By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The undefeated O’Dea Fighting Irish (10-0) overwhelmed the Mercer Island Islanders (10-1) in a highly anticipated matchup of undefeated teams in the second round of the state 3A football playoffs, cruising to a 50-7 victory at Memorial Stadium. O’Dea’s balanced attack, highlighted by a dominant defense and an explosive special teams performance, set the tone early and never allowed Mercer Island to establish any offensive momentum.
Mercer Island began the game with possession, their sideline buzzing with energy as fans cheered them on. However, O’Dea quickly seized momentum as Tevita Nonu sacked Mercer Island quarterback Youngmin Lee on third down for a six-yard loss. Following the sack, Mercer Island punted on 4th down, and O’Dea’s Sage Salopek capitalized with a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown. Uriah Stringfield added a two-point conversion to make the score 8-0 with 8 minutes left in the first quarter.
While both teams put forth strong defensive efforts throughout the first quarter, O’Dea began to find opportunities. Giulio Banchero’s long catch brought the Fighting Irish to Mercer Island’s 15-yard line, but the Islanders held firm, with Ryder Davis stopping Stringfield at the 2-yard line as the quarter ended with O’Dea leading 8-0 and knocking on the door.
As the second quarter began, O’Dea extended their lead with a touchdown by Stringfield, followed by a successful kick by Owen Livingston, taking a 15-0 lead. Sensing the opportunity, O’Dea increased their defensive pressure. The Fighting Irish’s Jeremiah Nonu and Davonn Abaga tackled Mercer Island quarterback Youngmin Lee just as he released the ball, setting the tone for what was to come. O’Dea’s Owen Brustkern then intercepted a pass, setting up the team for success as Peter Pauly scored a touchdown on the following play, stretching the lead to 22-0.
Mercer Island punted on their next possession, and O’Dea responded with a 10-yard touchdown run by Banchero, making the score 29-0 with 7 minutes remaining in the first half. Nearly a minute later, after an unsuccessful possession by Mercer Island, O’Dea’s Malik Dawson ran for a 60-yard touchdown, quickly building a 36-0 lead.
The Islanders continued to struggle on offense against O’Dea’s aggressive defensive front. On third down, Abaga sacked Mercer Island’s quarterback, forcing another punt. Salopek returned the punt 48 yards to the Mercer Island 12-yard line. O’Dea capitalized on the field position as Dawson scored another touchdown, giving the Fighting Irish a 43-0 lead after a successful extra point attempt.
Remaining relentless, O’Dea’s defense made it difficult for Mercer Island to move the ball. Just seconds before the end of the first half, O’Dea’s Joseph Fuavai added another sack to the team’s tally as they entered halftime with a commanding 43-0 lead.
Entering the second half, Mercer Island’s spirits seemed heightened as they returned to the field. However, the Fighting Irish were just as energized. O’Dea’s Zander Turner led his team downfield on their first possession of the third quarter, setting up Stringfield for his second touchdown of the night. Livingston’s extra point made it 50-0. On the ensuing kickoff, Mercer Island’s Kellen Eskridge fumbled the return, but the Islanders caught a break as the play was called back due to a penalty. Mercer Island then punted again on 4th down, and the score remained 50-0 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter flew by with little action, although Mercer Island finally found the end zone with a touchdown by Davis, making the score 50-7 at the end of the game.
After the game, Mercer Island’s Head Coach DJ Mims expressed pride in his team’s performance this season and optimism for the future.
“Honestly, we are really proud of our guys,” said Mims. “We have a 10-0 record, and this team was 0-10 two years ago when I first took over.”
“To have a 10-0 season and lose to a team the caliber of O’Dea, we are not going to hang our hats on this loss,” added Mims. “We should really celebrate the season our kids have had because they have been working really hard. We have a small senior class, so we will be bringing a lot of kids back and will be ready to go next year.”