On a night of firsts, there were bound to be some mishaps.
“We had 500 programs,” long time Bellevue Christian teacher and coach Sonja Bennett said. “We ran out before the game started.”
Even if BCS had printed twice that amount, it would not have been enough, as roughly 1,200 family, friends and alumni gathered at Lake Washington High School for the first-ever football game for Bellevue Christian.
And the Vikings did not disappoint.
Bellevue Christian raced to a 27-0 lead in the first quarter and added 14 more points in the second frame of its inaugural football game, controlling visiting Northwest Christian School (Lacey) throughout and finishing with a 41-8 victory.
The Vikings used two first-half touchdowns from both Raj Hanstad and Tyler Hazen, and a solid performance from quarterback Kemper McQuaid, to run away from the visiting Navigators.
“It was breathtaking,” Tyler Hazen said of his first prep football action and the support from the BCS community. “Having a chance to show everyone that we’re a team and a brotherhood, it’s so amazing I can’t put it into words.”
BCS also received standout efforts on the defensive side from Josh Hazen and Noah Holmes, who had an interception. Head coach Greg Schneider, who channeled legendary UCLA mens basketball coach John Wooden in his pregame speech, talked post game about the transformation his team has made from the first meeting of the spring.
“It’s just really been an awesome ride,” Schneider said. “These young men are really stepping up, they are really maturing.”
Assistant coach Jeff Otis, who graduated from Bellevue Christian in 2000, talked about the opportunity to be part of something that has only been a dream for over 50 graduating classes from the small Clyde Hill school. Otis played his high school football at Woodinville and said many of his former classmates and friends did likewise, playing at Bellevue, Newport and other area schools in the years leading to Saturday night’s finale.
“There’s a proud tradition at BCS,” Otis said. “For many alumni, this is really special.”
Athletic Director Mark DeJonge also talked about the opportunity to gather the community for such a momentous occasion, one people around the school have been waiting some time for.
“The kids have worked really hard,” DeJonge said. “It’s great to put them in this atmosphere. The community is pretty excited.”
For Hanstad, who was one of many BCS players seeing his first game-action on Saturday night, the chance to play for guys like Otis, who never had a chance to represent the school on the gridiron, was a special opportunity.
“It was surreal,” Hanstad said. “It’s great to see the whole BCS community rally around this football team. Knowing that people were here before us making the BCS legacy are getting to see us mark our mark here is great.”
The Vikings have a week two bye before facing 2A Evergreen on Sept. 16, again at Lake Washington High School.
Game notes
Schneider said every player who dressed rotated into the game at some point and the BCS coach went deep into his bench for the entire second half, which was played with a running clock…The Vikings have the same number of seniors (11) as freshman listed on the official roster…Nick Schubert caught a touchdown pass for Bellevue Christian.
Wolverines make national statement
Bellevue proved once again they are one of the top programs on the West Coast and in the entire country, beating highly-regarded Oaks Christian School (Westlake Village, Calif.) 31-21 on Saturday night in the Mission Viejo High School Football Classic.
Senior quarterback Tyler Hasty completed six of seven passes, rushed for 75 yards and also played a huge role on defense, intercepting Oaks Christian quarterback Luke Falk twice and also chasing down wide receiver Ishmael Adams to strip the ball away after a would-be 48-yard catch and run.
The Wolverines will return to face Skyline on Friday night at 7 pm on the Sammamish Plateau.
Ballard drops Sammamish in OT
The Totems battled to a 27-27 tie to end regulation before falling 34-27 in overtime to the Beavers.
