Ballard Opens 2025 Season With 41–7 Victory Over Garfield

The Ballard Beavers kicked off their 2025 Metro League season with a statement win Friday evening, defeating the Garfield Bulldogs 41–7 at Seattle Public Schools’ Northeast Athletic Complex (NEAC), located at Nathan Hale High School. The win marked Ballard’s first official action of the season after their Week 1 game was canceled due to unhealthy air quality caused by wildfire smoke in the area. Garfield, now 0–2, came into the matchup looking to bounce back from a 28–14 opening-week loss to Franklin.

Ballard’s offense, powered by quarterback Eli Gebbie, wasted no time setting the tone. Gebbie scored five of Ballard’s six touchdowns—all on the ground—and racked up 216 rushing yards on just seven carries. His ability to extend plays and break off long runs made him the most dynamic player on the field. Running back Oliver Broadgate added the sixth touchdown for the Beavers, capping off a near-flawless night for Ballard’s offense.

The game began with both teams feeling each other out, exchanging punts and flags in the early going. Ballard struck first when Gebbie kept the ball on a designed run, broke through the middle, and accelerated past the secondary for a 54-yard touchdown. The extra point was good, giving Ballard an early 7–0 lead.

After another Garfield punt, Gebbie found daylight again. On a second-down play, he cut back against the grain and raced 42 yards for his second touchdown of the night, as Ballard built an early 14–0 lead.

Garfield tried to respond with quick throws from quarterback Michaal Wayman to receiver Nas Souleyman and mixed in a few solid runs from Bryan Hurd and Tae Epting. But Ballard’s defense tightened up. On a key third down late in the quarter, defensive lineman Henry Willy broke through the line and recorded a 10-yard sack, forcing Garfield to punt.

Ballard didn’t let up. Gebbie connected with Jackson Keller and Sam Andersen for short completions to move the chains before pulling the ball down on a third-down play and slicing through defenders for a 52-yard touchdown run—his third of the game. Ballard went up 21–0 with plenty of time still left in the second quarter.

Garfield showed resilience, with a 16-yard run from Hurd and an 18-yard completion to Souleyman moving them into Ballard territory. But just as the Bulldogs started to gain traction, Ballard’s Chase Gersack jumped a route and intercepted Wayman, returning it 45 yards to flip the field.

Looking to capitalize, Ballard drove into the red zone again. But this time, Garfield’s defense came up with a crucial stop. Souleyman made a smart read and intercepted a pass deep in Garfield territory, cutting off another scoring threat and giving the Bulldogs a chance to regroup before halftime.

Ballard got the ball back just before the break and again made the most of it. With under two minutes remaining, Gebbie rolled right, turned upfield, and sprinted 28 yards for his fourth touchdown of the night. With another extra point, Ballard entered halftime leading 28–0.

The Beavers picked up right where they left off after the break. Broadgate returned the opening kickoff of the second half 30 yards to set up great field position. After a couple of short gains, Gebbie once again broke loose—this time for a 29-yard touchdown, his fifth of the game. With the extra point, Ballard extended the lead to 35–0.

Following a stalled Garfield drive, Wyatt Minear broke free on a 49-yard punt return to put Ballard in scoring position yet again. On the very next play, Broadgate powered in from 11 yards out for his first touchdown of the game and Ballard’s sixth. Garfield’s special teams made a play of their own, blocking the extra point to keep the score at 41–0 with 9:19 left in the third quarter.

Though trailing, Garfield continued to play hard and earned a late reward. Quarterback Josiah Montgomery-Irving came in and led the Bulldogs on their longest and most productive drive of the game. He connected with Hurd for a 35-yard completion and added a few short runs with Epting and Jason McIntosh. After grinding their way inside the 5-yard line, McIntosh finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge on fourth-and-goal. The extra point was good, cutting the deficit to 41–7 with just over a minute remaining.

Garfield showed growth as the game progressed, and while Ballard’s big plays defined the night, the Bulldogs had moments of solid execution and toughness. Souleyman had a strong game on both sides of the ball, finishing with four receptions for 49 yards and a key interception. Hurd added over 60 yards of offense and was a constant presence in the return game.

Ballard, meanwhile, showed balance and explosiveness. Gebbie’s five-touchdown performance set the tone, but the Beavers got meaningful contributions from Broadgate, Keller, Minear, and Gersack. Their defense produced three interceptions and a sack while allowing just one score in the closing minutes.

After the game, Ballard head coach Malik Prince reflected on his team’s overall performance.

“Very proud of how the boys played out here,” said Prince.

“It was actually our first game of the season. So we went through a bunch of hiccups here and there, but we made it out.”

When asked about Gebbie’s standout night, Prince emphasized his quarterback’s playmaking ability.

“The kid’s an athlete, and we have him back there for a reason,” said Prince after the game.

“We just put the ball in his hands and let him go to work.”

With the win, Ballard opens the season at 1–0 and will look to build on their momentum in Week 3. Garfield falls to 0–2 but gained valuable reps and showed resilience against one of the top offenses in the league.

Game Stats:

Ballard Offensive Leaders:

Eli Gebbie: 7 carries, 216 rushing yards, 5 rushing TDs; 8/15 passing, 72 yards
Oliver Broadgate: 12 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 5 yards
Jackson Keller: 4 receptions, 42 yards
Sam Andersen: 1 reception, 5 yards
Dillon Nicholas: 1 reception, 7 yards
Wyatt Minear: 2 carries, 10 yards; 49-yard punt return
Chase Gersack: 1 INT, 45-yard return