WIAA 3A football championship preview: Us-against-world Kennewick faces its final test — resurgent state power Bellevue
Bellevue and Kennewick’s runs to the Class 3A state title game have been, in many ways, engineered with the same fuel.
Defensive-minded. Homegrown teams.
As the two programs prepare to meet in Saturday’s state championship game, giant-toppling Kennewick — the highest-seeded team left — seeks its first-ever state trophy against a new-look Wolverines team that has been a mainstay on this stage in the 21st century.
For Bellevue, it took a return to its roots to get back to reach its first state title game since 2015.
Fourth-year coach Michael Kneip was a recent college graduate, and first-time head coach tasked with "revitalizing," as he puts it, a program picking up the pieces from its more than decade-long streak of 3A championships tarnished by sanctions and vacated trophies.
These Wolverines haven’t fielded lineups filled with projected high-major college and NFL-level players to win. Kneip calls it a resurgence of the Bellevue teams from the early 2000s, before more star-studded teams ushered in a decade of dominance.
"This era of Bellevue football is Bellevue football," said Kneip, who does not have a senior planning to play college football. "That’s the key. Homegrown kids … who are overachieving - kids who are overachieving because they believe in each other, believe in the coaching staff and work really hard."
He points to lead-by-example senior running back Willy Wang, who rushed for 1,838 yards, 23 touchdowns and is averaging 8.1 yards per carry despite little-to-no interest from college recruiters.
Or to sophomore Colin Miller, who made several big-gain-stopping solo tackles on Marysville-Pilchuck’s Dylan Carson, the state’s most prolific rusher, in the semifinals.
Kennewick reached the 3A state semifinals in 2019 in coach Randy Affholter’s first year - after 22 years at Ellensburg.
This year, they’ve improved steadily as the season has progressed behind an up-against-the-world mentality.
"You could see on film the light bulb was starting to come on, they were starting to get the picture," Affholter said.
Bellevue’s last trip to the state title game in 2015 ended in a 48-42 overtime loss to Eastside Catholic.
Kennewick reached the WIAA state championship once before in 1983 - a 17-14 loss to … Bellevue.
CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
NO. 6 SEED KENNEWICK LIONS (12-1) vs. NO. 1 SEED BELLEVUE WOLVERINES (13-0)
Noon Saturday at Sparks Stadium, Puyallup
Coaches: Randy Affholter is in his third season at Kennewick (27-4 record). Michael Kneip is in his fourth season at Bellevue (37-5 record).
WIAA championship history: Kennewick has reached the state championship once (4A in 1983) but has never won. Bellevue won a 4A title in 1983 (under coach Dwaine Hatch), then won in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011 under Butch Goncharoff. The Wolverines’ 2012 and 2013 titles were vacated by the WIAA for recruiting and rules violations. Kneip won four titles as a Bellevue player.
Road to 2021 Gridiron Classic: Sixth-seeded Kennewick beat No. 11 seed Spanaway Lake in the first round (26-21), No. 3 seed O’Dea in the quarterfinals (27-21) and No. 2 seed Eastside Catholic in the semifinals (14-7). Top-seeded Bellevue beat No. 16 seed Lakes in the first round (42-21), No. 9 seed Rainier Beach in the quarterfinals (56-22) and No. 5 seed Marysville-Pilchuck in the semifinals (27-3).
Statistical leaders: For Kennewick — QB Dayton Davis (117-204, 1,867 yards, 19 TDs), RB Myles Mayovsky (226 carries, 1,330 yards, 14 TDs), WR Austin Stoddard (38 catches, 676 yards, four TDs), LB Bronson Childs (8.0 tackles per game), DB Simeon Howard (three INT) and DL Ayden Knapik (6.5 sacks). For Bellevue — RB William Wang (226 carries, 1,838 yards, 25 TDs), RB Blake Teets (128 carries, 1,283 yards, 14 TDs), AP Ishaan Daniels (59 carries, 1,117 yards, 17 TDs) and LB George Kruger (92.5 tackles, 13.5 TFLs).
Tickets: $16 for adults, and $12 for students and senior citizens.
(Featured file photo by Vince Miller)
