Bellevue Swamps Islanders

BELLEVUE - Jamie Porter's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown started it in the first quarter, and his 108 second-half rushing yards finished it off as 10th-ranked Bellevue beat Mercer Island 42-7 in a KingCo Conference football game last night.

Porter, who played most of the game for banged-up fullback Scott Monroe, rushed for 110 yards on 14 carries and scored two second-half touchdowns to lead the Wolverines (2-1 in Crest Division, 6-1 overall).

But bigger than his second-half heroics was the punt return that tied the score with 30 seconds left in the first quarter.

"Porter ignited all of our guns," Bellevue quarterback Chris Hixson said. "He was the one guy ready to play."

Porter fielded the kick on the 25 near the right hash marks, started right, cut to the middle and worked his way to the left sideline.

By then he was past the coverage and clear for the touchdown. Monroe made a key block on the play.

"I just ran up the side of the wedge and got the blocking," Porter said.

It ended the calm on Bellevue's KingCo best offense and defense, and began the storm that swamped the Islanders (1-2, 5-2).

"For some reason, we started out slow," Hixon said. "I don't know if we lacked intensity or what."

Mercer Island, playing without injured quarterback Matt Hale, caught the Bellevue defense flat-footed three plays into the game with a flea-flicker pass from running back Ryan Kean to Jason Marr. Kean took a pitch from sophomore QB Kasey Thompson and passed to Marr for a 54-yard touchdown.

After Porter's big play, the Wolverines closed out the first half with touchdowns on their next three possessions. They opened the third quarter with another, making it 35-7 just three minutes into the second half.

Hale, the league's all-time leading passer, led KingCo in passing yards and attempts when he suffered a shoulder separation last week against Newport.

-- AT ISSAQUAH 14, INTERLAKE 13 - Matt Summers scored on a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter and Rob Coy rushed for 208 yards and another TD as the Indians (2-1, 5-2) held off the Saints (1-2, 4-3) on a bad extra-point snap.

-- INGLEMOOR 31, AT REDMOND 22 - Senior quarterback Paul Breckenridge completed 13 of 20 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings (2-1, 3-4) moved into a tie for second in the Crown Division with the Mustangs (2-1, 3-4).

-- AT BOTHELL 15, LAKE WASHINGTON 12 - Joel Johnson-Garsi scored on a 35-yard run and a two-point conversion, and Paul Delaney caught a 6-yard pass from Tor Bailey as the Cougars (1-2, 1-6) snapped a 15-game losing streak.

-- WOODINVILLE 23, AT JUANITA 7 - Peter Finstuen rushed for 134 yards on 16 carries as the Falcons (3-0, 4-3) came back from a 7-0 deficit to whip the Rebels (1-2, 1-6) and take sole possession of first place in the Crown Division. Woodinville's sophomore QB Ryan Lentz completed five of seven passes for 50 yards and a 6-yard TD to Cody Leckner.

-- AT NEWPORT 33, SAMMAMISH 6 - Chris Dixon rushed 11 times for 89 yards and a TD to lead the No. 5 Knights (3-0, 6-0) past the Totems (0-3, 2-5). Newport used 10 running backs and gained 316 yards rushing and 365 total yards.