WEST CANAAN — The first step in what the Mascoma High boys basketball team hopes and expects will be a lengthy playoff run went exactly according to plan.

The No. 3 seed Royals, boosted by a 19-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters, rolled over 14th-seeded Berlin, 62-30, on Tuesday night in the NHIAA Division III first round, setting the stage for an all-Upper Valley quarterfinal against No. 6 seed Stevens on Friday.

“We discussed about locking in last week, when we had four games in one week,” Mascoma coach Silas Ayres said. “We wanted the chance to get two home games. We had to finish strong, and we did that, so we’ve been gearing up.

“This was the most energy that I saw from our guys, especially in the first half. It’s (about) energy level and intensity level in the playoffs, and we came with that tonight.”

Senior guard Zach Thompson, a Castleton University commit, led the Royals (15-3) with 16 points, one of 11 Mascoma players who scored in the game. Thompson scored 14 of his points in the first half, including all four of his 3-pointers, and sophomore guard Tanner Moulton had nine of his 11 in the first two quarters.

With Mascoma leading by four points midway through the first quarter, Moulton slipped behind the defense for a transition layup, then got a steal and had a clear path to the basket for another lay-in. Thompson was left open for a corner three moments later, and Moulton hit a 3-pointer of his own from the right wing on an out-of-bounds play.

Another Thompson 3-pointer, this one from the opposite corner, made it a 26-7 game at the end of the quarter, and a midrange Thompson jumper and a driving layup by junior guard Aidan Smith made it 19 straight points for the Royals.

“We know that we’re battle-tested, (and) they’re a good team for a first playoff game,” Thompson said. “It should open a lot of guys’ eyes that we really have a shot at (the championship). We just need to keep picking each other up because not everyone is in the right headspace right now, but we will be going into the next game.”

A number of players have stepped into the secondary scoring role throughout the season — Smith looked like that guy with 18 and 21 points, respectively, in his first two games, and junior forward James Thomas has also shown flashes of being Thompson’s primary co-star. Lately, it’s been Moulton, who had 25 points last Monday against Hillsboro-Deering and 14 the next night in a big road win over Hopkinton.

Mascoma’s second and third units played most of the second half, and nearly everyone chipped in. Freshman Colin Myers had five points, and sophomore Marshall Yorke, much to the delight of the student section, played the last four minutes and got off some good shots, though none fell.

“It’s great for the younger kids to get playoff experience,” Ayres said. “It’s a different atmosphere. The crowd is bigger; there’s a little bit of nerves there. It really helps keep the program going.”

The Mountaineers (5-13) only qualified for the playoffs because White Mountains was declared ineligible for playing too many games outside its division, with Berlin taking the Spartans’ spot. Jeremyah Dow, who averaged an impressive 15.2 points per game in the regular season, led the visitors with 14 on Tuesday.

The Royals are now looking ahead to Friday’s tilt with the Cardinals, a team they hammered, 68-36, on Jan. 30. Stevens has not lost since then, closing the regular season with an impressive win over Winnisquam and edging No. 11 seed Somersworth, 48-45, in its first-round contest.

“They’re going to be gunning for us,” Ayres said. “They want to avenge that loss, I’m sure.”

Benjamin Rosenberg can be reached at brosenberg@vnews.com or 603-727-3302.

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