Early in the season, the East Valley football team successfully completed what coach Eric Berg called the gauntlet.

There was a white-knuckling 13-7 victory against Prosser, a 49-14 triumph over Ephrata after spotting the Tigers the game’s first two touchdowns, and a 36-13 domination of defending conference champion Othello.

Now, the Red Devils are taking on history.

After holding off No. 6 Lynden 27-24 in a Class 2A state quarterfinal at West Valley’s Clasen Field, third-seeded East Valley heads west to meet No. 2 Tumwater, another tradition-rich program used to playing on Thanksgiving weekend and beyond.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at Tumwater High School.

“We talked to the kids and told them that they had to start somewhere, we were once a great program,” Berg said. “They’re not intimidated.”

The Red Devils definitely weren’t last week against Lynden, which has 10 state championships in its history, most recently in 2022 and ’23.

The Lions landed the first punch, scoring the game’s first touchdown, and putting the Red Devils in a rare position – behind.

“We hadn’t been tested a lot this year and it’s a testament to the kids that they responded perfectly,” Berg said.

Lynden broke a 7-7 tie with a touchdown in the final minute of the first half for a 14-7 lead it seemed likely to take into the break.

However, senior quarterback Jaxon Berg, the CWAC Offensive MVP, masterfully moved East Valley 61 yards in three plays and 30 seconds, hitting do-it-all Cody Gasseling in stride for a score.

The extra point wasn’t converted, but the Red Devils had seized momentum.

EV’s swarming defense slowed the Lions ground game and kept them off the scoreboard until midway through the fourth quarter.

And the offense rode Gasseling’s punishing running style and the Berg-to-Greyson Stevens connection for two second half touchdowns.

“For us not to put our heads down, to continue what we do, they overcame a lot,” Berg said. “It was cool to see. The kids are just gaining more and more confidence.”

They’ll need that moxie against a Tumwater team that’s looking for its 15th state championship game appearance. The T-Birds have won five straight semifinal games, and won the 2019 title.

Tumwater is still doing what it’s done since Hall of Fame coach Sid Otton won a then-state record 349 games and five championships in more than 40 seasons at the helm – run the Wing-T offense to great success.

“They’re a storied program,” Berg said. “What we’ve seen on film is that they’re very disciplined, they’re good at what they do and they execute.”

Running back Peyton Davis is closing in on 1,000 yards behind another strong Tumwater offensive line, that has helped pave the way to back-to-back state runner-up finishes.

The Red Devils are hoping to have their own 1,000-yard back at closer to full strength. Senior first-team all-CWAC pick Braden Albrecht was dinged up in the Week 10 state-qualifier against Rogers of Spokane.

After sitting out the first-round victory against No. 14 Burlington-Edison at Earl Barden Sr. Field, Albrecht returned to carry the ball 13 times for 29 yards against the Lions.

Gasseling took the lead role more than admirably, totaling 285 rushing yards and four touchdowns in East Valley’s two playoff victories.

The senior added six receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the last two games.

Together, the duo has worn out defenses.

“You can tell he is a lot better,” Berg said of Albrecht.

The Red Devils are 12-0 for thirst time since 2004, when they last won the CWAC championship and advanced to the 2A title game.