TACOMA - John F. Kennedy's quest for a state title had fallen just short of its goal in a miraculously motivated season, and Nate Williams dropped to one knee as tears of disappointment dotted his face.

Bellevue rallied from a 14-point deficit to defeat Kennedy 21-14 in overtime in a battle of unbeaten teams in the Class 3A state football championship as part of the 2006 Washington state Gridiron Classic Friday night at the Tacoma Dome.

"I'm proud of these guys, but it still hurts," Williams intoned. "We were there, up 14-0 man. It hurts...I'm proud of what we did this season."

Knotted in a 14-all tie at the end of regulation, the game was decided in a Kansas tiebreaker with each team getting an opportunity to score from its opponent's 25-yard line.

Bellevue utilized its first chance and scored when Eric Block faked a pitch, kept the ball and broke clear up the middle for a 23-yard touchdown.

On its possession, Kennedy ran two plays from scrimmage for seven yards before a bobbled handoff got away from quarterback Bobby Gentry, who could not recover the ball.

"They (Kennedy) should have won," Bellevue head coach Butch Goncharoff said. "They played really well. We just battled back and did some things."

With the end of overtime, Kennedy's massive size and sizzling speed had barely missed toppling the mightiest mammoth of a program in state history.

Kennedy lineman Kevin Freitag voiced his admiration of his team's achievements.

"I'm proud of what our team has accomplished this year," the Washington State University-bound senior said. "But it still leaves a bitter taste."

Lancer head coach Bob Bourgette could be seen hugging his players while also offering words of encouragement and praise.

"Wouldn't trade you guys for nothing," he roared above the din of the sound in the dome. "Hold your head up. You did a great job."

For the duration of this classic confrontation of championship caliber teams, Master strategists and good friends with veteran coaching staffs Goncharoff and Bourgette matched each other in a game of point, counterpoint, searching for the final end game move.

Unleashing its ground game juggernaut, Bellevue threatened to dominate Kennedy in the manner that the Wolverines had dispatched its 13 previous foes, including a sound thrashing of a highly regarded Kellen Kiilsgard-led Auburn powerhouse.

Against a stacked Lancer defense that featured seven players in the box with the safeties and cornerbacks playing five yards off the line of scrimmage, the Wolverines pounded their way down the field from their own 30-yard line to the JFK five before Marc-Avery Airhart threw Eric Block for a 2-yard loss on a keeper play around right end on third and five.

Holder Doug Harrell fumbled the snap on a 24-yard field goal attempt and recovered the ball on the Kennedy 18, where the Lancers took over on downs.

On Bellevue's second possession, a Luke Kanongata'a fumble to Lonzell Hill at its own 25 set up the Lancers on a short field drive.

As Kennedy's band drummed out a steady drum cadence, superstar Nate Williams decoyed the keying Wolverine defense and Kennedy took four plays to move to the one-foot line. Williams hurdled over the pile of offensive and defensive lines at right tackle on fourth and goal to send the lightning Lancers ahead 7-0 with 1:29 left in the first quarter.

"They were jumping him all over the place," Bourgette explained. "We told Nate we'd try to get him the ball, but we were going to give the ball inside to Jesse."

Fullback Jesse Roe toiled tirelessly for Kennedy, gaining 91 yards on 15 carries to keep the Lancers moving.

"I just did what I could and kept on running," Roe said.

The teams traded punts until the final two minutes of the second quarter when Bellevue took over on its own 13.

On its first play of the drive, Eric Block broke free on a 45-yard sweep run.

Bellevue drove the ball to the Lancer 6-yard line, but with 15 seconds remaining until halftime Kennedy defensive back Tre Watson stripped the running back of the ball for linebacker Jesse Roe to recover for the Lancers as JFK maintained its 7-0 lead, the first time the Wolverines had been shut out at halftime this season.

Striking early in the third quarter, the Lancers marched 58 yards in seven plays. Bellevue bit on Bobby Gentry's play fake into the line from the Bellevue 45 and Gentry found a streaking Everette Thompson down the middle for a 25-yard passing gain to send Kennedy to the Wolverine 20.

Two plays later, Gentry concluded the drive by passing to a wide open Nolan Washington in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown as 8:37 remained in the third quarter.

Bellevue responded to the pressure by refusing to panic and bludgeoning its way downfield on a 10-play, 64-yard ground attack drive that culminated with Carrroll's 2-yard, slashing touchdown through right tackle at the 1:29 mark of the third quarter.

Capitalizing on halftime adjustments to strategy that had never been used on them, the Wolverines continued to tear up the Lancer defense for big chunks of yardage at a time and Carroll scored again with 3:22 remaining in regulation of the fourth quarter to tie the score at 14-14.

"I think we got comfortable in the second half," said Williams, who was held to 20 yards on 13 carries. "They came out fired up on defense and took the game. I'm definitely proud of this team, but it still hurts."

Statistically, Bellevue outgained Kennedy on the ground 296 yards to 134, with quarterback Block pacing all ground gainers with 137 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown. Wolverines running back Laddell Carroll added 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Obviously disappointed, Lancer head coach Bourgette summed up his feelings and the emotions of his players.

"Our kids played their guts out and yeah, they're heartbroken," he sated. "Butch (Gocharoff) had themt (Bellevue) more prepared. It hurts to lose and I'm disappointed, but I'll be back next year. My heart goes out to our seniors who gave so much of themselves for this program. Thinking of them, that's what really hurts."