This is the game the Grizzlies wanted.
Ever since losing to Bellevue 24-6 in Week 5 of the regular season, fifth-ranked Glacier Peak has wanted another shot at the No. 2 Wolverines. They get it Saturday night with a berth in the 3A state semifinals at stake.
“We knew that there was a really good chance that we would see them again,” Glacier Peak coach Rory Rosenbach said. “We knew most of that was in our hands, so we’re just happy that we did our job to have another shot at them.”
It seems absurd to want to play a team that has won six of the past seven 3A state championships, but the Grizzlies have something a lot of teams don’t have when they face the Wolverines — confidence. That confidence comes from a combination of playing Bellevue several times over the past five years, but also giving the Wolverines perhaps the toughest challenge they’ve faced in any of their nine wins this season.
“People, when they play Bellevue, they’re beat before they start,” Rosenbach said. “The Bellevue mystique is there. They say, ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to get them,’ but they really don’t believe it in their heads. The first play that goes bad, that goes to the front of their brain and they’re like, ‘Oh no, here we go again. We’re not going to beat them.’ I think our guys know that we can play four quarters with them and even if they do score, we’re fine and we can battle back and we can hang tough with them.”
In the first meeting, the Grizzlies allowed a touchdown in the first quarter and two TDs late in the fourth quarter, but only a field goal in between. They were very much in the game, trailing 10-6 before the Wolverines scored their final two TDs.
“Obviously we need to score some points,” Rosenbach said. “Everyone talks about Bellevue and its offense. (The Wolverines’) offense is good, but really, let’s be honest, they’re defense is what’s gotten them and kept that at that high level for so long.”
Where: Veterans Memorial Stadium (Snohomish H.S.)
When: 7 p.m., Saturday
Key Players: Bellevue—Justus Rogers, sr., QB/DB; Ercle Terrell, sr., RB/DT; Isaiah Gilchrist, sr., RB/DB; Tyson Penn, sr., WR/FS; Christoph Hirota, sr., RB/CB; Isaiah Ifanse, soph., RB/DB; Thomas Monaghan, jr., K. Glacier Peak—Andrew McCoy, sr., TE/LB; Justin Guffey, sr., WR/DB; Iain Black, sr., RB/LB; Dexter Carter, sr., RB/DB; Malaki Fifita, jr., OL/DL; Colton Bunt, jr., WR/DB; Ayden Ziomas, fr., QB; Zach Argue, sr., WR/LB; Ricky Kranz, jr., WR/LB
Records: Bellevue 9-1. Glacier Peak 10-1.
Radio: KRKO 1380 AM
Webcast: www.stspn.com
Twitter: @Krueger_David and @aaronlommers
Herald Pick: Bellevue
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