Two of Seattle’s top 3A programs meet Friday night when Seattle Prep travels to Sammamish to take on Eastside Catholic in one of the most intriguing games of the second week of Washington’s high school football season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Eastside Catholic, with both teams entering the matchup at 1-0 after impressive opening-week shutouts and plenty of reason to believe this could become an important game in the 3A Metro race.
The Crusaders enter the game ranked among Washington’s top 3A teams after going 10-2 last season and advancing to the state semifinals. Eastside Catholic was particularly dominant defensively in 2025, allowing just 83 points over 12 games, including only 55.45 rushing yards per game. The Crusaders also established a school record by allowing an average of just 7.27 points per game. That defense will be tested by a Seattle Prep offense that scored 30 points in a 30-0 victory over Chief Sealth in Week 1.
Seattle Prep will be looking for a very different result from last year’s meeting. Eastside Catholic defeated the Panthers 41-9 on Oct. 17, 2025, as the Crusaders controlled both sides of the ball. At the time, Eastside Catholic was averaging 36.8 points per game, while Seattle Prep was averaging 28.3. The Panthers finished last season 6-4, while Eastside Catholic finished 10-2 and ultimately reached the state semifinals.
One of the most important players to watch for Seattle Prep is quarterback Leo Harnetiaux. The 6-foot-3 senior enters his second season of significant varsity experience after completing 14 of 17 passes for 168 yards in a 2025 victory over Mountlake Terrace. He also rushed for 46 yards and two touchdowns in that game. Running back Reilly Cahill is another player to watch after rushing for 92 yards on 23 carries in that same 2025 contest. The Panthers will likely need both Harnetiaux’s ability to extend plays and Cahill’s physical running style if they hope to keep Eastside Catholic’s defense from dictating the game.
Eastside Catholic enters with several returning players who could make an impact. Jordan Meas, now a junior quarterback, also returns after seeing varsity action throughout last season, including a touchdown pass against Ballard and another against Roosevelt. The current Eastside Catholic roster also features senior wide receiver Nepo Fareti, junior receiver Simon Nlend, and senior linebacker/running back Santana Sahagun, giving new head coach Jeremy Thielbahr plenty of experienced pieces to work with.
The early-season numbers suggest both teams are arriving with confidence. Seattle Prep shut out Chief Sealth 30-0 in its opener, while Eastside Catholic defeated West Seattle 47-13. The Crusaders’ 47 points represented an impressive offensive start under Thielbahr, who has returned to the program after previously leading Eastside Catholic through one of the most successful periods in school history.
The biggest question Friday may be whether Seattle Prep can generate enough offense against an Eastside Catholic defense that has historically been one of the classification’s toughest. The Panthers have the quarterback experience and returning skill-position talent to make the game competitive, but Eastside Catholic’s combination of size, speed and depth could make sustaining drives difficult. For Seattle Prep, avoiding turnovers and finding ways to stay ahead of the chains will be critical.
For Eastside Catholic, meanwhile, this is an opportunity to establish itself early as one of the teams capable of challenging for another deep postseason run. The Crusaders already have a 47-point performance and a Week 1 victory behind them, but Seattle Prep represents a considerably more demanding test. The Panthers will enter Friday knowing they have already shown the ability to shut down an opponent defensively—and that last year’s 41-9 loss is still fresh enough to provide plenty of motivation.
With both teams 1-0, the matchup carries significance well beyond September. Eastside Catholic has the recent history, the defensive numbers and the home-field advantage. Seattle Prep has momentum, a talented senior quarterback and an opportunity to show that this year’s team is considerably different from the one that lost by 32 points a year ago. By Friday night, one of the Metro’s early contenders will leave Sammamish with its first signature victory of the season—and the other will have plenty to think about heading into Week 3.