Both the Mount Si Wildcats and Bellevue Wolverines football teams came on the field last Friday, Sept. 25, looking for redemption.
Both squads had lost their games the previous week, and both have also been battling injuries. In spite of heroics from two of the Wildcats’ key offensive weapons, Mount Si mistakes and a stellar effort from a Bellevue junior combined to doom scarlet and gray.
Joey Mangialardi scored two touchdowns and intercepted a pass from Wildcat quarterback Chris Clark to help the Wolverines hand Mount Si a 28-14 loss at Mount Si High School
Despite the defeat, Wildcat coach Charlie Kinnune was pleased with his team’s effort.
“We had an opportunity early when the ball hit the carpet a couple times and we got outmuscled for it. It could have been a different game,” Kinnune said. “I’m proud of the effort our kids put in. We played hard.”
The game started out slow for the Wolverines, as they fumbled away the ball to Mount Si on their second offensive play of the game. But Bellevue got the ball back where they lost it after a muffed Wildcat punt on the ensuing Mount Si drive. The Wolverines, with the ball at the Wildcat 18 yard line, proceeded to march down the field, and Mangialardi took it in from two yards out to help put Bellevue up 7-0. On that play, Wildcat lineman Alec Deichman hurt his ankle and had to be taken off the field; he was one of two Mount Si linemen who left the game because of ankle problems.
The Wildcats went three and out on the next series. Then the Wolverine offense returned and finished their work in short order. The Van Ackeren brothers hooked up on a 78-yard touchdown pass play to help the visitors go up 14-0. Brayden, a senior, caught the pass for the score which was thrown by his younger sibling, Kendrick, a junior.
Mangialardi scored his second rushing touchdown from 33 yards out late in the first half to push Bellevue out to a 21-0 score. Then, with seconds left in the half, Rossco Castagno caught a 20-yard pass from Mount Si quarterback Chris Clark to put the Wildcats on the board going into the break, 21-7. Sean Coley scored a touchdown on a one-yard run for the Wolverines late in the third to get Bellevue up to 28-7 headed to the final frame.
One of the key players in the fourth quarter for Mount Si turned out to be a newcomer, not just to the team, but the sport in general. Shelby Williams got several carries, one of which went for 12 yards. His efforts helped the Wildcats score the final touchdown of the game, a one-yard scamper by Clark.
“I’ve been working hard in practice a lot, running hard. I just got back from a neck injury, so it’s fun to play,” Williams said.
Getting this junior some playing time has been on the agenda for the coaches.
“Shelby is a track athlete that’s just learning the game of football,” Kinnune said. “We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, get him an opportunity to get some runs in. Tonight we were able to do that.”
Mount Si plays at Evergreen Saturday, Oct. 3. Game time is 1:30 p.m. at Highline Stadium. Tight end Joe Farmer expects his team to be ready.
“We’re just going to keep playing our hearts out and hopefully get a few wins in the next few games,” he said.
