Originally published September 25, 2009 at 11:16 PM | Page modified September 26, 2009 at 2:06 PM

No. 2 Bellevue gets past Mount Si, 28-14

After two straight losses against nationally ranked competition, Bellevue took a step back to figure out what was wrong. Sure, the injuries were...

By Mason Kelley

Seattle Times staff reporter

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SNOQUALMIE — After two straight losses against nationally ranked competition, Bellevue took a step back to figure out what was wrong.

Sure, the injuries were mounting, but something else didn't feel right. So on Friday night, the Wolverines decided to try and make the game fun again.

They weren't perfect, but their 28-14 victory over Mount Si was a step in the right direction.

"The problem with the first couple of games is we weren't having enough fun," quarterback Kendrick Van Ackeren said. "This game we were having a lot of fun."

The Wolverines (2-2, 1-0 KingCo 3A/2A) also received a lot of help from junior Joey Mangialardi. He scored the first touchdown on a 2-yard run. He picked off a pass on the first play of the third quarter. He seemed to be in on just about every tackle.

"We've got a lot of people hurt right now, so when guys go down the younger guys have to step up and take their spots," said Mangialardi, who rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

With a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Bellevue tested out its passing game and Van Ackeren hit his brother, Brayden, for a 78-yard score. By the end of the first quarter, the Wolverines led by two touchdowns, but gave up two prime scoring chances after fumbling on the Mount Si 10 during their first drive and committing a penalty that negated a 60-yard touchdown late in the quarter.

Mount Si (1-3, 0-2), which is also dealing with injury issues, kept the game interesting with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Chris Clark to Rossco Castagno with 27.8 seconds left in the half. The touchdown cut Bellevue's lead to 21-7.

"We had an opportunity early," Mount Si coach Charlie Kinnune said. "The ball hit the carpet a couple of times, and we sort of got outmuscled for it. I'm really proud of the effort our kids put in."

After two rough weeks, the Wolverines are back in the win column, but there is still progress to be made after six fumbles and nine penalties for 80 yards.

"We're not a good team yet," Bellevue coach Butch Goncharoff said. "We're not. I think we're going to be. We're taking slow steps to get better."

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