Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009

FIVE QUESTIONS: What to follow for the three Whatcom County teams in the state football semifinals

The Tacoma Dome awaits for three very talented football teams from Whatcom County. Emotions will be running high as each plays with a state championship berth on the line.

Here are five questions for the Lynden, Nooksack Valley, and Lummi football teams as each heads to the state semifinals.

OF THE THREE REMAINING TEAMS FROM WHATCOM COUNTY, WHICH HAS THE BEST SHOT AT A TITLE?

When we get to this point in the season every team that's still playing should be applauded. It's been a long road to get to this point. Reaching the state semifinals means you're one of the four best teams in the state in your classification and that's a great accomplishment.

That said, it's pretty unlikely that all three Whatcom County teams will advance to a state championship game next week. Then again, it's happened before and as recently as 2006.

Two of the three teams still alive from Whatcom County face semifinal opponents they've already seen this year. Archbishop Murphy defeated Lynden at the start of the season and Neah Bay has tripped up Lummi twice.

Nooksack Valley has never played Cascade Christian, but the Cougars come in with some good credentials and an undefeated record after slipping past Montesano.

The bottom line is that none of the Whatcom County teams can expect an easy road, but anything is possible.

WHICH TEAM HAS GOTTEN BETTER OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON, LYNDEN OR ARCHBISHOP MURPHY?

Lynden gets the edge here. The Lions haven't lost a game since falling to Archbishop Murphy in Week 1 and their defense is allowing less than a touchdown a game over that span. It's debatable, but Lynden's regular season schedule was likely more difficult than ATM's. Playing tougher opponents over the course of the season should also benefit the Lions.

WHICH TEAM HAS GOTTEN BETTER SINCE THEIR LAST MEETING, LUMMI OR NEAH BAY?

This one is a toss up because both teams have played some quality opponents in recent weeks. Lummi certainly had an easier time of it in the opening round of state, blasting Wishkah Valley 66-16. Neah Bay on the other hand fought its way to a 20-14 win over Lake Quinault.

Playing a tougher opening round game might benefit the Red Devils, but it depends how physical the game was. There's also something to be said for coming into a game with confidence as the Blackhawks should despite losing twice to Neah Bay already.

Lummi has scored at least 60 points in three straight wins since falling 50-30 to Neah Bay. That the mark of an offense that's hitting its stride.

WHAT DOES NOOKSACK VALLEY HAVE LEFT EMOTIONALLY?

As incredible as Nooksack Valley's 54-47 win over King's was last week, the Pioneers have to put that behind them now. Cascade Christian will be as talented a team as Nooksack Valley has faced this season and Saturday's game will be a tough one.

There's little doubt the Pioneers will be prepared for the game, but should they fall behind again will they have enough to claw out of a deep hole again? Better yet, should Nooksack Valley take a big lead and the Cougars start to rally will the Pioneers be able to put out of their heads the amazing comeback they managed to pull off a week ago?

Either way it's going to be a great game.

HOW IMPORTANT IS EXPERIENCE AT THE TACOMA DOME?

Playing in the Tacoma Dome is an entirely different experience for any team that hasn't done it before. It's difficult to prepare for and nearly impossible to simulate.

For starters it's a hot and humid place to play football. For a team like Lynden - which plays at 10 a.m. on Saturday - it won't be quite so bad. But as the day goes on the warmer it gets in the dome. For a team that plays at 4 p.m. as Lummi does on Friday that can be a challenge. Drinking lots of fluids helps, but teams can get worn out quickly in the Tacoma Dome. Muscle cramps and fatigue can kill a potential championship just as quickly as a fumble or a miscue.

Adjusting to the size of the space, odd playing times, and unique crowd situations can also be a challenge for teams. Because the Tacoma Dome seats upwards of 15,000 for a football game the place almost always looks empty during the state semifinals even if a few thousand fans are there. For a team that's used to a large and loud crowd that can be hard to adjust to.

The field is much better now than it used to be, but it's still a hard and fast surface. That can be good for a team with speed, but bad for those that are slower.