Perry runs Mountain View back into state tourney

At this point in his career, Mountain View coach Adam Mathieson has full confidence in his quarterback, Glen Perry Jr.

The dual-threat senior showed why.

Perry Jr. rushed for 238 yards and three touchdowns to lead Mountain View to a grind-it-out win over Lake Washington 27-10 in the 3A district playoffs at McKenzie Stadium on Saturday night.

He executed read options in which he pulled the ball out of the running back’s hands at the last moment, and took off. He served as the team’s up-the-middle back. He had Lake Washington coaches scratching their heads for many of his 31 carries.

What did it net the Thunder? A return trip to the 3A state playoffs.

“He’s earned the right to read those plays,” Mountain View coach Adam Mathieson said. “And he does a pretty good job at it.”

Next, Mountain View will face Peninsula of Gig Harbor at home next Saturday — a rematch of last year’s first round game.

The Thunder lost a fumble into the back of the end zone after going 61 yards in 12 plays on the opening drive.

Despite that, Mountain View got the touchdown back and led 7-3 with 4:44 to go in the first half.

A momentous swing put the Thunder ahead 21-3 going by halftime.

After Perry Jr. ran in a one-yard touchdown, Jack Mertens intercepted Lake Washington’s opening throw on the next set of downs, and returned it to the 18-yard line. Two plays later Tyrell Hall ran in a 12-yard touchdown and the Thunder completed a two-touchdown swing.

“The offensive line’s get-offs are getting faster, we were opening up holes and I’m able to put some numbers up,” Hall said.

The Thunder were in control.

“It balanced us up,” Mathieson said. “We felt like we went into half time where we should have been: equal in the turnover column at that point.”

Then Lake Washington caught a big break early in the third.

After a 37-yard pass and a 13-yard run helped the Kangaroos advance inside the 10, they faced 4th and goal from the six. Mountain View forced the quarterback to roll out of the pocket, and he threw the ball incomplete while falling down, seemingly signaling a turnover on downs. But the officials called an inadvertent whistle, and a redo on the play, which Lake Washington scored on a pass threaded to the back of the endzone.

The touchdown brought the Kangaroos within 11 points early in the third.

“We knew we had to keep grinding, doing our thing, moving the ball offensively,” Perry Jr. said.

Mathieson was bemused and the Mountain View audience echoed with boos.

“I make bad play calls and sometimes officials make great play calls, sometimes they don’t,” Mathieson said. “I’ve got to live with my bad play calls, they’ve got to do the same. I’m glad it didn’t have a major bearing on the game, but it’s a good crew and accidents happen.”

Mountain View put the game out of reach at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Thunder strung together a 13 play, 89-yard drive that ended in a seven-yard touchdown run from Perry Jr.

Eight of those plays were quarterback runs.

The Kangaroos gained 243 yards on the game and had the ball well into Mountain View territory often, but the Thunder forced a punt or a turnover on seven of Lake Washington’s nine drives.

“The defense lost the battle of field position, and then they bowed their necks down in the red zone, which was good for us,” Mathieson said.

While a blowout win may save stress, Mathieson preached the value of a closer game.

“We had so much success in October,” Mathieson said. “Ripping off 30-yard runs and big pass plays, then you go into a playoff game and that 30-yard run is only a 6-yard run. You have to play in (these types of) games to be prepared for it.”

MOUNTAIN VIEW 27,  LAKE WASHINGTON 10

Lake Wash. 0 3 7 0—10

Mtn. Vie 7 14 0 6—27

First quarter

MV — Glenn Perry Jr. 7 run (Aiden Hargrove kick)

Second quarter

LW — Lance D’Alessio 29 field goal

MV — Perry Jr. 1 run (Hargrove kick)

MV — Tyrell Hall 12 run (Hargrove kick)

Third quarter

LW — Alex Bartoletti 6 pass from Michael Buchanan (Lance D’Alessio kick)

Fourth quarter

MV — Perry Jr. 7 run (kick missed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Lake Washington: Ryan Clifford 31-90, Michael Buchanan 5-(-14), Cody Wilson 1-24, James Gardner 1-(-1); Mountain View: Glenn Perry Jr. 31-238, Tyrell Hall 7-4, Jack Mertens 6-16, Andrew Gulliford 3-13, Michael Urruchua 1-0.

PASSING — Lake Washington: Michael Buchanan 9-20-1-168; Mountain View: Glenn Perry Jr. 9-13-0-69.

RECEIVING — Lake Washington: Taylor Rickels 2-18, Jeff Young 3-82, Zeke Pelluer 1-4, Dominic Russell 3-58, Alex Bartoletti1-6; Mountain View: Makai Anderson 3-29, Mitchell Delmage 4-29, Tyrell Hall 1-4, Jack Mertens 1-7.