Kicker Race Sciabica says his role with the Bellevue football team is pretty simple.
“They tell me what to do,” Sciabica said, “and I go do it.”
Friday night, they told him to supply the offense, and Sciabica responded in kind.
The senior kicked four field goals, including a 42-yarder, to help Bellevue knock off Union 19-13 in the Class 3A semifinals.
On a night when Bellevue did not score a touchdown on offense, Sciabica and a 97-yard touchdown return by Brayden Van Ackeren proved to be the difference that sent the Wolverines to the state title game Friday, where they will face off with KingCo rival Liberty High School.
“We won two out of three phases of the game,” said Bellevue coach Butch Goncharoff. “They got it done. It was a war.”
Bellevue (11-2) led just 6-0 at the half on field goals of 30 and 42 yards by Sciabica when Van Ackeren broke the game open with a return of 97 yards for a touchdown.
“I just saw a bunch of white in front of me,” Van Ackeren said, referring to his blockers. “I found a little hole, went with it, and it was daylight from there.”
Union (11-2) finally broke through with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter when quarterback Brandon Weller hit receiver Mitch Saylor behind the Bellevue defense for a 35-yard touchdown. Kendrick Van Ackeren blocked the ensuing PAT.
Weller went 12 of 14 for 139 yards and a score, but Bellevue was able to limit Union’s high-powered offense for most of the game.
“They’re tough,” said Bellevue senior John Kanongata’a. “We limited the big plays and they made a few mistakes.”
Sciabica kicked two more field goals before Union drove down the field and scored with just 1:19 to play on a 3-yard run by Nathaniel Penaranda. Union attempted an onside kick that was recovered by Brayden Van Ackeren, and Bellevue was able to run out the clock to end the game.
Union had several miscues in the game that cost them – including a fumble on the second play of the game (recovered by Kanongata’a) and another fumble on the Bellevue 23-yard line when the Wolverines were up just 3-0 and the Titans were driving.
The Titans defense, however, managed to hold the Bellevue offense in check. The Wolverines longest run of the night was a 17-yard run by Kendrick Van Ackeren in the third quarter – one of just two runs of 10-plus yards for Bellevue.
“They beat us up front,” Goncharoff said. “We had a feeling they would.”
In response, the Wolverines went to the shotgun formation, with Kendrick Van Ackeren at quarterback. Bellevue, after not attempting any passes in last week’s win over Glacier Peak, threw seven times in the first half for 46 yards.
With the win, the Wolverines face Liberty at 7:30 p.m. Friday in an All-KingCo 3A state title game. Bellevue beat Liberty 27-21 earlier this season and earned a spot in the title game by knocking off 12-0 Lakes with a 42-yard field goal as time expired.
“It’s going to be a war,” Goncharoff said. “KingCo is tougher than hell.”
