Last Friday, November 15, the O'Dea Fighting Irish football team crushed the Mercer Island Islanders 50-7 at Memorial Stadium. In a highly anticipated match, the Irish were able to lockout their opponents for most of the match.
Before heading into the game, the Irish didn't know too much about their opponents. Although the Islanders were undefeated, their games, overall, were against considerably lower ranked opponents, but that didn't lead them to taking the Islanders lightly.
"We knew that going into the game [that] they were a dangerous team," said senior running back Malik Dawson.
However, things began looking up for the Irish from the beginning of the game. During the first quarter, Irish punt returner Sage Salopek scored a 92-yard punt return touchdown, setting the stage for the O'Dea steamroll.
Salopek (no. 12) running down the field for a touchdown.
In addition, touchdowns from running backs Uriah Springfield and Malik Dawson, and quarterback Peter Pauly added on to the Islander deficit. Junior quarterback Hutton Leverett had 100% pass completion, and the Irish rushed for 216 yards.
On defense, the Irish became an immovable object. Defensive tackles Tevita and Jeremiah Nonu each had a sack and defensive end Keelan Thomas had two. The Islanders had -21 rushing yards, and 127 yards total.
After this win, the Irish are motivated more than ever to win state.
"We have been eliminated in the semifinals 2 years in a row now. I feel we have that chip on our shoulder to get it done this year," Dawson said.
Come out and support the Irish as they play Mount Tahoma on Friday, November 22!
Photo credits: Paddy Mahar
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