Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Monday, Nov. 16, 2009

PREP FOOTBALL: Whatcom County teams hit the road for quarterfinals

Having multiple football teams in the state quarterfinals is nothing new for Whatcom County.

Having to travel to watch all of them play - well, that hasn't happened all that often in the past decade.

For the first time since 2004 and only the second time since the turn of the century, Whatcom County will not get to host a state quarterfinal this weekend. All three county schools still alive in the playoffs - Lynden in Class 2A, Nooksack Valley in 1A and Lummi in 1B - will be on the road this weekend.

After travelling to Battle Ground last weekend, Nooksack Valley will be the team playing closest to home this week, as it takes on King's at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Woolsey Stadium in Shoreline.

The Pioneers (10-2) advanced to the All-Northwest District showdown with their 49-21 victory over La Center on Saturday, Nov. 14. They'll take on the Knights (8-3), who are coming off a 28-27 victory over Onalaska on Saturday. The winner of Friday's game moves on to the state semifinals and will face either Montesano or Cascade Christian.

Lummi also will play on Friday evening, when the Blackhawks face Wishkah Valley in a 5 p.m. game at Tumwater Stadium. The game will be a rematch of a Week 1 meeting between the two schools at Lummi, which was won by the Blackhawks 58-12.

Lummi (8-3) advanced to the first round of the state playoffs with a 68-16 win over Taholah on Friday, Nov. 13, in a 1B tri-district playoff game, while Wishkah (8-2) beat Highland Christian in its tri-district game. The winner moves on to face the winner of the first-round matchup between Lake Quinault and Neah Bay in the state semifinals.

Lynden will be the only Whatcom County team in action on Saturday, Nov. 21, when it faces Sequim in a 2A quarterfinal at 6 p.m. at Silverdale Stadium in Bremerton.

The Lions (10-1) survived a first-round scare from Black Hills to win 14-7 on Saturday at Civic Stadium, while the Wolves (10-1) held off a late rally by Burlington-Edison to win their state opener 34-32. The winner of Saturday's game moves on to face the winner of the Archbishop Murphy-Chehalis W.F. West game in the state semifinals.

THIS WEEK'S FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GAMES

FRIDAY NOV. 20

CLASS 1A STATE PLAYOFFS

Quarterfinal: Nooksack Valley at King's (at Woolsey Stadium), 7 p.m.

CLASS 1B STATE PLAYOFFS

First round: Lummi at Wishkah Valley (at Tumwater), 5 p.m.

SATURDAY NOV. 21

CLASS 2A STATE PLAYOFFS

Quarterfinal: Lynden at Sequim (at Silverdale Stadium), 6 p.m.