Tensions are high in the Metro League this week as the O’Dea Fighting Irish look to take down the Eastside Catholic Crusaders. This rivalry game will take place at 7PM Friday night on Irish turf at West Seattle Stadium. In order to understand this iconic matchup, viewers must look at the up-and-down history between these two powerhouses.
Flashback to last November at the 3A state semifinals last year played at Memorial Stadium in Seattle. After four exhausting quarters, the game was all tied up 21-21. One overtime wasn’t enough to separate the two powerhouses, and a nail-biting second overtime saw the Crusaders stop the Irish in a short-yardage situation to move the Crusaders on to the 3A State Championship.
To look even further back, over the last five years O’Dea is 2-5 against Eastside Catholic, but with two talented squads vying for dominance, the rivalry remains as strong as ever.
This Irish squad is looking much different than last year. Luke Danna, QB1 from last season, has faced an early injury. Two days before their season opener, Danna fractured his foot. Basketball star Antone Araujo has stepped into the pocket to fill Danna’s shoes until the former starter can return to action.
O’Dea will look to use their 4-star running back Jason Brown to execute against the Crusaders. On the defensive side the Irish have big shoes to fill after graduating 3-star tight end Tucker Ashcraft who is now playing at Wisconsin. This O’Dea squad is coming in undefeated and averaging 52 points per game.
The Crusaders are also facing some early season injuries. Senior Kayden Greene suffered a hip injury in their third game against Bishop Blanchet and has not disclosed if he will be playing this week. Linebacker Skyler Shute faced a hairline fracture in his foot and has not played any minutes this season, his injury status is unclear. The Crusaders’ dynamic offensive duo Asa Thompson and JB Burroughs have proven they have no issue finding the endzone, and captain Jake Tiryakioglu is looking to make his mark this season after playing behind star Brady McKelheer for the past two seasons. This Eastside Catholic team is also undefeated within conference play and looking to keep the streak alive.
O’Dea is facing an Eastside Catholic defense that knows how to capitalize on the opposition’s mistakes. The Irish must be intentional with the ball, in one single game against Ballard the Crusaders came up with 5 fumble recoveries. For the Eastside Catholic defense, they must quickly adjust to shifty run game that O’Dea has been relying on.
Eastside Catholic Linebackers Coach, Elisha Pa’aga is aware of O’Dea’s rushing threat and is working to prepare his players for O’Dea’s Jason Brown. “We got to stay disciplined in our gaps and 11 hats on the ball.” When asked about recent injuries, he says “We’re feeling good, it’s always about the next man up and regardless of who’s on the field Friday, we will be ready to go.”
Whether the “next man up” can get the job done for Eastside Catholic remains to be seen, but all questions will be answered Friday night at 7PM at West Seattle Stadium when the two Metro League powerhouses clash.
Featured Image Credit: Eastside Catholic
