By STEVE POWELL
spowell@marysvilleglobe.com
TACOMA – The team of destiny, Marysville-Pilchuck, lost to the team of dynasty, Bellevue, in the state 3A High School Football Championships 20-10 Friday night in the Tacoma Dome.
The score was tied 10-10 with three minutes left in the third quarter after M-P quarterback Eric Lind threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to end Drew Hatch on a slant route. The loud crowd from M-P, which numbered in the thousands, let out a roar as the wide-open Hatch went in untouched. That play concluded a 75-yard drive, with speedy and powerful tailback Austin Joyner leading the way with runs of 17 and 14 yards.
But Bellevue, which has now won 67 straight games, took the kickoff and methodically went 80 yards on 14 plays, chewing up about seven minutes on the clock. Wolverine quarterback Justus Rogers did most of the damage, keeping the ball on read-option plays and also on QB draws. He had runs of 13 and 11 yards and passed twice to running back Sam Richmond for 14 more setting up Richmond’s 2-yard smash up the middle to make it 17-10.
After a four plays and out by M-P, the Wolverines put the game out of reach with a 19-yard field goal by Kian Khodamorad to make it 20-10 with 2:46 remaining. Working with a short field after a short M-P punt, Bellevue took over on its own 42-yard line. Rogers had runs of 17 and 15 yards to key the drive.
After battling to a hard-fought 0-0 tie in the first quarter, Bellevue scored on the first play of the second period on a 1-yard run by Richmond to make it 7-0 with 11:55 to go in the first half.
The Tomahawks came back to make it 7-3 with 4:56 left in the half on a 24-yard field goal by Sebastian Navarro.
In a gamble that didn’t pay off, M-P went for it on fourth and one from its own 35, giving the ball back to Bellevue with great field position. After giving up a 15-yard run to Rogers, the defense held the Wolverines to a 28-yard field goal with three seconds left.
At the half, Joyner led M-P with 48 yards rushing on 11 carries. Richmond had 41 yards on 13 tries and Rogers 21 on two attempts. By the end of the game, Joyner had 90 yards on 16 tries, Killian Page 18 tries for 59 yards, Richmond 99 yards on 29 tries, and Rogers 11 attempts for 92 yards.
Both defenses dominated the game, with M-P giving up just 294 yards. Linebackers Hatch and Joyner led the Tommies in tackles with 14 and 11. The Wolverines held M-P to just 172 total yards.
It was the fourth-most points given up by Bellevue all season. It was the fourth-most points given up by M-P all year.
M-P picked up the third-place trophy, finishing the season 10-2.
Bellevue, 13-0, will play for the state title next Friday against the winner of Saturday’s game between Eastside Catholic and Mount Spokane. The Wolverines are going for their seventh straight title and 12th in the last 14 years as the dynasty continues.
M-P was known as the team of destiny after reeling off four impressive victories since a tragic shooting at the school five weeks ago.
