By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
BELLEVUE, Wash. --- The MaxPreps Tour of Champions Presented by The Army National Guard made its latest stop Wednesday in the state of Washington, home to one of the nation's most successful football programs over the past six seasons - the Bellevue Wolverines.
Bellevue rolled to a 14-0 record in 2006, en route to its fifth Class 3A state title in the past six seasons. Under head coach Butch Goncharoff, the Wolverines have compiled a record of 74-4 during that span, including a 2003 victory over De La Salle, Calif., which snapped the Spartans' national record 151-game win streak.
The 2006 team was led by quarterback/safety Eric Block, who ran the Wolverines' vaunted Wing-T attack to perfection in accumulating over 1,200 yards passing and rushing and 16 touchdowns. Defensively, Block recorded 50 tackles and three interceptions, earning first team All-State honors on that side of the ball.
Block's next stop will be either Stanford or Washington State, a decision he is scheduled to make in the coming weeks.
Running backs Ladell Carroll and Daniel Harden served as the workhorses in Bellevue's offense, combining for 2,305 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground.
Senior linebacker Brendan Lopez led a defensive unit that allowed just eight points per game, tallying 163 tackles. Senior defensive tackle Will Kanongata'a chipped in with 11 sacks.
Don't be surprised if the Tour of Champions ends up back in Bellevue again at the conclusion of the 2007 season. The ceremony was held in the school's weight room after the cancellation of a Tuesday night basketball game. Immediately following the presentation, the Wolverines went to work, hitting the weights in preparation for a run at their sixth state title in seven seasons.