HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK : Thomas Keeping Emotions in Check : Football: Talented junior running back saving last dance for what he hopes will be a waltz by Quartz Hill to the Division I title.

See Erik Thomas run. See Erik Thomas score. See Erik Thomas jog back to the sideline, nothing more.

A touchdown by Thomas, the lead mustang in Quartz Hill High’s Three Horsemen backfield, apparently is no cause for celebration.

Twice last week in a Southern Section Division I semifinal against Mater Dei at Orange Coast College, Thomas burst through the middle for 49-yard touchdown runs. Twice he placed the ball in the end zone and trotted lightly back to his teammates.

He gained 178 yards in 18 carries in Quartz Hill’s 37-7 pasting of Mater Dei. He gained 140 in the second half, maintaining a Rebel reign after intermission that has been a hallmark of this year’s team.

But don’t expect Thomas to get worked up about all the fuss over a junior who has gained 1,394 yards and scored 17 touchdowns in only 193 carries.

After all, there is work to be done.

“We can’t celebrate,” Thomas said. “Not yet.”

Not yet? Not after the best record (11-2) in school history, a Golden League title and a showdown with Loyola at Anaheim Stadium on Friday night for the Division I championship?

A berth in the championship game is not enough for Thomas and the Rebels. They want to win it.

There will be no pregame rallies for the Rebels. No school assemblies honoring the players. Just the way Thomas won’t bother with a touchdown dance.

Thomas’ first touchdown run was impressive considering that the score was 17-7 at the time. After taking a pitch in the team’s power I backfield early in the third quarter, Thomas broke through a hole and found a corps of linebackers waiting.

No problem. Head down, he bulled into one, shaking him off about 15 yards past the line of scrimmage. One safety to beat. With a shift of the feet, Thomas blew past him. Touchdown.

The second run required less strength but showcased his speed. Thomas has clocked 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash. After taking a handoff, he ran right past Mater Dei’s team.

“Yeah, he’s really coming around, isn’t he?” Quartz Hill Coach John Albee said. “If he has a big game Friday night, he could be up for All-CIF honors.”

Usually, the Southern Section honors running backs with much more yardage. But Thomas has gained nearly 1,400 yards among a trio that has amassed 2,857. Thomas shares the ball with fellow running backs David Nelson (917 yards) and Selves Smith (546 yards). Each is averaging more than seven yards a carry.

Thomas does not mind carving up the carries. In fact, the backs like to count on one another for big plays.

“We admire each other,” he said. “We say, ‘Go Selves. It’s your turn.’ Or we say, ‘All right, David. Bust it. It’s your turn.’ ”

This is one effective mutual admiration society: The trio has rushed for 39 touchdowns. Next year, Thomas will be the lone remaining star. Smith and Nelson, both seniors, are being recruited by Division I colleges.

Thomas, who has moved out of a group foster home into the home of foster parents Leonard and Sarah Thornton, expects to be getting bundles of mail from schools himself.

Thomas has been spending time in the weight room, bulking up from 182 to 188 pounds this season. Instead of just blowing by tacklers, he is bowling them over.

“He won’t let just one guy bring him down,” Albee said.

Nor will he let any kind of celebratory dance bog down his post-touchdown jog to the sidelines.

At least not until after Friday night. One can assume that if Quartz Hill claims the Division I title, Thomas and his teammates will allow themselves a bit of a victory jig.