Placekicker: Luke Scoma, Bellevue, jr. (3A)

Emerging D1 prospect was big in 3A playoffs with perfect onside kick, game-winning 44-yard field goal to beat Lincoln. Also had 35 touchbacks on kickoffs in 2021.

Linebacker: George Kruger, Bellevue, sr. (3A)

Not the biggest guy around, but his sideline-to-sideline pursuit and steady tackling garnered back-to-back seasons as 3A KingCo defensive MVP.

Under ominous clouds and heavy winds, the Wolverines took the field in their electric yellow uniforms, to face the visiting Snohomish Panthers in a Week 10 crossover game. 

Unfazed by the less than hospitable conditions, the Wolverine ground game got to work against a stout Panther defense. In their opening possession, Carson Rubin zigged and zagged, dicing the defense with a 29-yard touchdown run.  On BHS’s ensuing possession, junior QB Lucas Razore found Ishaan Daniels in the flat, and Daniels scampered 30 yards for the Bellevue score. 

The second quarter was the Carson Rubin Show, as he added 10- and 35-yard TD runs, and even a two-point conversion, helping the Wolverines take a 26-6 lead to the locker room. 

After the half, the BHS offense really got rolling, including a 44-yard TD run from junior Blake Teets, a 24-yard TD run from sophomore Ryken Moon, and a screen pass from Razore that junior Cal Zimmerman took 21 yards to pay dirt.

Finally, in the fourth quarter, Kaden Matsudaira was featured in a long drive, culminating in a 3-yard TD run to put an exclamation point on the game. Final score: Wolverines 53, Panthers 12. 

“We love the playoffs”, Coach Kneip said postgame, “this is the best time of the year, and we’re ready to get after it!”

Bellevue will host Mead High School in the 3A Round of 16, this Saturday at Noon.

On the eve of a Halloween weekend, the Bellevue faithful showed up in droves (and costumes) to  celebrate another fantastic class of Bellevue High seniors. With the pregame celebrations and hugs finished, the Wolverines wasted no time getting down to business. 

Just one play into Hazen’s opening drive, senior Joel Schneider made an acrobatic interception, which moments later led to a sight that’s become the terror of KingCo 3A: an Ishaan Daniels long run and touchdown — this time from 63 yards. The defense continued their stifling business, while the offense added a 27-yard Lucas Razore-to-Hogan Hansen TD, and a 39-yard Daniels TD run, leading to a comfortable first quarter lead. 

In the second quarter, junior Carson Rubin got on the board with an thrilling 80 TD run, Razore completed his second TD pass of the day (once again to Hansen, of course), and senior DB Caymus Rooney took an interception 40 yards to the house.  All told, a 42-0 first half lead. 

In the second half, the Highlanders were haunted by a flurry of big plays on special teams and defense, by the Wolverines. Sophomore Ryken Moon took the opening kickoff back for a TD, junior Colin Miller had an interception, junior Luke Soma added a field goal, and junior Cal Zimmerman had his own pick-6.  Final score, 59-0, BHS.

Coach Kneip said, after the game, “What an awesome night to celebrate a group of guys who have given so much to this program! I’m so happy and proud of all of them. Now we have to keep the focus going next week for playoffs.”

The Wolverines will face Snohomish High School, at home this Friday, in the Week 10 Crossover round.

Voted as the KING 5 Sports “Big Game of the Week”, the 4-2 Wolverines once again headed north on 405 for a KingCo 3A showdown, this time with the 4-1 Lake Washington Kangs. 

With the pregame pageantry and TV interviews done, the Wolverines got to work making the “Big Game” a big blowout. Junior Carson Rubin was the first to take the spotlight — two long runs and two TDs got BHS on the board in Q1. In Q2, senior Ishaan Daniels added his own long TD run, and quarterback Lucas Razore added not one, but two, TD passes to fellow junior Blake Teets (one for 19 yards, one for 43). An interception by Caymus Rooney sealed the first half, 34-7 in favor of Bellevue.

The second half saw more of the same stingy Wolverine defense, and scores being added by another long Daniels’ run, and a 30-yard TD connection from Razore to junior TE, Hogan Hansen. Final score: 48-14, Bellevue. 

In the post-game interview, Coach Kneip told KING5, “It’s really fun to come out here in this great environment, packed house, they’re a great football team. Our guys played pretty well, it’s just about getting better.”

Then, on Monday, the LW JV made the opposite trip, visiting BHS.  Following the varsity’s team lead from Friday night, the Wolverine JV got things going quickly with several big runs by sophomore Matt Reed, and the race was on. Sophomore Ollie Sharp, and freshmen Max Jones also found the end zone, en route to a 46-7 Bellevue win, capping their first JV tour in years. Coach Salonen said, “We feel incredibly lucky to have the numbers to support a JV program this year, we love seeing the additional reps these players are getting, and the improvement that comes with those reps.” 

