3A state quarterfinal preview: Stanwood vs. O’Dea
Published 1:30 am Thursday, November 17, 2022
Upstart Stanwood faces a massive test when it squares off with Class 3A powerhouse O’Dea in the state quarterfinals.
Here’s a look at Saturday’s matchup:
NO. 11 STANWOOD VS. NO. 3 O’DEA
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Seattle Memorial Stadium
Radio: TCSNSports.com
Webcast: NFHSNetwork.com
The skinny: Eleventh-seeded Stanwood travels to face third-seeded O’Dea with a spot in the 3A state semifinals up for grabs. The Spartans are in search of their third semifinal berth while the Fighting Irish look to make it to the final four for the 16th time.
Stanwood: 10-1; beat Lakewood 42-0, beat Marysville Pilchuck 30-16, beat Oak Harbor 38-14, beat Mount Vernon 35-3, beat Arlington 37-6, beat Union 69-47, beat Marysville Getchell 40-6, lost to 3A No. 7 Ferndale 38-7, beat Snohomish 42-21, beat Lakes 28-20, beat 3A No. 6 Mt. Spokane 24-14
About the Spartans: Stanwood entered this season with high expectations after a breakthrough 2021 campaign that saw the program reach the state tournament for the first time in 25 years. Those expectations have largely been met as the Spartans ended their 12-game losing streak in the Stilly Cup rivalry game with Arlington, secured back-to-back state berths for the first time in program history and earned their first state-playoff victory since 1996. Stanwood has been stellar on both sides of the ball while scoring 35.6 points per game and allowing just 15.9. Hard-running fullback Ryder Bumgarner leads the charge for Stanwood’s Wing-T offense. Bumgarner, a two-star senior recruit according to 247sports.com, has amassed 2,297 yards and 24 TDs rushing on a 10.2-yards-per-carry average. Senior Carson Beckt has added another 693 yards and 12 TDs rushing. He also averages 31.3 yards per catch with team highs of 250 yards and five TDs receiving. The trio of Cruise Swanson, Otto Wiedmann and Canyon Bumgarner each have over 200 yards rushing. Senior quarterback Wyatt Custer has taken over the reins of the offense in recent weeks after a season-ending injury to starter Michael Mascotti. Custer has completed 50.0% of his passes for 119 yards, one TD and one interception. He also has three rushing scores. Senior Noah Grina leads the Spartans with 101 total tackles, senior Carter Kinney holds team bests with six tackles for loss and four sacks, and senior Gary Grisham and junior Max Mayo share the team lead with four interceptions each. Stanwood’s defense has forced 26 turnovers and held all but one of its opponents under their season scoring average.
O’Dea: 9-1; beat Bothell 21-13, beat Bishop Blanchet 54-10, beat 3A No. 8 Rainier Beach 22-0, beat 3A No. 13 Seattle Prep 45-0, lost to 3A No. 2 Eastside Catholic 24-17, beat Roosevelt 38-0, beat Ballard 42-14, beat Garfield 33-6, beat Edmonds-Woodway 56-20, beat 3A No. 14 Peninsula 42-28
About the Fighting Irish: As is the case in most seasons, O’Dea is one of the top contenders for a 3A state title with a talent-stocked team that features multiple NCAA Division-I level recruits. The Fighting Irish are making their sixth straight appearance at state and have a state title and three runner-up finishes to their credit during that span. O’Dea last missed the state playoffs in 2015, which ended a streak of 21 straight appearances. The Fighting Irish are led on offense by running back Jason Brown, who is one of the top junior recruits in the country. Brown, a four-star prospect ranked No. 1 in Washington and No. 30 nationally for the class of 2024, holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Oregon, Texas, USC and Washington. The 5-foot-10, 194-pound standout missed over half of O’Dea’s first-round victory over Peninsula due to an illness, according to Scorebook Live. He’s expected to return this week. Junior Sirkeenan Hart answered the bell with Brown limited last week and rushed for 188 yards and two TDs on just nine carries. Four-star offensive lineman Isendre Ahfua adds to a talented junior class. The 6-foot-5, 330-pounder is Washington’s No. 3 overall recruit for 2024 and holds offers from Alabama, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Penn State and Washington, among others. Safety Kyan McDonald is another four-star junior and the state’s No. 7 overall recruit for 2024. His list of offers includes Colorado, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon and Washington. Three-star senior tight end Tucker Ashcraft, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder, is committed to Colorado. Ryan Cohen, a 6-foot-1, 280-pound senior offensive lineman, is a two-star recruit. O’Dea, which finished as the runner-up in the always-tough Metro League’s Mountain Division, averages 37.0 points and allows just 11.5.
Extra points: Chasing history—With 2,297 yards rushing under his belt, Bumgarner is nearing an exclusive group in terms of the greatest 11-man single-season rushing totals in Snohomish County history. The senior needs 378 more yards on the ground to tie the top mark of 2,675 yards set by Jackson’s Johnie Kirton in 2003, according to stats kept by state prep football historian David Maley. Bumgarner’s massive campaign comes on the heels of ex-Marysville Pilchuck star Dylan Carson’s historic 2021 season. Carson finished just four yards shy of Kirton with 2,671 yards. Vashon Island’s Bryce Hoisington holds the state record at 2,929 yards. Juggernaut—O’Dea has as many state titles (four) as Stanwood does tournament berths. The Fighting Irish have reached the state playoffs a staggering 37 times and have missed the tournament just seven times since making their first appearance in 1978. The list of accolades also includes seven second-place finishes and 15 semifinal berths.
Herald pick: O’Dea
