Bothell High lost its second consecutive game against a top-ranked football team Sept. 12 and dropped to 0-2 for the season in a matchup against 3A Kingco Bellevue High.

It was a clash between two of the state’s powerhouse football programs.

But the 4A Kingco Cougars had no answer for Bellevue’s wing-T offense as the Wolverines ran to a 38-19 victory at Bellevue Memorial Stadium.

Bothell head coach Tom Bainter said he was still impressed with his team’s performance following a loss to Issaquah the previous week.

“I was pleased with the way we played and brought it each and every play,” Bainter said. “Forget the score. We played one of the top programs in the state, and we improved. That was important to us.”

Bellevue had several injured players going into the game, including several on the offensive line, but it hardly missed a beat while reaching down the depth chart.

The Wolverines saw triple-digit production from running-back brothers Peter and David Nguyen as the team racked up a combined 404 yards on the ground.

David Nguyen led Bellevue in rushing with eight carries for 164 yards, most of which came on a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Peter Nguyen carried 16 times for 110 yards and four touchdowns.

“He’s a load,” Bainter said. “He’s a heck of a player. We had him for a gain of 3, you turn around, and all of a sudden, he’s gaining 15. That’s what they do well.”

Bothell struggled to move the chains early on, managing only one first down in the first quarter and three more just before the half.

The Wolverines, meanwhile, scored on every drive, jumping out to a 24-0 lead heading into the locker room.

Bellevue’s first score followed a fake punt in which quarterback Tommy Castle hit Jamal Atofau with a short pass that went 48 yards to the Cougar 7-yard line.

Bothell’s defense held firm and kept the Wolverines to a field goal on the drive.

Bainter switched quarterbacks from senior James Korn to junior Mitchell Muller early in the third after his defense forced a turnover.

Muller helped his team down the field on a pair of passes before Patrick Ottorbech broke away for a 64-yard touchdown run to help bring the score to 24-7 with 3:12 left in the quarter.

Ottorbech barged into open space on the play and then sped to the end zone, leaping head-first across the line with a defender diving at his heels. He finished the game with 127 yards on 12 carries.

Bellevue shot back with a four-play touchdown drive capped off by Peter Nguyen scoring on a 5-yard run, and an extra point made it a 31-7 game.

Muller made a case for Bothell’s starting quarterback job by completing 10-of-11 passes for 86 yards, including a touchdown pass to tight end Evan Hudson that brought the score to 31-13 early in the fourth quarter.

He also pushed his way into the end zone for the Cougars’ final score on a 1-yard run.

Bainter did not say whether he would put Muller under center for the Cougars’ next contest against Redmond High Sept. 20.

“We were trying to get our No. 2 in for some series in the second half, and after his first drive, it was hard to take him out,” Bainter said. “He played well. We’ll look at film and go from there like we do in every position and every kid and see where we can get better.”

• In other action last Friday, Inglemoor won its second straight game with a 42-20 victory over Garfield.

Quarterback Todd Campbell threw for three touchdown passes — 67 yards to Craig Jacobson, 41 yards to Chris Lewis and 18 yards to Zach Pattison — and ran in a 2-yarder.