The Issaquah Rookie youth football team earned the first championship for the Issaquah youth football program since 2010 by delivering a 24-0 shutout win against the Bellevue Wolverines in the championship game on Nov. 16 at Mount Si High School.

The two teams met earlier in the season, with Issaquah notching a 26-0 victory. The second meeting was in the Greater Eastside Junior Football Association championship game.

To start off the championship game, Issaquah’s dominating defense forced a change of possession against Bellevue’s offense. Issaquah’s first offensive possession started on its own 37-yard line and the team drove down the field to the Bellevue 30-yard line. Quarterback Brady Barry scored Issaquah’s first touchdown on a 30-yard run around the left end. Great blocking from Jack Rooney, John Baumann, Dawson Frick, Cody Ishmael, Josh McCrorey, Cole Bristol, Jackson Corlett, Nikhil Shankar, Charley Dahl, Sequoyah Davis and Asher Darnell helped open up the hole for the score.

Bristol, Issaquah’s kicker, made an easy kick over the goal post to add two more points for Issaquah after the touchdown. After the successful point-after attempt, Barry recovered the onside kick for Issaquah giving them the ball on the Bellevue 47-yard line.

Two plays later, Issaquah scored on a 51-yard run around the right end by Baumann. After Baumann’s touchdown, Bristol added another two points, making the score 16-0 with 1:14 left in the first quarter.

Issaquah’s defense, led by Jayden Luse, Lukas Schlosser, Caton Hanson, Brody Mobilia, Kody Peck, Corlett and Marko Cortez, continued to dominate the Wolverines’ offense, going into halftime with a score of 16-0.

To begin the third quarter, Issaquah started its first drive on the 50-yard line. Three plays later, Barry scored his second touchdown of the game on a 37-yard run. Bristol gave Issaquah two more points with yet another successful point-after attempt, bringing the lead to 24-0.

In the fourth quarter, the Issaquah offense put together a long drive leading to a victory formation, running out the clock and giving the Issaquah Rookie Eagles their first championship win in the history of that division.

“This record-setting season was built on teamwork, dedication, hard work and a ‘never-give-up’ mentality. I am extremely proud and honored to be the head coach for the Issaquah Rookie team,” said head coach John Barry.

The Issaquah Rookies scored 271 points during their 11-game season and only gave up 18 points all season long with a record of 10-1. They scored the most points out of any Rookie team in the league and gave up the fewest points.

Information provided by John Barry.