Bellevue returns perhaps its most talented team this fall, and that could make the Washington team a national title contender.
Success is standard under coach Butch Goncharoff at Bellevue High. With a premier out-of-state contest and perhaps the fastest team in recent memory, national success (maybe even a national title) may be in the cards for the Wolverines.
Photo by Jeff Napier
The
Bellevue (Wash.) football dynasty continues to roll as it enters the 2012 season.
The Wolverines enjoyed a national Top 15 finish last season in the final Xcellent 25 rankings and they should be even better this year. In fact, the buzz in Bellevue circles suggests that this could be the most skilled Wolverines squad in more than a decade.
Add talented athletes to Bellevue’s remarkably precise Wing T-based offense and it's a recipe for points. Lots of them.
Gone is U.S. Air Force All-American Tyler Hasty, but Bellevue brings plenty of speed to the table. Junior running back
Bishard "Budda" Baker and senior running back
Myles Jack are both national-caliber recruits who helped Bellevue capture a 4x100 meter state track title this spring. Both will get plenty of carries and both may see time on defense.
Ari Morales and
Reuben Mwehla will also get some touches.
Ari Morales is likely to get carries in the run-heavy WingT system that has made the Wolverines successful.
Photo by Jeff Napier
Up front, where the real magic of the Bellevue offense lives, the team is also well-stocked, with
Nick Santa,
Reid Hartmann,
Cole Landes and
Darien Freeman back.
MaxPreps 2012 Preseason Top 25 high school football early contendersBellevue may be more passing-oriented than it has been in the past.
Jack Meggs and
Timmy Haehl are two dual-threat signal-callers who will give Bellevue the option to throw more if it chooses.
Defensively, Hasty’s loss will be felt in the backfield, where he excelled. However, Baker’s presence there helps, and the defense as a whole returns eight starters, including linebacker Sean Constantine.
Local look: “When a program wins nine state titles in 11 years and is willing to take on some of the nation's top teams, it is difficult to rate one season over another in terms of talent and success. This year, though, will be special for Bellevue. This might be the fastest Wolverines team coach Butch Goncharoff has worked with and, given his penchant for tinkering with his wing-T system, that's bad news for opponents. Anything short of a state title would be a disappointment for a team that, if all goes well, could contend for a national title.”
- Mason Kelly, Seattle Times {PAGEBREAK}
SCHOOL PROFILE
Coach Butch Goncharoff applied for the Orange Lutheranjob in California. He's back, and that's great for Bellevue.
Photo by Jeff Napier
Class 3A
Enrollment: 1,400 (approx.)
2011 finish: 14-0, Class 3A champions
Head coach: Butch Goncharoff
Career record: 144-12
Years at school: 17 (12 as head coach)
Notable players coached:OL Stephen Schilling (Michigan, NFL)
OL David DeCastro (Stanford, NFL)
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KEY RETURNERS
Darien Freeman will be part of the offensive line at Bellevue. In the Wing T offense, linemen are every bit as important as the ballcarriers.
Photo by Jeff Napier
7 (offense), 8 (defense)
Key losses: QB/DB Tyler Hasty
Linebacker Sean Constantine has been preparing for theseason and the titanic matchup with Trinity.
Photo by Jeff Napier
RB Latrell Dukes
OL Jake Eldrenkamp
OL Michael Kniep
Key returners: RB/DB Bishard Baker
RB/OLB Myles Jack
OL/DL Nick Santa
LB Sean Constantine
Key newcomers:OL/DL
Henry RobertsQB Timmy Haehl
DB Max Richmond
OL
Shane Bowman {PAGEBREAK}
SEASON OUTLOOK
Bellevue fans will have plenty of reason to celebrate the ringing of the Spirit Bell this season.
Photo by Jeff Napier
Trinity (Euless, Texas). Bellevue’s biggest challenge of the season will come early on when it faces one of the nation’s top programs in Trinity. In Lakes, Bellevue saw a team with tremendous size and talent last year. However, Trinity is in a different class than even Lakes, and will present some matchup issues for Bellevue.
Nick Santa is another lineman expected to contribute.
Photo by Jeff Napier
Which quarterback will ultimately emerge to lead the team behind center? The Wolverines could use a two-QB system. Either way, Hasty leaves very big shoes to fill.
Local look: Bellevue is clearly the state’s top team, but watch out for Skyline. No stranger to the national rankings, Skyline nearly had a game set up against No. 1 Manatee which would have provided it a tremendous opportunity to make a statement for Washington football. Quarterback Max Browne, the nation’s top player at the position, is primed for a monster year.
Overall outlook: This could be a historically great season for Bellevue. But, it also could get sidetracked with an early loss to Trinity. Make no mistake, that game will set the tone for Bellevue’s season.
Coach quote: "There's nothing about Bellevue I'm displeased about. It's awesome. The community is great. The school is great. My situation is unbelievable. I've never said I'm leaving. I'm just going through the process, for whatever that's worth."
- Head coach Butch Goncharoff, in the Seattle Times after he had applied for the Orange Lutheran (Calif.) coaching job. {PAGEBREAK}
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