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 state 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 showcased a defensive masterclass against one of 3A’s perennial greats. Eastside Catholic never established the run, often forced to pass as the 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.”

This story will be updated.