Bellevue Football Snags Four-Peat With Win Over O'Dea, 35-16

For 's Bishard Baker, being on the varsity squad in his first state championship game, the stage easily could have been a bit big.

Not so.

After an O'Dea field goal that could have started to swing the momentum away from Bellevue (14-0) in the second quarter at 14-3, Baker brought back the ensuing kickoff 89 yards.

"They had been kicking right all game, and then they kicked it in the middle, I found my crease and was gone." Baker said.

The top-ranked Wolverines took their fourth straight state championship home, with a 35-16 victory over the third-ranked Fighting Irish in the 3A State Championship Football Game on Friday Night at the Tacoma Dome. It was also their ninth state championships in 11 years and its twentieth straight playoff game.

For Bellevue coach Butch Goncharoff afterward he could not have been prouder of his squad for what they accomplished with such a grueling schedule, which included Skyline, and another top-ranked team, in a road game in Southern California.

"To go 14-0, with the schedule we played is impressive, these kids deserve this." Goncharoff said.

Offensively in the first half, the Wolverines only had two possessions but they made them count as O'Dea went with a ball -control type of approach to try and slow down the vaunted wing-T offense of Bellevue.

John Nguyen kicked off the scoring with a one yard touchdown run to put the Wolverines on the board first, and then Ari Morales capped off the next drive with a six yard touchdown run and Bellevue led 14-0.

The Baker kickoff return extended the Wolverine lead to 21-3 going into the break. The Fighting Irish continued to play keep away from Bellevue but it would be to no avail as Scott Whiting's 80-yard-punt return put the ball on the O'Dea 5 yard line. One play later, Nguyen scored his second touchdown with just 37 seconds left in the third quarter.

The game would get interesting in the fourth afer a O'Dea's Tatum Taylor 49-yard-fumble return brougt the Fighting Irish back to within 12 at 28-16 with 4:09 left to go. The Wolverine defense would step up get an interception and Andy Boulware's 39 yard touchdown burst put the exclamation point on another state championship.

Baker on winning the state title: "It's great, but I got to stay humble."

Junior linebacker Sean Constantine on how a tough schedule was so beneficial to their championship run along with the message it sent.

"It was huge beating Skyline, and Oaks Christian," Constantine said. Winning state was the goal, and we showed that Bellevue is a power in West Coast Football."

With a four-peat, Goncharoff  who is now 45-2 in State Playoff games, was quick to the point out to his players how special winning one is.

"It's a grind to win one," Goncharoff said. "I told the kids don't take it for granted."

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