Bellevue captures fifth State 3A title

TACOMA – Eric Block’s 23-yard touchdown run in overtime gave Bellevue its fifth State 3A prep football championship in six seasons as the Wolverines scored three unanswered touchdowns to beat Kennedy 21-14 Friday night at the Tacoma Dome.

The senior quarterback’s scamper up the middle came on third-and-8. He ran untouched through Kennedy’s defense.

On Kennedy’s third play in overtime, Bellevue’s Mick Connors recovered quarterback Bobby Gentry’s fumble to end the game, after Gentry couldn’t handle his center’s wild snap or corral the bounding ball.

Block, who did not complete a pass, had 137 yards – including a 45-yard run – on 17 carries for Bellevue (14-0).

Laddell Carroll rushed for 99 yards on 24 carries and scored both of Bellevue’s second-half TDs.

Carroll tied the game at 14 with 3:22 left in regulation with a 1-yard run.

Kennedy’s Nate Williams ran for his 41st touchdown of the season and forced two fumbles for the Lancers (13-1), who were seeking their first 3A title.

2B: Asotin 28, La Salle 10

Bryce Heitstuman had 90 of Asotin’s 224 rushing yards to lead the Panthers over the Lightning.

Heitstuman’s 17-yard touchdown run was Asotin’s third of the second quarter and staked the Panthers (10-3) to a 21-7 lead the Lightning (13-1) couldn’t overcome.

Asotin, whose three defeats came in its first three games to larger schools from Idaho, completed two passes for 11 yards. But after Lawrence Cacchiotti – who had 91 yards on 20 carries – put La Salle up 7-0 with a 15-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, the Lightning had no answer for the Panthers’ ground attack.

Dustin McFarland’s 2-yard touchdown run came 48 seconds later. Justin Word followed less than 4 minutes later with a 43-yard run to give La Salle a 14-7 lead before Heitstuman blew the game open with 1:47 to go in the half.

La Salle, led by quarterback Seth Pleger, had twice as many first downs (20-10) and kept the ball for more than 31 minutes.