Bellevue High will try and continue its magnificent run in the Class 3A ranks by playing for its sixth state championship.

The Wolverines, who endured the most harrowing of circumstances Friday when their bus was forced off the freeway, rolling over, returned in fine fashion by stopping Capital, 28-6, on Monday night in the 3A semifinals at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood.

Peter Nguyen paced the Bellevue rushing attack with 152 yards on 10 carries, with 131 coming in the first half, and the Wolverines built a 28-0 lead with four rushing scores.

It was far from a perfect game for the top-ranked Wolverines, who will meet No. 4 Union on Saturday night for the 3A title in the Tacoma Dome. They amassed 310 yards on 40 plays.

But the Bellevue defense held Capital in check, limiting the OWL champions to 225 yards. The Cougars scored late on Riley Wall's 1-yard TD run to avoid the shutout.

"We were all here, found things that worked and played a full game," Bellevue quarterback Tommy Castle said.

Jamal Atofau had a pair of first-half touchdowns for the Wolverines.

Quarterback Kellen Camus led Capital by completing 12 of 20 passes for 91 yards, and adding 34 yards on the ground. Tailback Riley Wall had 50 yards on 14 carries.

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Capital needed a few more drives like this one – 18 plays, 90 yards – to keep the Bellevue offense off the field. The Cougars scored their first touchdown on Riley Wall's 1-yard run on a direct snap and run to the left side.

The drive took 8:36 off the clock.

Capital went for a two-point conversion, but fumbled the snap.

Time is running out on Capital High's football season.

Bellevue took it 69 yards on 11 plays on its first drive of the second half, and converted a third-and-goal when junior Sean Coley took a delayed handoff and scooted into the end zone on a 4-yard run.

Wolverines' standout Peter Nguyen had a 21-yard run – his fourth run of 20 or more yards in the game – to aid the drive. He now has 152 rushing yards.

The Cougars went three-and-out to start the second half. Bellevue's Tommy Castle stopped Riley Wall short on third-and-2 to force a punt.

Bellevue's damage – predictably – has come on the ground, gaining 210 yards on 21 plays, including 19 rushes. Peter Nguyen paces the Wolverines with his 131 yards on nine carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run on the team's first drive.

Riley Wall has had success in spots. He has 37 yards on eight carries, and another 20 yards on three receptions. Capital has gotten into Bellevue territory on three of its five first-half drives, but hasn't scored.

The big play came with 1:20 to go in the first quarter. Capital went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Bellevue 33, but Wall was halted up the middle for no gain by a group of Wolverines, notably Julious Moore, who also has a tackle for loss.

TOTAL YARDS
Bellevue 21 plays, 210 yards
Capital 29 plays, 108 yards

SCORING
B–Nguyen 1 run (Hubert kick), 9:21 in 1st
B–Atofau 3 run (Hubert kick), 7:00 in 1st
B–Atofau 9 run (Hubert kick), 5:50 in 2nd

Not much the Capital Cougars can do with Peter Nguyen and the Bellevue Wolverines' inside runs, which are hitting on a number of big plays.

On Bellevue's fourth drive, the Wolverines went 80 yards on four plays. Nguyen had scampers of 27 and 29, and Jamal Atofau added his second touchdown of the game, this time a 9-yard delay run off tackle.

The Wolverines' drive was aided by a late-hit, personal foul penalty on Capital's Kilian Johnson.

Capital went three-and-out on its first drive, and Bellevue's Peter Nguyen returned a punt 48 yards to the Cougars' 3-yard line.

One play later, Jamal Atofau punched it in for the Wolverines' second touchdown, taking a 14-0 lead.

The Wolverines g 63 yards in six plays, including a big 33-yard run by quarterback Joe Joe Connor to set up Peter Nguyen's 1-yard plunge up the middle.

Both of Capital's run were to the right side, and on the edge.

We're minutes from kickoff between unranked Capital and No. 1 Bellevue, a five-time 3A champion, in the Class 3A state semifinals.

Game-time temperature is 51 degrees, and there has been a light but steady downpour.

We'll provide live updates from Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood. Stay tuned!!

Good news – there will be a Class 3A state semifinal game tonight at Harry E. Lang Stadium.

The uncertainty? When will kickoff be?

The two charter buses on the north side have been confirmed to be that of the football team, and the Wolverines have taken the field with 161/2 minutes remaining before the scheduled kickoff.

No word if it will be later than 7 p.m.

The Bellevue side is only half full, and devoid of much activity. Capital High fans have been standing, chanting and yelling much of the last half-hour, at least until the Cougars went back into the locker room five minutes ago for a final tune-up meeting.

All the local TV stations are camped out here, with a few reporters on the field, conducting live telecasts. Their vans are parked just off the home grandstand.

The odd and almost anti-climatic nature of this postponed matchup has carried over to the minutes before kickoff. Hope the game isn't so uneventful.

Immediately, a camera flashbulb began going off on the north side of Harry E. Lang Stadium as two buses pulled up near the visiting grandstand.

For a few minutes, the vehicles stayed almost motionless, with no movement coming from the cab. There have been cheerleader sightings, but no football players – not on the field, not from the locker room, nowhere.

Even the officiating crew has come on the field. Capital High players are still going through pre-game warmups.

A few Bellevue High students are standing near the fence, talking, wondering when the team will come out.

We're 25 minutes out from a scheduled kickoff.

Capital High fans must have made a day of it – half of the home section at Harry E. Lang Stadium is full and energetic. Across from the press box is a subdued Bellevue High side, but there are many waiting to get in.

The Capital High Cougars have been on the field, doing various pre-game warmups for about 15 minutes. No sign of the Wolverines, who might be taking it slowly considering it was their charter bus that landed on its side Friday morning en route to the Tacoma Dome, postponing in the originally-scheduled 1 p.m. kickoff.

Maybe it's me, but I thought cars would already be squeezed in the parking lot, and that side streets would soon start seeing traffic for the game. Not so.

Almost 50 minutes and counting … until this showdown gets going.

Curtis High School is hosting a Coaches vs. Cancer "Keep the Change" Tip-Off Jamboree today.

Tickets are $4 and spectators are encouraged to "graciously donate the change" to the American Cancer Society.

Here are the participating teams:
Curtis
Franklin
Lincoln
Steilacoom
Sumner

JV games begin at 5 p.m. and the Varsity tips at 6 p.m.