Matchup with Bellevue a big on
September 26, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
League implications scattered all over meeting with 3A’s No. 1 team
Long before the 2008 football season began, one game in KingCo 3A/2A was talked about as the one to watch.
That game — Mount Si at Bellevue — will be played at 7 p.m. Friday.
On paper, it might not seem like much. Bellevue enters the game as the No. 1 team in its class, while the Wildcats are off to a 1-2 start.
Still, when coaches in the league voted in a preseason poll, Bellevue and Mount Si came in at first and second, separated by just three points. The team that loses this matchup may never have a chance to catch up, as both teams will be favored in all of their games from here on out.
For the Wildcats, the key is stopping a Bellevue rushing attack that has been downright steamrolling opponents. The Wolverine’s vaunted Wing-T offense has averaged 37.6 points an outing against three quality opponents so far. Star running back Pete Nguyen has romped his way to 10 rushing touchdowns already.
Bellevue has a slew of running backs capable of going the distance and has returning starters at quarterback, two wide receiver positions and both tackle positions.
“It’s going to be tough. We all know it’s going to be a tough game,” Mount Si senior running back Sean Snead said. “We’re going to need to run the football well. That’s going to be a big key.”
Running the ball on Bellevue’s defense should prove a difficult task. The Wolverines led all of KingCo 3A a year ago in rush defense, allowing just 85 yards a game. They gave up only two rushing touchdowns in nine regular-season contests.
That side of the ball is led by safety Jamal Atofau, who is considered one of the top 10 collegiate prospects in the state. Linebacker Eric Nelson, a 5-11, 220-pounder, also is a returning standout, as is senior defensive back Cam Warren.
Bellevue began the season with a 41-13 beating of Central Catholic (Ore.) at the Les Schwab “Best of the West” showcase. They followed that up by handling 4A power Bothell, 38-19, in a game in which the Wolverines led 24-0 at halftime and rolled up nearly 400 yards rushing. Last week, Bellevue posted a 34-27 win against San Ramon, which finished 11-2 in California last season.
Those three games have shown that the Wolverines may even be a little better than everyone expected. Although, Bellevue is unlikely to surprise anyone these days, not after capturing five 3A state championships since head coach Butch Goncharoff took over eight years ago.
The Wolverines won state titles consecutively from 2001-04, lost in the quarterfinals to Prosser in 2005, captured another state crow in 2006 and fell in the semifinals to O’Dea last season.
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