Bears Run Wild Central Valley Smashes South Kitsap To Win State Title Behind Big Offensive Line, Punishing Defense

Veni, vidi, vici.

Central Valley High School’s football warriors came, saw and conquered both their opponent in Saturday’s State 4A championship game and the pressure of lofty expectation.

The victory provided a fairy-tale ending to the prep football careers of two dozen CV seniors. Assuming, of course, that 44 youngsters standing an average of 6 feet tall and weighing an aggregate 8,542 pounds believe in fairy tales.

They certainly made believers of fans, opponents and dispassionate observers alike with their 49-13 rout of previously unbeaten South Kitsap.

“When they came in as sophomores, we had them take a picture together, even though some were on varsity and others on junior varsity,” said coach Rick Giampietri. “I told them they may want it some day.”

That day came last Saturday night in the weekend finale of Gridiron Classic II in the Tacoma Dome.

It started with Zac Scott’s interception return for a touchdown, the first of four CV picks - three by junior Justin Folkins - of South Kitsap quarterback Rob Minnitti, who also the defending state javelin champion.

It culminated when, as a reward for his three-year impact on this team, two-way lineman Wil Beck picked the football off the turf during a trick play and ran six yards for his team’s seventh score.

“I’d like to thank my offensive line,” Beck quipped. “Without them this wouldn’t be possible.”

CV’s massive team simply became stronger and more punishing as the game wore on.

This win was for legions of former Bears who played during the Charlie Dean era, from 1964 to 1974, when CV went unbeaten seven times but had no playoff avenue. Many of those players followed with interest the fortunes of this year’s team.

It was for the first CV playoff team of 1982. Todd Rehn and Dave Mason, who played on that team, are part of Giampietri’s coaching staff.

“Our dream my senior year,” said Rehn, who was a 240-pound lineman, “was to play South Kitsap in the championship game. It never happened.”

The Bears had gone to a South Kitsap camp and stayed with families of their players. South Kitsap came to a combined CV-University camp in return. The Bears lost to Walla Walla in a first-round playoff game. South Kitsap lost to Gonzaga Prep that year in the finals.

CV’s title was also for the team of 1995, which unbeaten in the regular season and then upset in the first round of the playoffs. Three members of that team, R.J. DelMese, Ricky Giampietri and Ryan Butner, were on the sidelines at Saturday’s championship game.

“I’m so proud of these guys,” said Butner, who also helps coach. “They worked so hard, they deserve it.”

Most of all, the state championship was for this year’s team, which came together from four CV district junior high schools.

Scott and Beck, the 280-pound wrecking-ball lineman, are among a dozen regulars from Evergreen and were part of the ninth-grade group whose size was the stuff of an article four years ago that raised the level of expectation for this senior year.

Linebacker/fullback Garret Graham, receiver Todd Millar and linebacker Ryan Nelson went to Horizon. Quarterback Chad Adamson, whose near perfect 13-for-17, 198-yard passing game was reason for the overwhelming victory, linebacker Courtney Brown, linemen Chris Sullivan and the White brothers, Colin and Kris, are from North Pines. Punter Mike Tasca represents Greenacres.

The Bears also have another team to thank for the title, GSL co-champion Gonzaga Prep, which humbled CV 24-14 back on Oct. 23. It was the only blemish on a 13-1 record, the most wins ever for a CV football team.

“That made us realize we were not invincible,” said defensive lineman Brandon Bouge. “It made us play to our potential every game after that.”

Bouge, along with Folkins, Nate McFarlane, Ben Albers, Jason Roebisch, Preston Crossman, Greg Papich, Marc Hinckley and Tyree Clowe, was also from Evergreen and switched numbers in the playoffs to become an occasional extra fullback.

The Bears were never overconfident, said Bouge, but perhaps figured that a 75 percent effort was good enough.

“You just can’t do that,” he said. “It made us a better team.”

Giampietri was worried after the racehorse start in the title game, CV ahead 14-13, that it would be a 35-35 overtime game.

The Bears would have none of that after Graham’s hellacious block sprung Clowe for 63 yards.

“The hole big enough for you?” asked Sullivan.

By halftime the punishment meted out by CV’s defensive and offensive fronts, left the Wolves with their tongues hanging out and hands on their hips.

“This is something you dream about, but don’t know if the reality will come to pass,” said Giampietri. “I thought we had a chance in 1995. Cheney coach Tom Oswald told me the hardest win to get is the first one in the playoffs.”

This year, CV beat three rugged Big Nine schools including Pasco. The Bulldogs almost beat the Bears in what Giampietri several times called their toughest playoff game.

“Then we shut out Puyallup and score 49 points here,” he said. “That’s absolutely unheard of.”

Bouge, who had a big game in his career finale, let the significance of the accomplishment sink in.

“This is probably the happiest day of my life,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable honor to be part of a state championship.”

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