Blaze Underhill put his body on the line week in and week out last fall.

He did the dirty work for the Onalaska High School football team, blocking for Rodrigo Rodriguez and Kayden Mozingo. Those two got the headlines and eye-popping numbers in the counting stats.

Now, it is Underhill’s turn to earn recognition. Yet the Loggers knew well before he took snaps, just how valuable he is to the program.

“He stepped into this role and put the team first,” Onalaska head coach Mazen Saade said. “Never question it or bat an eye to move to different places, that speaks to his character.”

The Co-C2BL East MVP this season, Underhill has filled the shoes left by Mozingo and thrived in creating another 1-2 punch with Rodriguez and helping the Loggers back to the Class 2B quarterfinals.

Whether on QB powers or being the support for other quarterback Lane Gordon, the leadership role that Underhill provides has been prominent.

“We trust the coaches and we all have our strengths,” Underhill said.

It will potentially take a big game from Underhill on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Stadium when the fourth-seeded Loggers welcome fifth-seeded Freeman to Lewis County for a noon kickoff.

For the second consecutive week in the playoffs, a C2BL team takes on a Northeast 2B squad. Onalaska walloped Newport 60-8 in the Round of 16 last Friday.

“It has been a real good week of practice,” Saade said. “They’ve pushed each other. They’ve held themselves accountable, they’ve held the coaching staff accountable and that’s what you want this time of year. That’s when you know it means something to somebody.”

Underhill and Gordon have plenty of differences, but the result remains the same. The offense doesn’t lose much flow whoever is in the pistol formation.

Gordon, the 5-foot-11 sophomore, has shown the ability to sling it to Rodriguez, Cooper Lawrence, Sam Pannkuk and others.

The two-QB system is one of the many factors in Onalaska’s 11-game winning streak.

“He cares and he’s put time in,” Saade said of Gordon. “That’s been impressive.”

Still, Underhill knew both he and his QB room counterpart would be on the field at the same time and neither person shied away from the challenge.

Even Pannkuk noticed.

“Just learning everything,” he said.

The Loggers wrapped up practice this week in preparation for the Scotties on Thursday night at Tiger Stadium, going through every little detail from the lineup intros to the national anthem and what would transpire early in the game.

Those aspects, in Saade’s mind, make for a group that he laments as one with “high character.”

“I’ll challenge anybody, you go spend a weekend with these guys, you dig in with these guys, you’re going to find 40 of the most high character guys you will ever find,” the longtime leader of the program said. “It is about Onalaska football and the Onalaska community.”

Freeman presents a vastly different challenge than what Onalaska usually sees on a weekly basis.

The runner-ups in their league, the Scotties are pass-first behind quarterback Logan Schultz and his 28 touchdowns on 2,319 yards. The top-two targets are Nash McLean (66 catches) and Vance Coyner (12 scores).

It has an RPO flair with Schultz and Giovanni Sutherland each tallying six rushing scores through 10 games.

There’s five-man or even six-man fronts that Freeman runs defensively, but one man has been a game-wrecker. Michael Canderberg has racked up 16 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, by far and away the most on the team.

“They’re a real quality team,” Saade said. “Our kids are excited. Our program likes these opportunities and they like these November practices.”

Down the road, a potential semifinal match with powerhouse and top-seeded Okanogan awaits in the semis or an all-Lewis County 2B state title with either Napavine or Adna taking place two weeks from Saturday.

Yet the focus for Onalaska is just one snap, one game and one week at a time. Underhill doesn’t like to compare previous teams in school history to the current iteration.

Since the 2024 rendition of the Loggers is still writing chapters in their book.

“Preperation, trusting in that preparation, is going to get the job done,” Underhill said. “We feel good and we just trust the process.”

Class 2B State Quarterfinal – No. 5 Freeman (9-1) vs. No. 4 Onalaska (11-1)

When: Saturday, Nov. 23

Where: Tiger Stadium, Centralia

Time: 12 p.m.

At stake: Winner will advance to next Saturday’s semifinal against either No. 8 Tri-Cities Prep or No. 1 Okanogan

Follow on X: @zach_martin95

Freeman players to watch: Michael Canderberg, sr., OL/DL; Logan Schultz, jr., QB/LB; Vance Coyner, sr., WR/FS; Nash McLean, sr., WR/DB

Onalaska players to watch: Rodrigo Rodriguez, sr., RB/DB; Cooper Lawrence, sr., WR/DB; Blaze Underhill, sr., QB/LB; Nick Rushton, sr., RB/LB

Behind the bleachers: Onalaska returns to the 2B quarters for the fifth consecutive season and seeks its fourth semifinal appearance in that stretch. Its defense still has not given up any points since Week 3 versus Mossyrock, but the shutout streak ended on a Newport kickoff return this week. The Loggers have played two games already on a Saturday and both have been on turfed fields. Freeman’s lone loss happened in Week 4 when it dropped by three points to Asotin, the No. 2 team in the bracket. The Scotties have secured four wins away from home this year, three straight by allowing a total of 20 points.