3 takeaways from Bellevue vs. Kennewick: Day of Wing-T redemption as defending 3A champions roll to semifinals

Wolverines amass 476 yards of offense against one of most physical defenses in classification in 42-6 victory

Bellevue's Willi Wascher, left, and Demetri Manning, were back together along dominant offense line in Wolverines' Class 3A quarterfinal win over Kennewick. / Photo by Todd Milles

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Michale Kneip loves Bellevue High School football. He played on a run of state championships teams there before heading off to the University of Washington, He's returned to lead his alma mater to a pair of WIAA championships, including last season. And he aims to uphold many of the program's longstanding traditions.

Especially a high expectation level of play.

Even the Wolverines have their off days, and after a shaky showing in their Class 3A playoff opener last week against Stanwood, they went back to being the powerful Wing-T rushing machine.

Ryken Moon rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns, and top-seeded Bellevue handled No. 8 seed Kennewick, 42-6, in the state quarterfinals Saturday afternoon.

The visitors opened the game on Alex Roberts' 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. After that, it was all Bellevue, which totaled 476 yards on offense, and had a pair of interceptions on defense.

"It is about playing our brand of football," Kneip said. "You heard that from all of our kids. Last week, we weren’t ourselves … so we cleaned it up."

Here are three takeaways from the Bellevue-Kennewick game:

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FULL MOON HITS KENNEWICK

Kennewick's 6-0 lead after Roberts' kickoff return lasted a grand total of 15 seconds.

That is because Moon, one of the state's most dynamic two-way players, took a handoff on the first play of scrimmage and raced 73 yards for a touchdown. Bellevue never trailed thereafter.

And while fullback Max Jones (27 rushes, 176 yards, touchdown) will consistently be the team's higher-volume workhorse in this offense, Moon represents the big-play contrast - and added a pair of interior-trap scoring runs later of 60 and 20 yards in the second half.

"This was Bellevue football. We felt embarrassed last week," said Moon, who also added an interception on defense.

"We knew we had to out-physical them and run it down their throats."

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WILLI WASCHER'S PRESENCE A BIG LIFT

It wasn't difficult seeing why Bellevue's interior run was working so well: USC commit Willi Wascher is starting to find his groove again at center,

Wascher has been battling a knee injury, suffered early in the season that kept him out an extended period. He was playing in just his fifth game of the fall Saturday.

"It's just been part of process going through it," Wascher said. "Coaches are taking care of me, and I have one of the best (athletic) trainers in the country here."

Wascher was constantly getting to the second level of the Kennewick defense on run plays, wiping out a troop of would-be tacklers - which will be much-needed in the final two weeks facing the defensive fronts from the remaining 3A Metro contenders.

"It is fighting through the pain at this point," Wascher said. "It is football, it is who can stand the most pain - and who can inflict the most pain."

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EARLY KENNEWICK STEAM FIZZLES

Roberts' long touchdown return was an early statement for the Lions. And on their second series, they drove 70 yards down to the Bellevue 8-yard line, converting a pair of fourth downs and threatening to retake the lead.

But on fourth-and-2, Dominic Driver's pass to a wide-open receiver in the flat was batted down at the line of scrimmage - and Bellevue answered by driving 92 yards on 14 plays for a Kason Carta 1-yard touchdown for a 14-6 lead midway through the second quarter.

Kennewick ran 46 plays, gaining 159 yards, compared to Bellevue's 50 plays for 476 yards.

"Their big bodies wore us out," Kennewick coach Randy Affholter said. "Give me No. 76 (Demetri Manning), and we can run behind him for a lot, too. Or give me that center (Wascher)."

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