WIAA 3A football championship preview: Established titans Bellevue, O'Dea clash one more time

Defending champion Wolverines defeated Monte Kohler's group in state semifinals a year ago

Bellevue's Bryce Smith is a game-breaker in Bellevue's Wing-T offense. / Photo by Ken Nowaczyk

Editor's note:This Class 3A preview package was written up by SBLive WA staff for the WIAA state program. Game predictions were made by reporter Todd Milles, Tri-Cities-based Evans Rankings' founder Matt Evans and an anonymous 3A coach:

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In this week’s parade of No. 1-vs-No. 2 matchups at Gridiron Classic, the one with the shiniest, flashiest and most tradition-filled appeal is the Class 3A championship Friday night.

It is No. 1 Bellevue versus No. 2 O’Dea.

Why them? Both programs have combined to play in 26 WIAA before Friday since the early 1980s - with 16 state titles won (Bellevue 12, O’Dea four).

Want more proof? Both schools have combined to make the final four 34 times in their program’s history (O’Dea 18, Bellevue 16), not including this season.

And one of these coaches - Bellevue’s Michael Kneip and O’Dea’s Monte Kohler - will add to the multiple Class 3A championships they’ve already collected.

“If you play Bellevue, you know you are somewhere deep in the playoffs,” Kohler said.

Why so much success? No two programs have better overall coaching and established offensive systems - Bellevue in the Wing-T and O’Dea in split-back veer/power-I - than the Wolverines and Fighting Irish.

“They are so talented and well-coached,” Kneip said. “They will be ready for us.”

Of course, there is a massive sidenote - a milestone - that is also in play this week. With 393 career victories, Kohler can match ex-Colfax and Tumwater coach Sid Otton as the state’s all-time winningest coach (394) if the Fighting Irish prevail at Husky Stadium.

In his typical low-key nature, Kohler downplayed the possibility of making history.

“Honestly, I have not thought about it,” Kohler said. “People ask me the question … and I’ve said it before, if it works out, I am in great company with Sid.”

That is a big reason why Kneip had noted that O’Dea represents the state’s gold standard.

“They are the big dog still,” Kneip said.

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Uriah Stringfield rushed for a career-high 301 yards, and No. 2 seed O'Dea defeats No. 3 seed Eastside Catholic, 17-14, in WIAA Class 3A semifinals Saturday. / Photo by Todd Milles

CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP PRIMER

NO. 2 O’DEA FIGHTING IRISH (12-0) vs. NO. 1 BELLEVUE WOLVERINES (12-0)

7 p.m. Friday at Husky Stadium, Seattle

Coaches: Monte Kohler is in his 40th season at O’Dea (393-64 record). Michael Kneip is in his seventh season at Bellevue (70-10 record)

WIAA championship history: O’Dea won the 3A title in 1991, 1994, 1995 and 2017. Bellevue won the 4A title in 1983, and 3A titles in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2021 and 2023.

Road to 2024 Gridiron Classic: Second-seeded O’Dea defeated No. 15 Mercer Island in the first round (50-7), No. 10 Mount Tahoma in the quarterfinals (42-21) and No. 3 Eastside Catholic in the semifinals (17-14). Top-seeded Bellevue defeated No. 16 Stanwood in the first round (24-14), No. 8 Kennewick in the quarterfinals (42-6) and No. 5 Roosevelt in the semifinals (29-13).

Statistical leaders: For O’Dea - QB Hutton Leverett (46-87, 740 yards, 11 TDs), RB Uriah Stringfield (156 carries, 1,424 yards, 16 TDs), RB Luther Hill (41 carries, 280 yards, two TDs), RB Malik Dawson (34 carries, 281 yards, three TDs), WR Giulio Banchero (20 catches, 396 yards, nine TDs) and TE Zander Turner (14 catches, 246 yards, TD). For Bellevue - QB Kason Carta (8-25, 228 yards, five TDs; three rushing TDs), RB Max Jones (247 carries, 1,791 yards, 22 TDs), RB Ryken Moon (104 carries, 1,254 yards, 13 TDs), RB Bryce Smith (58 carries, 865 yards, 10 TDs) and RB Matthew Reed (53 carries, 423 yards, six TDs) and LB Moon.

Anonymous 3A coach game pick: O'Dea, 21-17

Evans game pick: Bellevue, 21-17

SBLive WA game pick: Bellevue, 16-13

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