A week after needing triple-overtime to advance in the Class 3A football state playoffs, O’Dea never gave Camas a chance to attempt a comeback.
The third-ranked Irish grinded out a pair of long, clock-eating drives in the second-half – holding the ball for all but 71 seconds of the final 14 minutes – and defeated the fifth-ranked Papermakers, 21-13, in the semifinals Friday at the Tacoma Dome.
“That last (drive) was great,” Irish coach Monte Kohler said. “We needed two big first downs, we got it.”
O’Dea (13-0) advances to the finals, where it will meet the winner of today’s No.1 Bellevue-No. 4 Kamiakin contest.
Clinging to a 14-13 lead, O’Dea distanced itself from Camas with an 84-yard drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters, eating up seven minutes of clock. Jomari Brooks capped the 13-play march with a 29-yard burst off right tackle for a touchdown that gave the Irish a 21-13 lead with 7:05 remaining in the game.
After forcing Camas to go three-and-out, O’Dea took possession at the Papermakers’ 46 and ran out the final six minutes.
“The last two drives – the winning drives – were (the players’),” Kohler said. “The kids had heart.”
Camas running back Zach Marshall was effective despite coming into the game with a deep thigh bruise, running for 41 yards on six carries until a dislocated thumb forced him out.
With their leading rusher sidelined, the Papermakers took to the air. Quarterback Tony Gennaro threw a season-high 32 passes, and none were bigger than the 54-yard touchdown strike he threw to uncovered Jonathan Warner a minute into the third quarter.
The touchdown pulled Camas back into the game, making the score 14-10.
After forcing back-to-back punts by O’Dea, Camas kicker Roldan Acobendas drilled a 38-yard field goal that pulled the Papermakers to 14-13 with 2:14 left in the third quarter.
That’s when the Irish took control, grinding out those long drives that ate up almost all of the final period.
O’Dea pounded out 193 rushing yards.
Gennaro completed 14 of 32 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Papermakers. Reserve running back Nathan Beasley gained 72 yards on eight carries.
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271 doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/preps Twitter: @DougPaceyTNT
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