Mount Tahoma silences Eastside Catholic, reaches first championship game since 1980
When fans offered Mount Tahoma handshakes and high-fives, others handed Felix Diaz a Sharpie. He was South Tacoma’s latest local celebrity — the star of the show after the program’s biggest win in 45 years.
The T-Birds’ two-way RB/LB signed posters for kids before rejoining his team inside what must’ve been a spirited locker room unseen at George Nordi Field. No. 2 Mount Tahoma shut down (and nearly shut out) No. 3 Eastside Catholic, 21-6, in Saturday’s 3A semifinals to reach the state championship game for the first time since 1980. Diaz was everywhere.
“We’ve been waiting for this all season, since summer,” Diaz said. “It just feels crazy. It’s unbelievable, I’m not gonna lie.”
Does the City of Destiny have a team of destiny? Tacoma’s best team is just one win away from proving it, cruising through a strong schedule en route to Husky Stadium. They’ll meet No. 1 O’Dea in the title game in Seattle on Dec. 5.
“Our big thing is staying in the moment,” Mount Tahoma head coach Keith Terry told The News Tribune. “We didn’t talk about the past a lot, but when we did touch on that, we (knew) the expectation at Mount Tahoma is when you get to the semis, you get to the finals. To be able to get there is really special for us.
“We just want to pick up history and rewrite it for ourselves. We want to rewrite our story.”
From start to finish, Mount Tahoma (13-0) showcased a defensive masterclass against one of 3A’s perennial greats. Eastside Catholic never established the run, often required to pass as T-Birds swarmed. Diaz prevented multiple chunk plays with impressive, open-field tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage. Mount Tahoma linebacker Shan Jones had two interceptions.
The cherry on top of it all? The T-Birds forced consecutive Eastside Catholic intentional grounding penalties in the final minutes, the latter in the end zone for a Mount Tahoma safety. The freight train from Sammamish came to a screeching halt: T-Birds 21, Crusaders 0.
“It still feels unreal,” Terry said. “I know the work that these boys put in day in and day out. I know where we set our goals, and to see us in a position to meet our goals is really special. These guys have grinded for a couple of years, and we just continue to stack days.
“We came out here with a mission, and to see that completed today is really special to me.”
Mount Tahoma’s defense forced a Crusaders punt before their opening drive stretched into the second quarter, capped by Junior Contreras-Barragan’s 36-yard field goal.
Diaz recovered an Eastside Catholic fumble on the next play from scrimmage, then slipped through the line for a 1-yard touchdown run to cash in six points himself. The Crusaders blocked the extra point and trailed at halftime, 9-0.
“That’s who Felix is,” Terry said. “When he’s healthy, we’ve always said he’s probably our best all-around player. Elijah (Durr) is a dude, but what Felix brings to us on both sides of the field is special. He’s a special kid that makes a lot of plays. He’s always going to bring ultimate effort. He’s special and he’s always going to show up in big moments. We anticipate that.”
Jones lurked over the middle and snagged a Crusaders interception in the third quarter, racing to the 6-yard line. When 4th and Goal from the 1 arrived, Terry and Co. opted for a 12-0 lead with a chip-shot, 18-yard field goal from Contreras-Barragan.
It looked like the Crusaders were marching in the fourth when Jones struck again, stealing another Eastside Catholic pass over the middle with five minutes to play. T-Birds QB Mikkah Cordero soon found WR Anthony Quintanilla Jr. for a 69-yard reception to the 1-yard line, punched home by RB Nezie White. The game-sealing safety followed.
And perhaps overshadowed by a seemingly-endless trove of skill-position playmakers is Terry’s offensive and defensive lines, dominant in the trenches Saturday afternoon. Mount Tahoma doesn’t win this game without them, their head coach said.
“That’s how you compete with the Eastside Catholics, O’Deas, and those guys,” Terry said. “You’ve got to have depth up front. In Tacoma, you’re going to have playmakers all over the perimeter, but when you can balance it in the trenches, you really have a shot to win football games. That’s how we want to build our program. Today was just another step in that direction.”
Eastside Catholic avoided a shutout with TE Tytan McNeal’s 23-yard touchdown catch in the final minute of regulation.
Diaz took 12 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, adding a team-high seven tackles and a fumble recovery on defense. Junior DE Teaven Jones had three sacks.
Mount Tahoma donned the No. 14 on their helmets in Saturday’s semifinal to honor their late teammate, Veron Lockett, who died in April. When postgame handshakes concluded at midfield, they bolted to George Nordi Field’s northern fenceline — celebrating with Lockett’s tribute that remains seven months later.
“Part of how they wanted to honor him was to get to the championship,” Terry said. “For us to get here, it’s special.”
No. 2 Mount Tahoma meets No. 1 O’Dea in the 3A championship at Husky Stadium, set for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday night. A win would capture the program’s first championship in 45 years, too, when the T-Birds won back-to-back titles in 1979-80.
“It feels good to leave a mark, for sure,” Diaz said. “I just hope we win.
“That’s all I hope.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 5:54 PM.
