown, and the extra point made it 24-7 with just over three minutes remaining.
With the game winding down, Lakeside’s hopes for a late comeback were slim. LJ Moody responded immediately for the Wildcats with a 40-yard kickoff return, setting West Seattle up in favorable field position. From there, the Wildcats shifted their focus to clock management, leaning on short runs and safe passes to burn time. Eventually, they turned the ball over on downs deep in Lakeside territory.
The Lions took over for the final 30 seconds but opted not to run another play, allowing the clock to expire. With that, West Seattle secured a 24-7 victory and maintained their undefeated record heading into Week 7.
Parkinson finished the game with 16 completions for 236 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Wildcats. Breck Estep had 5 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, while LJ Moody had 5 receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns for West Seattle. Andrew Lane finished the game with 31 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown to lead Lakeside.
After the win, West Seattle head coach Anthony Stordahl said he was proud of his team’s effort and gave credit to Lakeside for their competitive play. While satisfied with the victory, he said the Wildcats still have areas to improve as they continue their push through the season.
“First off, credit to our guys for battling against a tough, gritty Lakeside team. They are a strong team, and we hope they have a successful end to the season,” said Stordahl. “As a coach, it’s always great to have both a big win, but there is also plenty to clean up. We showed our explosiveness tonight, but we need to find more consistency on both sides of the ball.”
“We are onto prep for Ingraham tomorrow, with all our goals in front of us, and it’s a great place to be,” added Stordahl.
