After winning an eighth 3A state title for a second three-peat since 2001 and watching three players in the class of 2010 signing at Division I schools, players inside the Bellevue football program know better than anyone how high the bar has been set. But they certainly aren’t shying away from the challenge of raising that bar yet again and a nationally televised season-opener against Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, CA) could be their ticket to do just that in 2011.

“We started the countdown 245 days ago,” senior offensive lineman Michael Kneip said. “It’s been in our minds a long time-the whole offseason-and everyone’s been working hard.” And the countdown is more than a figurative reference. Each day players have gone into the weight room this offseason, a banner counting down the days to the showdown with the Lions has greeted them.

“We’ve been preparing all summer,” quarterback and corner Tyler Hasty said. “All these guys have dedicated their whole summer towards this.”

Hasty, who played extensively last season behind starting quarterback Kendrick Van Ackeren, will take the reins under center this year and lead an offense that is loaded with speed and experience, despite the departure of running backs Latrelle Dukes and Myles Jack. Even with those two out of the mix, the Bellevue backfield is still loaded with explosive, talented players to fuel its precision Wing-T attack.

That group includes Joey Moore, Ari Morales, John Nguyen, who will be charged with taking the role of the departed Dukes and Dakota Jones, who Goncharoff called the most consistent of the group through the spring and summer. Nguyen does not boast the same physical build as his predecessor (Dukes was by far the biggest running back in the Bellevue backfield in 2010), but he is a determined runner and as running backs coach J.R. Hasty put it, “I don’t think anyone could tackle him one-on-one in a phone booth.”

“Obviously Latrelle was kind of the keynote guy,” Goncharoff said. “But we like them all. We return a lot of guys.” The maestro of Bellevue’s offensive orchestra will be Hasty, who has drawn Pac-12 interest on the defensive side of the ball and who Goncharoff was not shy in his assessment of.

“I honestly think he’s the most dangerous guy we’ve ever had play back there,” Goncharoff said of Hasty. “Tyler’s got a chance to be really special.”

Paving the way for Hasty and the stable of running backs is an offensive line that has the potential to take control of games in 2011 despite the graduation of Marcus Henry to Boise State.

The group is led by returning starters Kneip, Kyle Bentz and Jake Eldrenkamp, who has already drawn offers from Pac-12 schools Oregon State and Utah in addition to Brown and other Ivy League schools. While Kneip knows that the loss of Henry will leave a void, he believes the group should take a step forward in 2011. Part of that belief stems from a summer that saw the Bellevue linemen put their dedication in the weight room on display by breaking a school-record for yardage on the five-man blocking sled, going 2,333 yards.

“We were in the weight room five days a week since a week after state,” Kneip said. “I’m real confident, we have three returning starters and then we have some young guys that I feel our going to replace the guys we lost.”

The Bellevue offense has the tools to again give opposing teams fits, but the defense was equally impressive down the stretch last season as the Wolverines allowed only 14 points in the final four weeks of the season, including shutouts of Liberty in the playoffs Kamiakin in the championship game. The back-seven of the defense was also hit hard by graduation, losing linebacker Elan Richard (now playing at Idaho) along with all-state performers Van Ackeren and Michael Foreman in the secondary. While Van Ackeren’s production in particular will be difficult to duplicate, Goncharoff is confident the pieces are in place to maintain the overall level of play on defense.

“When you lose Kendrick who is a state player of the year, that’s tough to replace,” Goncharoff said. “Potentially, we could be as good [as last year’s group]. It just depends on how fast they gel.” One guy who will go a long way in determining the course of the defense is Sean Constantine, a physical presence at linebacker who is disruptive against both the run and pass. Like Goncharoff, Constantine believes the defense has the pieces to again be game-changing in 2011.

“Coach wants to start where we left off last season,” Constantine said. “We want to be as good if not better than we were at the end of last season, that’s the goal.” Hasty, who returned an interception 77-yards for a score in last year’s title game, will be a factor on the defensive side of the ball as well and some have gone as far as to use the magic word in describing him: lockdown.

“He’s a great athlete, that’s pretty obvious,” Goncharoff said. “He should be the fastest, quickest and best player on the field at any given time,” defensive backs coach Danny Razore added. Along with Hasty, Bishard “Budda” Baker, Michael Carlson and Devin Murphy round out a secondary that will be tested early and often against both Oaks Christian and Skyline. Senior captain and outside linebacker Matt Gilbert believes the defense is up for the challenge.

“We’ve been working really hard for this game,” Gilbert said. “Working for this game is getting us prepared for the entire season.” If the defense lives up to its billing, Bellevue’s season could end where it has for the past three years, with a celebration in the Tacoma Dome.