As it did in 2016, the Oak Harbor High School football team will open the postseason in Lacey against Timberline. The set-up is similar, but the Wildcats are hoping for a different result this time around.

Two years ago, Oak Harbor entered the quad-district game as the No. 6 seed out of the Western Conference; the Blazers were the top seed out of the South Sound Conference. The Wildcats nearly upset Timberline, losing 41-38 when the Blazers escaped with a last-minute touchdown.

This time, the Wildcats are the No. 5 seed and Timberline No. 2. The details have not been set, but the game will most likely be 7 p.m. game Friday, Nov. 2, at North Thurston High School. The winner advances to the 16-team state tournament; the loser is out.

Oak Harbor earned the No. 5 Wesco seed by thumping Shorecrest 62-27 at Shoreline Stadium Friday, Oct. 26, in a crossover game between the third-place teams from the North and South divisions.

Timberline (7-2) tied Peninsula of Gig Harbor for the South Sound title. Peninsula, however, defeated the Blazers 28-27 earlier this season to earn the No. 1 seed out of the conference. Timberline’s only other loss this season was to Tumwater, the No. 1-ranked 2A team most of the fall, in the season opener.

Oak Harbor 62, Shorecrest 27

The Scots fumbled on their third and fourth plays of the game, Oak Harbor turned both into touchdowns and the rout was on.

The Wildcats gouged Shorecrest with a stout running game, averaging more than seven yards per carry.

Caden Leckelt led the way with 165 yards on 20 carriers. He piled up 146 yards in the first half when he received all but two of his carriers. His backup, Jake Mitten, added 73 yards on 13 runs, while Aaron Martinez covered 56 yards on seven carries and Dorian Hardin 69 on nine.

Hardin scored four times, including a 91-yard kickoff return to open the second half.

Mitten scored twice and kicked eight extra points. Martinez and Leckelt each ran for touchdowns, and Kevin Schuldt caught a TD pass from Caleb Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald hit three of four passes for 80 yards.

In all, Oak Harbor ran for 379 yards and finished with 459 total yards.

Shorecrest had 273 yards. QB Eladio Fountain was 11-for-19 for 157 yards.

Shorecrest fumbled on the third play of the game, and Schuldt recovered at the Wildcat 48. Four Leckelt carries took the ball to the Scot 14, and Hardin ran it in from there for the game’s first score.

Shorecrest fumbled on its next play and Oak Harbor took over at the Scott 44. Runs of 28 and 14 yards by Leckelt helped set up his 1-yard TD run.

After a Scot punt, Fitzgerald threw 31 yards to Martinez and then 22 to Schuldt to make it 21-0.

The teams traded a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, and Oak Harbor led 35-13 at the half.

Any enthusiasm the Scots built at the break was quickly erased when Hardin dashed 91 yards with the second-half kickoff.

Shorecrest recovered a fumble at the Wildcat 8 and scored two plays later, setting the score at 42-20.

It took the Wildcats only three plays to respond when Martinez rambled in from the 27.

With Mitten getting most of the carries, Oak Harbor tacked on two more touchdowns.

Shorecrest scored late against the Wildcat reserves to set the final score.