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Bellevue football team back on the field

06:19 PM PST on Saturday, November 29, 2008

By ROBERTA ROMERO / KING 5 News

Video: Back on the field
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BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Less than 24 hours after surviving a bus crash on Interstate 5, members of the Bellevue High School football team were back on the field Saturday morning for practice.

Team members were bruised and shaken, but determined to get back into the game.

Washington State Patrol is looking for a driver who caused a charter bus carrying the team's starters to overturn on Interstate 5 in Tukwila Friday morning.

The undefeated team was on its way to a big playoff game. Thirty-eight people were on board the bus when the driver slammed on the brakes and suddenly swerved in an attempt to avoid a ladder in the middle of the highway. The bus flipped onto its side.

Quarterback Cam Warren was on board.

"And we just flipped," he said. "It was crazy … glass was everywhere."

The ladder had the word “forest” written in black sharpie ink. The owner could face a stiff penalty.

"You're looking at criminal charges. It is negligent to do something like that,” said Trooper Cliff Pratt, Washington State Patrol.

Eight football players were rushed to area hospitals with injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to a dislocated shoulder. The playoff game was cancelled.

But all of the team members - even those who were hurt - were back on the field Saturday morning.

KING

Members of the Bellevue High School football team practice less than 24 hours after surviving a bus crash on I-5.

"We realize that we're lucky," Warren said. "We're going to take this chance, fight through this adversity, you know just come together. We're motivated, even more motivated now."

A second bus that was headed to Tacoma Friday made it there just fine. The team was on its way to the Tacoma Dome for a state 3A semi-final game with Capital High School.

"Right now, the game is not even important to us. It's about the Bellevue football team. The Bellevue players and parents. That everybody is healthy and OK,” Capital High School Coach John Johnson said.

That game is now rescheduled for Monday night at 7 p.m. at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood. Tickets bought for the game at the Tacoma Dome will be honored there.

The 3A final will be rescheduled for Saturday, December 6 at 4 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome.

The 4A final will happen Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m.

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