Ben Evensen is a Mount Si High School senior and an aspiring sportswriter. Look for his game analysis before each Mount Si football game throughout the 2013 season. To follow Mount Si Football visit their website and/or Facebook page.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was another blowout win for Mount Si football last week. The Wildcats went up 35-0 on Lake Washington by halftime, thanks to a variety of scoring capitalizations. QB Nick Mitchell ran for a touchdown and threw two touchdowns to wide receivers Jake Smith and Trevor Daniels. Running back Bailey Takacs also scored, while linebacker Evan Johnson returned an interception for a touchdown.
The second half was more of the same for Mount Si, as Takacs produced another touchdown run and JoJo Hillel had the Wildcat’s second “pick 6” of the day. In the end, Mount Si won 49-7.
The win puts Mount Si at 6-0 and ranked #4 in the state by the Associated Press. But this is the week the Wildcats face an opponent they have looked forward to playing all season – Bellevue High School. They game kicks off October 18, 2013, at 7PM in Bellevue.
Last year, Bellevue was the only team to beat Mount Si and they did so twice — once in the regular season and once again in the state championships at the Tacoma Dome.
The Wolverines have the best football history of all Washington High Schools, especially in recent years. They have won 11 of the last 13 state football titles and last year finished the season ranked #1 in the entire country (ESPN, Sports Illustrated). They have sent numerous players to big colleges and currently have two players in the NFL. The star of last year’s team, Myles Jack, is now a starting linebacker for the nationally-ranked UCLA Bruins.
This year is more of the same for Bellevue. They come in at 6-0, with the #1 ranking in the state, and the #21 ranking in the nation (USA Today). They flexed their muscles against defending 4A state champion, Skyline High School, with a 45-7 win in week one. They have talent at every position, and will be the toughest team Mount Si faces all season.
In order for Mount Si to win this game everything will have to go in their favor. Offensively, Mitchell must avoid turnovers. He needs to be patient, not force plays and make smart decisions. The Wildcats need to control the tempo of the game in order to score on the Wolverine defense.
The secondary of Bellevue is roamed by US Army All-American Bowl selection, Budda Baker, and the defensive line is anchored by Washington State-commit, Marcus Griffin. Moving the ball and staying competitive will not be an easy task for the Wildcats.
Defensively, it might be even harder for the Wildcats to stop Bellevue’s offense. The Wolverines have a deep backfield and one of the best offensive lines in the country. Bellevue loves to run the ball and last year ran circles around the Mount Si defense.
Don’t expect this game to be close – at all. Bellevue is just too good at every position and it should be over by halftime. Once the second half starts, Mount Si may be able to get onto the scoreboard, but it will be too little, way too late. The defense of Bellevue will disrupt the flow of the Wildcat offense and force turnovers. The Mount Si defense will most likely be helpless against Bellevue’s starters and the Wildcats will take their first loss of the season.
Prediction: Bellevue 42 Mount Si 14
