Almost everything has gone according to plan for the Liberty Patriots this year. The team is undefeated at 7-0 and tied for the KingCo 3A/2A lead with Bellevue.
Behind a trio of junior stars in Trey Wheeler, Chandler Jenkins and Jake Bainton, the offense is averaging over 40 points per game.
With Cameron Talley, Alex Kaser, Bainton, Jenkins and a host of talented tacklers, the Patriots defense is allowing fewer than nine points per game.
This looks like Liberty’s most talented team in years; but do the Patriots have what it takes to make a march towards a first state football title since 1988?
Friday night’s game against Bellevue, played at Liberty’s home field, will help answer the question. Both Liberty and Bellevue are listed among Washington’s best 3A teams, and the Friday-night showdown will be the state’s best matchup so far.
Meet Bellevue
The Wolverines scheduled two of the nation’s premiere teams in non-league games early this season. After losses to Katy (Texas) and Grant (Sacramento), Bellevue was suddenly 1-2 and in an odd place: the wrong side of .500.
“Bellevue is Bellevue,” said Liberty coach Steve Valach. “Anyone foolish enough to look at their two losses and think that means Bellevue has dropped a notch from where they have been is nuts.”
But as Bellevue has rounded into form against KingCo competition, those losses look more and more like statements about how good high school football is in Texas and California than a statement about Bellevue’s decline.
Bellevue scored just 28 points against Mount Si in the league opener but has averaged nearly 47 points per game since.
“They do what they do better than anyone who runs the Wing-T,” Valach said. “They have added to that a very productive spread passing game. They seem to have found their rhythm over the last couple weeks and are really clicking offensively.”
Liberty did see a Wing-T offense Oct. 9 against Hazen. The Patriots won that game 56-0, but there will certainly be a difference in the offenses at Hazen and Bellevue. Hazen coach Drew Oliver is in his first year bringing the Wing-T to the team. While the Highlanders are tied for second in the Seamount, they don’t yet have the swift efficiency that Bellvue does after running the system for years.
Bellevue is a program with six state titles … since 2001. Bellevue is 27-2 in state tournament games since 2001 and has outscored opponents 998-328 in those games.
Wolverines play D too
While most of the national and regional attention on Bellevue goes to the program’s vaunted Wing-T offense, the defense is just as good.
During the four state games last year, the Wolverines allowed 25 points.
This year the group is nearly as good, allowing 27 points in four in-state games. Much of defense’s productivity relies on senior linebacker John Kanongata, who has now fully returned from an ankle sprain early in the season.
“They have an excellent front four and Kanongata is one of the best LB’s in the state,” Valach said. “His return is huge. He has all the qualities that you want in a linebacker – fearless, smart and destructive.”
Mount Si had the most in-state success against Bellevue this season, scoring 14 points in a 28-14 loss Sept. 25. Liberty and Mount Si don’t play until the regular-season finale Oct. 30.
The Juanita effect
Liberty and Bellevue have each played Juanita this season, with results as different as two wins could be.
The Patriots came out firing, going up 21-0. But the Rebels came back, tying the game in the fourth quarter before Jake Bainton put Liberty in good position with a long kick return. Liberty won 28-21.
Bellevue left no doubt in an Oct. 16 win against Juanita. The Wolverines were up 44-0 at the half and finished 50-7.
There are some questions. The biggest: How much did Juanita’s familiarity with Liberty shade the outcome? (Juanita head coach Shaun Tarantola coached with Valach at Liberty from 1999-2004.)
No matter what the answer is, Bellevue’s win over a tough Juanita team is impressive.
“Seeing the film (of the Juanita game) doesn’t change anything for us,” Valach said. “We know what we are up against. We are confident in our players and our coaching staff, and we expect Friday night to be a great ball game.”
Teams familiar with each other
There’s certainly some recent history between the teams. Bellevue topped Liberty twice last season, the second time in the state quarterfinals.
In that game, a 35-7 win for Bellevue, Liberty mostly held serve in the first half except for two plays. On the first, Bellevue’s Jamal Atofau blocked an early field goal. On the second, Bellevue’s Peter Nguyen scored on a 32-yard rush just 20 seconds before the half.
Bellevue scored three straight times in the second half to put the game out of reach.
In the regular-season meeting last year it was two long fumble returns by Leonard Wolfork that made the difference for the Wolverines in a 24-7 win.
After that regular-season loss Valach talked about Bellevue’s experience, saying “They’ve been there and we’re getting there.”
Sitting at 7-0 with a string of dominating wins, is Liberty finally there? Find out Friday night.
