Two Bonney Lake High miscues led to a pair of touchdowns by the O’Dea Irish as the Panthers were eliminated in the preliminary round of the Class 3A football playoffs, 30-16 at Memorial Stadium in Seattle.

The game started 45 minutes late after lightning delayed the first game at the stadium. Rain that began earlier in the evening continued throughout the night.

The Bonney Lake offense drove the ball downfield quickly after Aaron Quevedo returned the opening kickoff to near midfield.

Quarterback Cole Schuler completed his first three passes to three different receivers before an Irish defender intercepted Schuler’s fourth attempt at the O’Dea 11-yard line.

The Irish put together a time-consuming 89-yard, 18-play drive which took more than eight minutes off the clock. Gabe Lee capped the drive with a 2-yard run for a 7-0 O’Dea margin.

The Panthers regained their composure and came back to tie the game early in the second quarter.

Schuler’s 38-yard completion to Austin Marshall help set up Colton Nash’s 3-yard run off a direct snap. Cody Cade drilled the point-after kick with 11:05 in the half.

The Irish regained the lead 10-7 before intermission. O’Dea drove to the Panther 13 and had to settle for Joey Launceford’s 30-yard field goal with 1:32 remaining.

O’Dea took the second-half kickoff and drove 55 yards in 11 plays for a 17-7 margin on Keenon Forch’s 12-yard run.

A 29-yard return by Tyler Babakus put the Panthers at the O’Dea 49.

An apparent 7-yard touchdown pass from Schuler to Marshall was nullified by a holding penalty against the Panthers and Bonney Lake had to settle for a Cade 24-yard field goal which skidded off the crossbar.

Forch scored his second TD on the Irish’s next play – a 54-yard run for a 24-10 lead with 3:02 left in the third quarter.

Schuler was picked off for a second time with 46 seconds left in the third. Five minutes later, O’Dea iced the game with a 1-yard run by Michael Martin.

Panther coach Chad Barrett put freshman Chris Brown in to replace Schuler, who injured his right hand.

“Cole was fine in the first half, but he got hit in his hand and wasn’t able to grip the football,” Barrett said. “He was tearing it up in the first half.”

During the Panthers’ next drive, Brown completed 5-of-9 passes, leading the team to the O’Dea 38. Bonney Lake surrendered the ball to the Irish, however, after failing to convert on fourth down.

Three plays later, Marshall scooped up an Irish fumble near midfield and scampered 43 yards to the O’Dea 7. Nash hit Hunter Colegrove on a 6-yard jump pass and Nash then scored his second TD on a 1-yard run with 2:32 to play.

O’Dea recovered the Panthers’ onside kick attempt and ran out the clock.

“Overall I couldn’t be more proud of my players,” Barrett said. ‘Those kids played their hearts out and gave it their all. We can’t make those mistakes in the playoffs against a team like O’Dea.

“Take away a few plays here and there, it’s a different game,” he said.

Bonney Lake ended the season 6-4.