Shadle knows Bellevue will wing-T it

The Bellevue football team wouldn’t exchange video with Shadle Park in advance of today’s State 3A semifinal.

No matter. Shadle coach Alan Stanfield shook the coaching tree and all but one of the Wolverines’ 12 games fell out.

What Stanfield discovered while poring over that video is Bellevue’s wing-T offense is very predictable.

The problem is stopping the Wolverines.

Making it more difficult to defend is Bellevue’s left and right tackles and center are sizeable and committed to NCAA Division I schools.

“They’re very predictable so it’s a matter of whether their guys are better than our guys,” Stanfield said. “They’re enormous.”

Bellevue (12-0), winner of 52 straight games, takes on Shadle (11-1) this afternoon at Joe Albi Stadium. Kickoff is at 1.

Stanfield said there’s a blueprint for Shadle pulling off an upset. It happened back when former Boise State and current Detriot Lions backup quarterback Kellen Moore led Prosser to a 38-35 quarterfinal win over Bellevue in 2005 in a cold-weather game at Lampson Stadium in Kennewick.

Packaged within Bellevue’s current streak are 22 consecutive playoff victories.

“We’ve got to score, obviously,” Stanfield. “We’d like to see if being able to score would put some pressure on them. Nobody’s been able to score against them. Their games have been over by halftime. They haven’t had to play a four-quarter game.”

Stanfield said his team is quite aware of Bellevue’s mystique.

“We’re playing with a level of confidence and we’re in the game to win,” Stanfield said. “You can see on film that many of their opponents appear beaten before the game starts. Bellevue is so used to playing with a lead and with confidence. We’re going in with the belief we can execute. If our guys believe and execute we’ve got a chance.”

And Shadle hopes to make more history. The Highlanders have the most wins in school history.

“That’s been a theme all season – making history,” Stanfield said. “We’re a history-making group. They want to be the first Shadle team to make it to the Tacoma Dome.”

In other semifinals today involving area teams:

• 1A: In the second game at Albi, Freeman (12-0) takes on Cashmere (11-1) at 4.

• 2B: Defending state champ Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (11-0), winners of 23 straight, faces Adna (9-3) at Moses Lake at 4.

• 1B: Rosalia (9-2) goes against Touchet (11-1) at Edgar Brown Stadium in Pasco at 6.