The Seattle Prep Panthers secured a decisive 34-14 victory over the Lakes Lancers in a 3A State Football playoff game in Lakewood, WA. Lakes entered the matchup as champions of the 3A Puget Sound–Nisqually League with a 9-1 record, while Seattle Prep, a fourth-place finisher in the Metro League, came in as underdogs with a 6-3 record. Despite the disparity on paper, Seattle Prep’s balanced attack and stout defense helped propel them to victory.
Seattle Prep struck first late in the first quarter when quarterback Beau Oaksmith connected with Will Kuder for a 9-yard touchdown pass. While the Panthers missed the extra point, their defense held strong, shutting out the Lancers for the remainder of the quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Oaksmith extended the lead with a 14-yard touchdown run, and a successful two-point conversion pass from Alec Greenwood to Oaksmith gave the Panthers a 14-0 lead.
Lakes responded midway through the second quarter with a 38-yard touchdown run by Toetu Moliga, who followed it with a successful two-point conversion to narrow the score to 14-8. However, Seattle Prep quickly regained control as Oaksmith and Kuder connected again, this time for a 22-yard touchdown. Keaton Oseran added the extra point to bring the halftime score to 21-8 in favor of the Panthers.
The Lancers opened the second half determined to rally, as Moliga capped off a strong drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. A missed PAT left the score at 21-14, but Seattle Prep’s offense remained unfazed. Oaksmith continued his dominant performance, finding Win Chandler for a 4-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to extend the lead to 28-14.
Early in the fourth quarter, Oaksmith delivered his fourth touchdown pass of the night, with a 3-yard strike to Ezra Maul, cementing the Panthers’ lead at 34-14.
Lakes struggled to regain momentum, and Seattle Prep’s defense locked down in the final minutes to preserve the upset victory. With the win, Seattle Prep advances to the next round of the 3A State Championships, while Lakes’ impressive season comes to an end.