Reported by Karrington Kincaid, The Seattle Medium
TACOMA — Eastside Catholic’s playoff run came to a close Saturday night as the Crusaders fell 27-6 to Mt. Tahoma in the Class 3A state semifinal at Mt. Tahoma Stadium. The matchup featured two of the state’s top three seeds, but it was the second-seeded Thunderbirds who seized control early and never let go, using a consistent ground game and disciplined defense to earn a trip to the WIAA championship.
Eastside Catholic, the No. 3 seed, came in with momentum after a 41-0 quarterfinal victory over Kennewick last week. But Mt. Tahoma’s physical play on both sides of the ball made it difficult for the Crusaders to find any rhythm. They were held scoreless until the final two minutes, while the Thunderbirds steadily built their lead.
Both teams opened the game with short drives, trading punts in the early going. Eastside Catholic’s first series showed promise. Running back Nick Jones picked up 15 yards on two carries, and quarterback Luca Villasenor added short completions to receivers Asa Thompson, Caden Weber and Cayden Pili. But after a false start penalty and a swing pass that lost yardage, the Crusaders were forced to punt.
Mt. Tahoma quickly established its identity on the next drive. Running back Nezie White led a 13-play possession, running behind a strong offensive line that allowed the Thunderbirds to move from their own 4-yard line to the Crusaders’ red zone. Quarterback Mikkah Cordero chipped in with two short completions to receiver Kane Roy, but the Eastside Catholic defense held the line inside the 20. Mt. Tahoma settled for a short field goal to take a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Eastside Catholic’s next possession ended in a costly turnover. Pili broke off a long run down the left sideline, but the ball came loose and was recovered by Mt. Tahoma’s Felix Diaz. The Thunderbirds capitalized, using an 18-yard pass from Cordero to receiver Elijah Durr and another short throw to Diaz to set up first and goal. Diaz then punched in a 1-yard touchdown. The extra point missed, but Mt. Tahoma extended its lead to 9-0.
Late in the second quarter, the Crusaders’ defense created a momentum shift. Safety Hudson Schock intercepted a pass from Cordero to give Eastside Catholic the ball near midfield. But the offense could not turn the takeaway into points. A negative run and two incomplete passes led to a punt, and Mt. Tahoma closed the half by running out the clock with a series of short runs by White and Diaz.
Trailing 9-0 after halftime, Eastside Catholic opened the third quarter with a false start and a broken play that led to an 11-yard sack of Villasenor. On the next snap, the quarterback tried to push the ball downfield but was intercepted by Mt. Tahoma defensive back Shan Jones. The Thunderbirds turned that turnover into another field goal, pushing their lead to 12-0.
Midway through the third quarter, Eastside Catholic responded with its best offensive series of the game. Villasenor found receiver Nepo Fareti on a deep throw down the left sideline for a 40-yard gain. Jones, Wassie Lugolobi and Pili added short runs that moved the Crusaders inside the 25. But a holding penalty and three straight incompletions ended the drive on downs.
Mt. Tahoma then put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter. Cordero hit receiver Anthony Quintanilla Jr. in stride on a post route for a 68-yard completion, setting up White’s 1-yard touchdown run. The extra point extended the lead to 19-0.
On the following drive, Mt. Tahoma’s defense delivered again. A pass rush forced Villasenor to throw from his own end zone, and an intentional grounding penalty resulted in a safety. After receiving the ball again, Mt. Tahoma struck once more. Cordero hit Quintanilla Jr. again to flip the field, and White capped the possession with his second touchdown run of the game. The extra point pushed the lead to 27-0 with just under five minutes remaining.
To their credit, the Crusaders continued to battle. Villasenor completed passes to receiver Robert Ingram, Thompson and Pili before finding receiver Tytan McNeal over the middle for a 23-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt was no good, but Eastside Catholic avoided the shutout with under two minutes left.
The Crusaders’ defense produced several bright spots, including interceptions from Schock and Villasenor, along with red zone stops in the first and third quarters. But Mt. Tahoma’s ability to control the clock with 47 rush attempts and a 9-of-9 passing performance from Cordero left Eastside Catholic with limited opportunities.
The loss ends the Crusaders’ postseason run, while Mt. Tahoma advances to the WIAA Class 3A state championship game on Friday, Dec. 5, against Metro League powerhouse O’Dea at Husky Stadium.
Player Stats
Eastside Catholic Crusaders – Offense:
• Luca Villasenor – 15 of 25 passing, 105 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 1 rush, minus-11 yards
• Nepo Fareti – 3 receptions, 60 yards
• Tytan McNeal – 1 reception, 23 yards, 1 TD
• Asa Thompson – 3 receptions, 12 yards
• Nick Jones – 6 rushes, 23 yards; 1 reception, 2 yards
• Cayden Pili – 3 rushes, 3 yards; 3 receptions, 0 yards
• Caden Weber – 1 reception, 10 yards
• Zavier Traxler – 1 reception, 3 yards
• Robert Ingram – 1 reception, 5 yards
• Wassie Lugolobi – 1 rush, 6 yards
• Hudson Schock – 1 rush, 0 yards
Eastside Catholic Crusaders – Defense:
• Hudson Schock – 3 tackles, 1 interception
Mt. Tahoma Thunderbirds – Offense:
• Nezie White – 19 rushes, 59 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Felix Diaz – 14 rushes, 65 yards, 1 touchdown; 1 reception, 18 yards
• Anthony Quintanilla Jr. – 2 receptions, 72 yards
• Elijah Durr – 2 rushes, 30 yards; 1 reception, 18 yards
• Kane Roy – 3 rushes, 24 yards; 2 receptions, 15 yards
• Mikkah Cordero – 9 completions for144 yards; 2 rushes, minus-12 yards
• Kemarjae Davis – 4 rushes, 9 yards
• Keshawn Hines – 1 rush, 1 yard
• Shan Jones – 2 rushes, 0 yards
Mt. Tahoma Thunderbirds – Defense:
• Felix Diaz –1 fumble recovery
• Shan Jones – 2 interceptions
