3 takeaways from Bellevue vs. Eastlake: Wolverines methodically wipe out deficit to take KingCo top spot

Trailing by two touchdowns in the first half, No. 1 Wolverines roar back to take 42-27 victory over host Wolves in Sammamish

Top-ranked 3A Bellevue roared back from a two-touchdown deficit to trip up Eastlake, 42-34, in Sammamish. / Photo by Todd Milles

SAMMAMISH, Wash. - Reigning 4A KingCo champion Eastlake wanted to test the chin of WIAA Class 3A champion Bellevue in a bigger ring.

The Wolves landed a couple of haymakers.

Bellevue wobbled on its feet, down by two touchdowns.

But the Wolverines steadied themselves to launch their own fury - and recover for a 42-27 victory Friday night to clinch at least a share of the upper-division KingCo (4A/3A) championship in the first season of a tiered system.

Ryken Moon rushed for a game-high 151 yards and two touchdowns, and Max Jones added 142 yards and three more scores from late in the first half on. Top-ranked 3A Bellevue rolled up 365 yards of offense, all on the ground.

Ryder Barrysmith passed for 247 yards and four touchdowns for the 4A No. 8 Wolves, who led 21-7 early in the second quarter. He also had three second-half Interceptions, including two by Bryce Smith.

Here are three takeaways from the Bellevue-Eastlake game:

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Ryder Barrysmith and Eastlake jumped out to a two-touchdown lead over Bellevue in the first half, but lost, 42-27, in Sammamish. / Photo by Todd Mllles

BELLEVUE: BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

It is difficult to add up all the no-panic moemnts Bellevue football has faced over the years, from the Butch Goncharoff era to now alumnus Michael Kneip leading the way to a pair of WIAA crowns.

So, when Barrysmith found Bryson Hodges for a contested 41-yard touchdown to give Eastlake a 21-7 lead with 9:37 remaining in the first half, the Wolverines glanced at the scoreboard - and decided things were just getting started.

"I got a great quote from the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and that is, 'A team is a reflection of the coaching staff and the seniors,'" Kneip said. "These seniors, for better or worse ... don't panic."

The key sequence came with three minutes remaining in the first half, Bellevue faced a fourth-and-10 from the Wolves' 28. Smith took the delayed end-around 12 yards for a first down, and Jones scored four players on a 1-yard touchdown run with 18.9 seconds to go, cutting it to 21-14.

"Massive," Kneip said.

In the second half, Bellevue scored the next three touchdowns - two on Jones' runs.

"We had the mindset of 'Lake Stevens' (game in which Bellevue trailed at half ... to just bounce right back," Wolverines lineman Demetri Manning said. "It is mental toughness. That is what (Kneip) instills in us."

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MAX JONES DOES HIS THING

Moon got loose for a pair of long scoring runs, including a 49-yarder early in the fourth quarter that broke a 21-21 tie.

After that, Jones' inside runs did the damage.

"To see him run over people," Smith said, "is the funniest thing ever."

Jones runs with the physicality and almost violent nature of a throwback fullback. The more contatct to seek out, the better he plays.

He had touchdown runs of 1, 7 and 8 yards.

"It takes one play to say, 'Hey, we've got this,'" Kneip said.

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EASTLAKE NEEDED 'ROCKY' EXPERIENCE

It was Eastlake coach Scott Hare who brought out the Academy Award-winning "Rocky" movie to describe what his Wolves were in for Friday night.

Two of his team's three losses are to teams ranked No. 1 (Bellevue in 3A, Tumwater in 2A). And the third one was to 3A Metro power squad Eastside Catholic.

But to face Bellevue and its physical, wear-you-down style in the Wing-T takes getting used to, Hare said.

"I liked how we played ... but after tonight, we are not the No. 1 team in the state. But we also got to see what it looks like," Hare said.

Then, the second-year coach went into the "Rocky" plot.

"In 'Rocky I ... Rocky lost, but the first thing he had to do was see what fighting 15 rounds looked like," Hare said. "By Rocky II, he won.

"This gives us a good understanding on how to fight for 15 rounds. (Bellevue) showed our guys what the No. 1 team in the state looks like for 48 minutes ... such a physical 48 minutes."

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