KingCo 3A Football | Bellevue's string runs out against Skyline

BELLEVUE — In the final three minutes, players on the Skyline sideline alternated bliss and disbelief, with the biggest upset of the week-old season only a few tense moments away. Yet every time victory appeared certain and hops and high-fives began, they gave themselves reason for doubt.

A critical fumble and penalty gave Bellevue a chance to escape, but as the Wolverines tried to creep in for the tying touchdown, Skyline senior Eric Beige stopped Bellevue quarterback Tommy Castle at the Skyline 5-yard line on the final play of a 6-0 Skyline upset victory.

And finally, the Spartans could celebrate.

"It was wild, it was unbelievable, this was the place to be," Skyline sophomore quarterback Jake Heaps said. "It was so surreal."

Bellevue's 14-game win streak, and nine-game streak in KingCo 3A games, ended. Not only that, but seventh-ranked Skyline became the first team to shut out Bellevue since Sept. 26, 1997. Only one other team had held the Wolverines to fewer than 10 points since.

Last year, Bellevue didn't score fewer than 21 in a game. But that was before the Wolverines, winners of five of the last six Class 3A state championships, graduated all but three starters from the 2006 state-title team.

"We didn't know what we were going to get," Bellevue coach Butch Goncharoff said of his team's performance in the opener.

Bellevue rarely displayed its trademark wing-T formation, and the Wolverines' offense struggled.

It took only one deep pass by Heaps, in his first start, to make the Spartans the conference's new favorites.

With 5:57 left in the first half, Heaps threw a deep pass down the left sideline for junior receiver Gino Simone, who easily beat the Bellevue secondary and strode into the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown.

Heap said the Spartans receiver couldn't have been more open.

"We saw a mismatch for Gino Simone on the corner and took advantage of it," he said.

Yet it was a bright spot among many miscues for the Skyline offense, which lost four fumbles, three in Bellevue territory.

"Nobody wanted it," Goncharoff said.

Bellevue failed on fourth-and-inches at the Skyline 21 and had an apparent 71-yard TD run by Peter Nguyen called back on a holding penalty that Goncharoff said was the correct call.

The Wolverines had another chance when Skyline fumbled with 1:47 left at their 37. Bellevue drove to the Skyline 5 before Biege's tackle finished it.

"The defense gutted it out in the end," Skyline coach Steve Gervais said.

Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com