QuickTake:

Led by sophomore quarterback Zeke Thomas’ six total touchdowns, the Wolverines eased past the Mavericks to advance to the quarterfinals in the OSAA playoffs.

In the third quarter of the program’s first home playoff game in 18 years, Willamette High School head coach Josh Line had both hands on his quarterback’s helmet. 

Sophomore signal-caller Zeke Thomas had just scored a 9-yard rushing touchdown that pushed the Wolverines’ lead to 36 points and sealed the game. Line locked his eyes with his quarterback and was talking to him.

“I was just proud of his growth,” Line said. “There’s a few things you want to see in your quarterback, and he played with a ton of poise tonight and a little bit of a chip on his shoulder.”

No. 4 Willamette (10-0) took its first-round playoff game in a 42-20 win Friday, Nov. 7 over visiting Mountainside High School (6-4). Thomas (with five passing touchdowns, that third-quarter rushing touchdown and one interception) kept his sophomore season going and outdueled Mavericks signal-caller Cade Mitchell (two passing touchdowns, a rushing score and three interceptions). University of Oregon commit Tony Cumberland added a sack and multiple pressures, and the Mountainside offense sputtered against the Wolverines.

After Willamette running back Zuzi Alwineyan took the first play from scrimmage to the opposing 39-yard line, dual-threat quarterback Thomas completed all four of his next passes and pitched a 21-yard touchdown to senior receiver Brodie Butler over the middle.

“They had some really good adjustments to take (leading receiver) Hunter Vaughn away from us tonight, so the cool thing is that we had guys like Brodie Butler and Kawai (Chamberlain) and Amir (Harris) pick up the slack,” Line said.

Mitchell jumpstarted the Mavericks’ offense with a 36-yard score to receiver Sean Gerigk on third-and-8 — and Mountainside junior Toren Drucker recovered the ensuing onside kick. Willamette and Cumberland, though, shut down Mitchell and forced a punt. 

Thomas threw three more first-half touchdowns, including 13- and 39-yard completions to Vaughn. After the score, a punt and a Willamette turnover on downs, Vaughn came right back in at defensive back and picked off a Mitchell pass with less than two minutes remaining before halftime to set up his offense in its own half. 

Thomas took over and capped the half with a two-minute drill ending with 12 seconds on the clock and a 20-yard score to tight end Chamberlain (which Line said was on an adjustment Thomas made).

Willamette needed just two second-half scores before it put in its backups at the six-minute mark. The first, a 37-yard throw from Thomas to freshman Harris, pushed the lead to 29. The second, Thomas’ 9-yard rush, prompted Line to put his hands on Thomas’ helmet for his conversation with his quarterback.

“He made some adjustments tonight that were right on the money,” Line said. “He’s getting better and better every week at responding to the game plan. I haven’t coached a lot of guys like him.”

Mountainside scored twice in the fourth quarter — after Mitchell threw an 11-yard touchdown with seven minutes to go, a long double-pass set Mountainside up in first-and-goal. Mitchell punched in the 3-yard score on the ground and the ensuing two-point conversion.

Willamette hosts No. 5 Central Catholic, a 42-14 first-round winner over Newberg, Friday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.