Mountain View football out of state playoffs

They were banged up going into the game but they did not use it as an excuse.

Team No. 36 of Mountain View football, as the Thunder called themselves this season, has come to an end.

The start of Team No. 37 will begin shortly.

First, though, the Thunder took time to say goodbye to the seniors from the 2016 season.

Cameron Lewis and Blake Cantu scored rushing touchdowns and the Peninsula defense did the rest Saturday night, leading the Seahawks to a 17-0 victory over Mountain View in the opening round of the Class 3A state football playoffs at McKenzie Stadium.

That’s the story of the game.

Not the story of this Mountain View group, though.

“It’s a family. We fight as a team,” senior Isaiah Carbajal said. “We win as a team. We lose as a team. And we want them to carry on the legacy next year. The future looks bright.”

This season ended with a 7-4 record, a Class 3A Greater St. Helens League title, and a win in the state preliminary round playoffs. That would be a team with six seniors in the main rotation. A lot of juniors and sophomores made huge contributions.

“I think we’ll be back,” Mountain View coach Adam Mathieson said. “Team 37 will get to work, and we’ll be back.”

Healthy, they expect, too. Mountain View was without sophomore standout receiver and defensive back Darien Chase — who had scored touchdowns in 11 consecutive games dating back to last season — and running back Sean Delmage. Four other starters suffered with illness for most of the week and played as much as they could against Peninsula.

The Seahawks, though, were just too strong.

“We’ve been great against high-scoring offenses all year,” said Cantu, who also plays defensive line for the Seahawks. “The shutout is momentum for the next game. It’s confidence, and confidence in the playoffs is everything. We just hope to keep going.”

Peninsula will play Meadowdale in the quarterfinals next week.

The Seahawks held Mountain View to 131 yards rushing, 197 yards of offense.

The Thunder did their part defensively, as well. With Peninsula ruling field position most of the night, Mountain View only allowed those two touchdowns.

“Effort was great. The effort was great. They really battled,” Mathieson said. “Defense did an unreal job. They were on the field a lot.”

Sure enough, the Seahawks were held to 240 yards of offense.

“They have a real physical front,” Lewis said of the Thunder. “They played really well tonight.”

Lewis finished with a game-high 73 yards on 18 carries for the Seahawks. His 2-yard TD run gave Peninsula a 7-0 lead. Cantu, who had 68 yards on the ground, followed that up with a 3-yard run later in the second quarter for a 14-0 halftime lead. Danny Jackson nailed a 30-yard field goal for the only scoring of the second half.

When it was over, the Thunder family from Team 36 gathered in the end zone at McKenzie Stadium one final time.

“I’m super proud of them,” Mathieson said. “The seniors set us up for the future. As always, we’re going to miss the seniors. I know those kids are going to be successful in life.”

PENINSULA 17, MOUNTAIN VIEW 0
Peninsula    0    14    0    3—17
Mtn. View    0    0    0    0—0
Second quarter
Pen — Cameron Lewis 2 run (Danny Jackson kick)
Pen — Blake Cantu 3 run (Jackson kick)
Fourth quarter
Pen — Jackson 30 FG
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Peninsula: Cantu 9-68, Austyn Thompson 1-(minus 6), Kenny Easton 10-30, Lewis 18-73, Burke Griffin 4-18, Evan Johnson 2-0, Deboreae McClain 2-2, Braeden Potter 1-0. Mountain View: Andre Scheer 14-56, Glen Perry 8-35, Jack Mertens 3-9, Nile Jones 5-30, Garrett Moen 1-0, Payton Regas 1-1.
PASSING — Peninsula: Griffin 7-13-0-55. Mountain View: Scheer 7-15-2-66.
RECEIVING — Peninsula: Jack Filkins 1-2, Jackson Reid 2-18, Nathan Thompson 1-11, Lewis 2-20, Chase Wittmers 1-3. Mountain View: Michael Bolds 3-21, Cameron Henderson 3-20, Mertens 1-25.