Bellevue will be on bye this week, ahead of a Week 9 home game against Hazen to finish off the regular season.

Thanks to state-wide referee shortages, the Wolverines had to reschedule their weekly Friday night appointment to Saturday.  Unphased by the change, the boys loaded up the busses on Saturday evening, and headed north to Juanita High School in Kirkland.

The Wolverines got off to their usual fast start, with a whopping three rushing touchdowns from Ishaan Daniels, another from Carson Rubin, and a passing TD from Lucas Razore to Hogan Hansen. The deluge culminated in a 34-0 halftime lead for BHS. Daniels got the second half rolling with his fourth house call of the game, and Luke Scoma added a late field goal to give the Wolverines a 44-13 win. Coach Kneip on the game, “We had a great, physical week of practice, and it really paid off. Now we need to do it again! Brick by brick!”

The following Monday, the Bellevue JV had their first home game of the season, hosting Juanita. On the first play from scrimmage, freshman Max Jones took a handoff 65 yards to the house, and the JV squad never looked back. Touchdowns from Sharp, Jones, Reed, and freshman Trevin King kept the Bellevue offense on top, for a 49-22 win. 

Next week, both teams face a tough and up-and-coming Lake Washington team — Varsity on Friday at LW (7pm), JV on Monday at home (7pm)

Dinner and dancing may have been the order of the day on Saturday, but on Friday night, Wolverine students packed the stands to see the Bellevue High football team demolish their crosstown rival Newport Knights. The Wolverines found paydirt early and often, ending the first quarter with a 28–0 lead, eventually taking a 35-0 lead to half. 

The second half once again belonged to the youngsters and up-and-comers, who finished strong to the tune of a 56-14 victory. 

Coach Kneip said after the victory, “Amazing atmosphere tonight!! We love to see the kids have fun and play ball. Plenty of things we need to clean up for next week, though. Back to work tomorrow!”

Touchdowns by Daniels, Hansen, Rubin, Moon, Smith, and Matsudaira. 

Then, on Monday, the JV took the field north of the lake, against the Bothell Cougars. I’m typical Bellevue fashion, the JV Wolverines matched Bothell’s two big plays with long, methodical drives and stifling defense.

Final score: 20-14, bringing the JV to 1-1. 

Varsity takes the field this Saturday (10/8) at Juanita, at 7pm, while the JV will face Juanita at home the following Monday.

Have no fear, Bellevue Faithful, the East Channel Bridge rivalry is very much alive. Due to state-wide ref shortages, the Wolverines’ trip to “the jungle” at Mercer Island High School was moved from Friday night to Thursday. Despite the short week, the Wolverines came out fast against a spirited Islander squad, thanks to TDs from Ishaan Daniels, Carson Rubin, and Kaden Matsudaira, culminating in a 35-0 halftime lead. 

In the second half, Bellevue let their young guns get a taste of the MI rivalry under the big lights, and played out the remainder of the game under a running clock.  Final score 42-0.

The Wolverines will look to keep extend their conference win streak next week, at home, against the Knights of Newport. It should be a Homecoming to remember!

After two rigorous non-conference games, Bellevue kicked off KingCo 3A conference play this past Friday night against Liberty High School of Renton. The western-themed student section brought the energy all night, and the Wolverines did not disappoint.  On the shoulders of some hard running by junior Carson Rubin and sophomore Ryken Moon, a long reception by senior Ishaan Daniels, and a heaping helping of stingy defense, Bellevue took a 47-7 lead to the locker room at half time.  The second half would be spent in running clock, ending in a final of 54-13. Coach Kneip said after the game, “great to see our men get out and have fun tonight, energy on the sidelines was awesome. Lots of work to be done to get where we want to be, though. Brick by brick!”

After their work in the back half of the Friday night game, the Bellevue JV made the Monday drive to the Sammamish Plateau, to face off against KingCo 4A opponent Eastlake Wolves. A talented Wolves team got out to a very fast start and never looked back, and the Wolverines found themselves on the wrong end of a running clock in the second half. Final score, 49-6, Eastlake. JV Head Coach Danny Salonen was upbeat after the game, “we never like to lose games like this, there are plenty of fundamentals on both sides of the ball that need cleaning up, but I can’t imagine a better opportunity for our young guys and newer players to play a ton of football. I’m already excited for next week.”  JV plays at Lake Washington on Monday 9/26.

Michael Kneip coaches his alma mater and is bent on restoring its football greatness.

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