Seamount League playoffs: Unbeaten Wolverines show Hornets they can pass, too

BURIEN — Vili Tela wants to tell the world.

Tela is tired of hearing how the Evergreen High School football team is one-dimensional, all run and no pass. So he and quarterback Mike Wax made a statement in last night's Seamount League playoff game with White River, hooking up on a 24-yard touchdown play on the opening drive.

Wax, 5 feet 10 and 150 pounds, wound up completing 3 of 6 passes for a career-high 112 yards as the eighth-ranked Wolverines rolled to a 41-19 victory at Highline Stadium.

Evergreen (9-0) will play No. 7 Skyline (8-1), the defending Class 3A state champion, in the opening round of the state playoffs next Friday at Highline Stadium. And the pass-happy Spartans apparently won't be the only team putting the ball in the air.

"What (people) don't understand is we've got a passing game for the playoffs," said Tela, who also had a 64-yard catch to set up a second-half touchdown. "They think it's all Jason (Peters) and (Jon) Hergert. It's not only rushing, we've got passing coming up."

And that's some rushing game. Running behind a massive line, Peters and Hergert both went over 160 yards for the second straight week. Peters, in fact, went over 200, racking up 226 on a season-high 30 carries, and scored three touchdowns. He has 1,727 rushing yards and 28 total touchdowns for the season.

Hergert had a career-best 168 yards, including a 76-yard score.

But White River Coach Dominic Yarrington said it will be the Wolverines' ability to put pressure on the quarterback that will determine their fate against Skyline. They dominated White River (6-3) up front last night, sacking Hornets quarterback Brad Addink seven times.

"Skyline's good," said Yarrington, whose team lost a thriller to the Spartans in last year's playoffs. "If Skyline can protect (the quarterback), which we couldn't do, I think Evergreen's in trouble, to be honest with you. Evergreen's secondary and coverage scheme is shaky at best.

"But they're just so good up front," he said of the Wolverines. "I think they're going to live and die with that front. You've got to dance with the girl that brought you there, so they say, and that's how they've come this far, with that offensive and defensive line."

The Wolverines, who have lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two years, don't mind letting Peters do most of the dancing. He impressed Yarrington last night.

"He's legit, he's D-I," Yarrington said. "He's the best back we've faced all season. ... He's so fluid. You don't realize it, and he's got 8, 10 yards."

This was the best passing team the Wolverines have faced and while they gave up a few big plays, including a pair of touchdowns, they passed this test. Addink completed 13 of 27 tosses for 196 yards with one interception — by Peters. Yeah, the guy plays some pretty good defense, too.

And so does Tele, who had 2-1/2 of Evergreen's seven sacks coming on the blitz. The big guys up front shared the fun. Pouli Tupuo had 1-1/2 sacks, while Fret Te'o (6-3, 210) and Justin Leiu (5-9, 260) had one, as did with linebacker Taufa Laiseni (5-10, 180).

Evergreen-White River game summary.