By Nathan Joyce
MaxPreps.com
The Bellevue High School football dynasty is back in its normal spot.
At No. 1. The Wolverines won their fifth Class 3A state title in six years, beating Kennedy 21-14 in overtime Friday night at the Tacoma Dome. It was only the second title game in state history to reach overtime.
Bellevue (14-0) lost last year in the state semifinals, but they had won the previous four state titles. It's a run no other football program in state history can match.
As it has all season, the key to Bellevue's success was defense. The Wolverines held Kennedy (13-1) running back Nate Williams - the Washington-bound back had rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 40 touchdowns heading into the game - to just 13 yards on 20 carries.
Bellevue quarterback Eric Block rushed for 137 yards on 17 carries, including the winning score in OT, when he scored from the 23-yard line on a third-and-eight.
"That was huge," Block told the Tacoma News Tribune. "Our line did great on that play. Our backs gave it up on the fakes, so there was just a seam and all I had to do was run."
"I think he's one of the best players in the state. And we rode him," Bellevue coach Butch Goncharoff told the TNT. "That's just what you do."
The game ended when Kennedy fumbled on its possession in overtime. It was a reverse of the early part of the game when Kennedy took advantage of a pair of Bellevue turnovers to take a 14-0 lead.
"These kids have heart," Goncharoff told the TNT. "I think you saw that at the end. They could have easily quit. They were tired. Everybody got beat up. ... But they just kept playing."
It's been an interesting season for Bellevue, which has played despite persistent rumors of recruiting (despite a school district investigation that turned up nothing significant) and the revelation that the team's booster club was paying Goncharoff $55,000. The payment isn't against any state rules, but it's caused the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association to examine how booster clubs insert their influence into high school sports.
Football: Oak Harbor Wins First Title
Oak Harbor (13-1) of Whidbey Island turned a muffed punt into the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats won their first state football title, beating the Bothell Cougars 21-14 in the Class 4A state title game.
The Cougars (12-2) had won 12 straight since their season opener, including a nine-overtime win over Pasco, tied for the nation's longest game, in the state quarterfinals.
Marshall Lobbestael, who is committed to Washington State, recovered the muffed punt and was 10-for-20 passing for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Valencia, a 5-foot-6, 185 pound hard-nosed running back/linebacker rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries for Oak Harbor.
From the other state title games last weekend at the Tacoma Dome:
In the Class 2A game, Lyden (13-1) knocked off giant-killer Centralia 14-10. Centralia had beaten nationally ranked Prosser in the semifinals. Lynden, which dropped down to 2A this year, is also the favorite to win the state basketball title.
In the Class 1A title match, Meridian (14-0) survived thanks to a goal-line stand and beat Connell (13-1) 27-22, giving the Trojans their third state title since 1999.
In the Class 2B title game, the Asotin Panthers (10-3) won its 10th straight game after starting the season 0-3, handing the La Salle Lightening (13-1) a 28-10 loss. Asotin, located near the Idaho border, lost to three bigger Idaho schools to start the season.
The Class 1B (eight-man) game, was a strange, defensive affair. Eight-man football is known for its high-scoring games, but St. John-Endicott won its first state title by beating Lummi (11-2) 12-6. The 18 combined points was a record-low for an eight-man state final (the previous low was 30).
Football: Kiilsgaard Picks Stanford
Auburn quarterback Kellen Kiilsgaard, one of the top recruits in the state, committed to play football at Standford.
Kiilsgaard, who has a 3.95 grade point average, rushed for 23 touchdowns and passed for 13 more for Auburn (12-1), which didn't lose until facing Belleuve in the state semifinals.
Kiilsgaard had offers from eight of the 10 Pac-10 schools, and he chose the Cardinal over Washington, Oregon and California.
A big factor in picking Stanford was so he could also play baseball. A center fielder and pitcher, Kiilsgaard could be drafted in June, but he said football is his top choice. He plans to play quarterback rather than defensive back in college.
Football: A Final Word on Joe Campbell
Tri-City Prep running back Joe Campbell didn't end his season with a state title, but he'll be remembered for a long time.
Campbell set a national eight-man rushing record with 3,527 yards this season. His 7,539 career yards are No. 2 on the nation's all-time list. His career mark is a state eight-man record and No. 2 in any classification.
He's also the state leader in several career categories, including touchdowns (125), points (808). He also holds season record in both categories with 50 touchdowns and 324 points.
The 5-foot-10 «, 180-pound senior had drawn interest from Boise State, Idaho and Nevada.
Campbell's career ended in the first quarter of a quarterfinal loss to Touchet when he suffered a hyperextended knee.
Football: Prosser's Moore Earns Gatorade Award
Kellen Moore, the record-breaking quarterback for the Prosser Mustangs, was named the state's player of the year by Gatorade.
Moore has shattered nearly every state passing record. This season he passed for 4,157 and 67 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Moore, a 6-1, 185 pounder, will play for Boise State next year.