Yelm loses Brayden Platt, Bellevue wins 3A Washington state championship: Live updates recap
Bellevue ran wild on Yelm on Friday night at Husky Stadium in Seattle to reclaim the 3A Washington high school football state championship.
Bellevue (11-2) smothered the Yelm offense all night in a 14-0 win where the defending champion Tornados (13-1) lost star player Brayden Platt early.
Platt, a senior Oregon Ducks commit, was ejected in the first quarter for throwing a punch at Bellevue defender Damaad Lewis after Platt's helmet had been knocked off during a run.
Bellevue used its multi-pronged rushing attack led by Carson Rubin to gain 339 yards on the ground, and the defense forced three second half turnovers, including a strip-sack by Hogan Hansen.
Read below for a live-updates recap from Bellevue's state championship win.
Washington high school football scoreboard
FINAL: Bellevue 14, Yelm 0
FOURTH QUARTER UPDATES
Hogan Hansen's 6-yard run for a first down will seal it for Bellevue, which will win this one 14-0 barring something outlandishly strange times two.
INTERCEPTION! Yelm gets the ball back, but then Damian Aalona tries a deep ball and it's picked off by Cal Zimmerman at the Bellevue 25 with 2:36 left.
FUMBLE! Yelm marches deep into Bellevue territory on several nice runs by Damian Aalona and a big pass to Marius Aalona, but then Damian Aalona fumbles and the Wolverines recover on its own 19 with 4:36 left. Hogan Hansen got the strip sack to force the fumble. Bellevue still up 14-0.
Punt happens this time, and it's Yelm's ball on its own 26 with 5:59 left, trailing 14-0.
Yelm forced Bellevue into its first punt on fourth and 4, but an illegal substitution gives the Wolverines a first down. Bellevue ball at the Yelm 34 leading 14-0 with 7:26 left.
FUMBLE! Disastrous start to the quarter for Yelm as Damian Aalona fumbles and Bellevue recovers. Bellevue ball on its own 36. Tate Hauser stripped the ball from Aalona.
THIRD QUARTER UPDATES
Quarter ends with Yelm driving into Bellevue territory. Tornados ball at the Bellevue 28 to start the fourth with a second and 5, trailing 14-0.
TOUCHDOWN BELLEVUE! Carson Rubin scores on a 1-yard TD run to complete a 15-play, 75-yard drive that killed most of the quarter. It's 14-0 Wolverines with 4:31 left in the third.
Bellevue starts the second half on the Yelm 25 with a 7-0 lead.
HALFTIME STATS
Bellevue outgained Yelm 182 yards to 94 in the first half, but the Wolverines committed the game's only two turnovers. Bellevue gets the ball first in the second half, leading 7-0.
SECOND QUARTER UPDATES
INTERCEPTION! Marius Aalona picks off the Hail Mary to end the half. There were some big penalties on both sides on that drive, and we head to the second half with Bellevue leading 7-0. Yelm will have to come back without Brayden Platt, the Oregon Ducks commit who was ejected in the first quarter for throwing a punch.
Wolverines have it fourth and 9 from the Yelm 45 with one second left and call timeout. Hail Mary likely coming.
TOUCHDOWN BELLEVUE! Max Jones plunges in from a yard out for the game's first score. 7-0 Wolverines with 3:30 left.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS! After a long, clock-eating drive by Yelm, Damian Aalona throws incomplete in the end zone on fourth and 11. Bellevue ball on its own 24, 4:19 left, still 0-0. Jacob Tracy, who made a big 15-yard catch on the drive, couldn't quite reach the pass in the end zone.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Yelm takes over on its own 27 after stopping Bellevue on fourth and 2. 10:06 left in the half, 0-0.
FIRST QUARTER UPDATES
First quarter ends 0-0. Bellevue will have first and 10 on the Yelm 36 to start the second quarter.
BRAYDEN PLATT EJECTED! Yelm has lost its best player (and probably the best player in the state).
Brayden Platt's helmet flew off on a run, and then he threw a punch at the defender. Flags fly.
FUMBLE! Arlo Henderson recovers on the Yelm 29 after a bad snap. Then Brayden Platt breaks loose for a 28-yard gain. Yelm in Bellevue territory.
BLOCKED PUNT! Kick is deflected but takes a nice roll for Yelm. Bellevue starts in Yelm territory at the 49.
Game on for the 3A state title! Yelm starts at its own 20.
PREGAME UPDATES
Bellevue won the toss and deferred, so Yelm will start with the ball. Kickoff just a few minutes away.
The umbrellas are out at Husky Stadium. Many believe this will be a low-scoring affair, and the rain should help make that happen.
PREGAME READING
Yelm was the top seed entering the playoffs, and Bellevue clawed to the top as the No. 6 seed.
Bellevue beat No. 11 Monroe in the first round (49-7), No. 3 Arlington in the quarterfinals (35-17) and No. 2 O’Dea in the semifinals (21-17) to get here.
Yelm's path went through No. 16 Marysville-Pilchuck in the first round (38-13), No. 9 Mount Tahoma in the quarterfinals (29-12) and No. 4 Eastside Catholic in the semifinals (7-0).
(Bellevue photo by Steve Faber)
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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
