But spotting top-ranked Bellevue two first-quarter touchdowns was too much to overcome for the No. 2 Lancers.
The Wolverines ended Lakes’ season with a 35-14 win in the Class 3A football state quarterfinals Friday night in front of an estimated 6,000 spectators at Harry E. Lang Stadium.
“We stuck through it, we played our hearts out,” senior lineman Zach Banner said. “We tried our best.”
Lakes (11-1) played from behind throughout the game, but threatened the three-time defending state champions early in the fourth quarter.
Trailing 28-14, Ma’ne Manaea dashed through Bellevue’s secondary, giving the Lancers a first down at the Wolverines’ 26 with about nine minutes remaining in the game.
But Lakes’ offense stumbled – an incomplete pass and back-to-back illegal procedure penalties set the Lancers back – and on fourth-and-14 Nathan Derider intercepted David Wood, ending the drive.
“We could just never get our rhythm and we made a lot of mistakes on offense,” Lakes coach Dave Miller said. “That stopped us from catching up.”
Bellevue (12-0), winner of eight of the past 10 Class 3A state championships, answered with one of its trademark drives. The Wolverines covered 82 yards in six plays, with Andy Boulware capping the possession with a 2-yard touchdown run that gave Bellevue a 35-14 lead with 3 minutes, 28 seconds to go.
After the game, Miller told his players he was proud of their effort.
“We have a lot of winners on our team,” he said. “They battled hard. We played a great football team, we kept battling. Our defense found a way to get some stops.”
Bellevue did not complete a pass, but quarterback Tyler Hasty made the Lancers pay on the ground. He rushed for 113 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries.
Hasty’s first two touchdowns came in the opening quarter.
Bellevue struck early, taking advantage of good field possession after the Lancers turned the ball over on downs at their own 43 on the first drive of the game. Four plays later, Hasty faked a handoff to John Nguyen and dashed into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown.
The senior added a 7-yard keeper on Bellevue’s next possession, which put the Wolverines ahead 14-0 eight minutes into the game.
Cedric Dozier gave Lakes a spark in the second quarter. He intercepted Hasty and then engineered a five-play, 51-yard drive that Levonte Littlejohn punctuated with a 14-yard touchdown run.
The Lancers swung momentum their way when they forced Bellevue’s first punt, but Bellevue stuffed the Lancers on three straight running plays. The Wolverines got the ball back at their own 42 with 2:13 remaining in the first half – more than enough time for Hasty to score his third touchdown.
Hasty carried four times on the six-play drive, finishing it with a 6-yard touchdown run, putting Bellevue ahead 21-7 with 29 seconds to go in the half.
Bellevue added a touchdown in the third quarter, increasing its lead to 28-7.
With the game slipping away, Lakes rallied.
The Lancers went 80 yards in nine plays – Littlejohn provided the big play with a 9-yard gain on fourth-and-3 at Bellevue’s 13. And Littlejohn scored on a 4-yard run with five minutes to go in the third quarter, pulling closer, 28-14.
Littlejohn led the Lancers with 95 rushing yards on 18 carries. Wood completed 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards. Dozier had six catches for 41 yards.
Bellevue piled up 345 yards of offense, all of it coming on the ground.
Miller left the game again impressed by the Wolverines, and his own team, too.
The Lancers lost to the Wolverines in last season’s semifinals, 35-7, in the Tacoma Dome.
“That’s the best Bellevue team I’ve ever seen,” Miller said, “and my kids played toe to toe with them.”
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271
doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/preps
Twitter: @DougPaceyTNT
