The Bellevue Wolverines football program is accustomed to being in the national spotlight.

Not even a 35-13 loss against Eastside Catholic in the Class 3A state championship game could prevent the Wolverines from basking in the glow of being recognized as one of the top high school football programs in the United States. The Wolverines, who finished the 2014 season with an overall record of 13-1, on Dec. 22 were ranked as the 40th best high school football team in the country by Scout.com for the 2014 high school football season.

The Wolverines had won 67 consecutive contests (2010-2014) before suffering their first defeat in five seasons in the Class 3A state title game. Bellevue’s winning streak over the past five years is nothing short of remarkable. The Wolverines have played in the state championship game 12 times in the past 14 years.

They have a proverbial target on their back each time they take the field and embrace that challenge wholeheartedly. Every team Bellevue faces is amped up and ready to play. They truly get their opponents best effort every Friday night.

The Bellevue High School football official Twitter page proudly states in its header “Tradition Never Graduates!” The unbridled success of the Wolverines football program will continue for the long haul. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them back in the Tacoma Dome for the Class 3A state championship game in December of 2015.

Shaun Scott: 425-453-5045; sscott@bellevuereporter.com