Prep Football | Liberty's Trey Wheeler not all shook up

ISSAQUAH — When Trey Wheeler saw the Suburban shoot across the center stripe into his lane, Liberty's quarterback relaxed.

Things slowed down. It was as if he was settling into the pocket after a three-step drop. But instead of a pass rush bearing down on him, it was a half-ton SUV.

"I just saw a car coming at me and it wasn't normal," Wheeler said. "I turned out of the way to make sure I avoided the head-on and then they ended up hitting me and I rotated 90 degrees and came to a stop. I was fine when I got out of the car, but when I saw my car, I couldn't believe that had just happened."

The 6-foot-1 junior was rattled. The car was totaled. But by the time he got to the Patriots' game last Friday, he had put it behind him.

"Trey is amazingly mentally tough," Liberty coach Steve Valach said. "This isn't just football. You talk to anyone who has him in class and they'll tell you. Whatever he's doing, he's going to be the best at it."

A pregame car accident would be enough adversity in one night for any teenager, but for Wheeler, who leads Liberty into the Class 3A semifinals against Lakes at 1 p.m. Friday at the Tacoma Dome, it was only the start of a tumultuous, but satisfying evening.

In the second quarter of the Patriots' 20-17 triple-overtime quarterfinal victory over Lindbergh, Wheeler decided to tuck and run on an option play. He cut up the middle and was stuffed by the defense before "my trusty four-year-old chin strap decided to falter on me."

His helmet began to slip off his head, leaving his face exposed. He took a facemask to the jaw, but stayed in the game. After the next play, he noticed the blood and went to the sideline to get patched up. The field dressing got him through the remainder of the game, but the cut required 13 stitches later that night.

"I was wondering who's been in a car accident and gotten stitches on the same day and they weren't related," Wheeler said. "It's kind of a funny thing."

The only reminder of the wound is a small bandage on his chin that hides the stitches. For the quarterback, it's not a big deal.

"It's just kind of an unpleasant thing to look at," Wheeler said.

After an improbable fourth-quarter comeback two weeks ago and a triple-overtime victory last week, the Patriots, like their quarterback, have proven they can play under pressure.

It starts with Wheeler. Just look back to Friday night. After everything he went through, he still found a way to hit Jake Bainton for the winning touchdown strike in the third overtime.

"He's a tough kid," Bainton said. "I don't drive myself, but if I did and got into a car accident before the game, I would have been rattled. It seemed like he wasn't bothered too much at all.

"Right when game time started, he just put his head into the game and got everything done."

Mason Kelley: 206-464-8277 or mkelley@seattletimes.com