By Karrington Kincaid, The Seattle Medium
The environment of the second game of the 2024 High School Metro League football season was electric at Seattle’s Memorial Stadium. From the chants of the crowd excited to see their kids take the field for the first time of the season to the rhythmic sounds of the Seattle Seahawks drumline adding to the already pumped-up players and crowd, the scene was set for a nostalgic return of the cross-town rivalry between the Garfield Bulldogs and Franklin Quakers that spans generations.
The energy from both football teams was unmatched in terms of huddles and pregame rituals, as players jumped up and down around each other, giving uplifting messages and powerful speeches, letting each other know they were all in this together no matter the result.
Garfield Bulldogs’ first-year Head Football Coach Curtis Wells, Jr., a Garfield alum, knows the significance of the rivalry and fully embraced the moment.
“This has always been a rival,” said Wells before the game. “It’s a reunion classic, and if I didn’t have these great coaches, who are also fellow Bulldogs and from the CD (Central District of Seattle), I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
“This is very special to me because I love the CD. I love the rivalry we’ve had for many, many years, and I’m just blessed to be here as a head coach, born-and-raised alumnus of the Garfield Bulldogs, so I’m happy about that,” added Wells.
Franklin Quakers Head Coach Terry Green had a big goal coming into this specific matchup and a vision for how he’d like it to end.
“We got a lot of work to do,” said Green. “We’ve been building and building. We’ve got a nice group of seniors right now, about 20 strong, so we’re trying to get better every day. I’ve had a lot of these guys’ first years playing football, and now this is their third year, so yeah, I feel good and confident,” said Green.
Coach Green mentioned the importance of this specific rivalry game, much like Wells of Garfield, explaining its significance. “This is a game that we haven’t played in a decade. We ain’t beaten Garfield in like 15 years, and you know, I want to bring the rivalry back. When I took the job at Franklin, I was like, one of the things on my bucket list before I leave is to play Garfield, and they granted my wish, and here we go,” said Green.
The opening kickoff already started off with a bang, with Franklin’s Avery Stewart taking the ball out 25 yards to jumpstart the offense on their first possession. On the first play from scrimmage, Franklin quarterback Josiah Echols had a bad handoff exchange with his running back Mohamed Madey, causing a fumble that was recovered by Garfield’s Bryan Hurd, giving them possession of the football early in the first quarter.
Garfield’s offense quickly went to work, handing the ball off to running back Piti Moimoi III, who ran hard between the tackles, keeping Franklin’s defense on their heels. A high snap unfortunately stopped their drive as Garfield quarterback Antoine Williams Jr. was taken down by Franklin’s Emmett Ramambason-Hendren and Mohamed Madey.
After a Garfield punt, it didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to get the ball back as Moimoi shot into the backfield, creating a huge tackle for loss, leading to a Franklin punt.
On their second possession, Garfield took advantage of the defensive stop as Williams connected with wide receiver Jmitch Mitchell for a 70-yard touchdown pass. However, not all was positive for the Bulldogs, as their extra point attempt was blocked by Franklin’s Steven Mpila, and the two teams headed into the second quarter with Garfield leading 6-0.
The Quakers started hot in the beginning of the second quarter, as the defense’s collective effort made it very difficult for Garfield’s offense to move the ball.
As the quarter wound down, both teams played great defense and forced crucial turnovers. Franklin’s Noah Castro recovered a fumble by Moimoi, setting up the Quaker offense deep in Garfield territory. Garfield’s Zion Moimoi returned the favor, recovering a fumble after Franklin’s quarterback mishandled the ball deep in Franklin territory, setting up the Garfield offense with good field position.
Franklin’s defense accepted the challenge, getting a huge stop and giving them the ball back with three minutes left in the first half. The Quakers took possession and started their three-minute offense behind the hard running of Jack Russell. Deciding to go for it on 4th down, Russell took the ball 25 yards down the field, giving Franklin a first-and-goal on the 3-yard line. Mohamed Madey took the ball to the half-yard line with two seconds left in the half, and Franklin finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Russell, giving the Quakers a 7-6 lead going into halftime after a successful extra point attempt.
Coming out of halftime, Garfield’s offense started off slow, with receivers dropping passes and a few missed throws by the quarterback. However, that quickly changed after a crucial 26-yard connection from Williams to Mitchell on 4th down jumpstarted the Bulldog offense.
Franklin’s defense challenged the Bulldogs as Elijah Moss made a couple of tackles for losses, making it harder for Garfield’s offense to get going. Williams responded by connecting with Moimoi to keep the drive alive for the Bulldogs. As the Bulldogs reached the red zone, penalties on both teams ultimately led to a 27-yard field goal by kicker Ardon Liffmann, giving the Bulldogs a 9-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.
As the 4th quarter began, the Quakers stalled on their first offensive possession despite great running by Jack Russell and Sir Tucker. The Bulldogs didn’t do much with the opportunity as a high snap set them deep in their own territory, leading to a punt.
Franklin took possession and put together a potential game-winning drive led by Emmett Ramambason-Hendren, Jack Russell, and Sir Tucker, as they helped move the Quaker offense down the field, taking a significant amount of time off the clock. On third-and-goal, Russell scored on a 13-yard touchdown run, giving Franklin a 13-9 lead after a missed extra point with 1:23 left in the game.
With time running out and the game on the line, Garfield quarterback Antoine Williams Jr. was methodical and clutch on the last drive of the game, scrambling for numerous first downs and preserving the clock as he ran out of bounds. He also connected with Mitchell once and Moimoi on two occasions to keep the ball moving downfield. When it mattered the most, Williams connected with Mitchell on a 27-yard touchdown pass to potentially seal the game for the Bulldogs, as they took a 16-13 lead with 10 seconds left in the game.
On Franklin’s last attempt to come back and win, the Quakers had a miscue on the snap, which cost them the game as Garfield recovered the fumble, sealing the 16-13 victory for the Bulldogs.
After the game, Garfield coach Curtis Wells, Jr. had nothing but positive things to say about his team and their thrilling victory over the Quakers.
“It’s a blessing, man, just seeing these kids grind,” said Wells. “Most of them have been through adversity. They came together as one big family, so I’m grateful to the coaches, the kids, and the parents too.”
