Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

PREP FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Mounties return to smashmouth football

Long known for being a powerful running team until recent years, the Mount Baker football team had averaged 22.0 pass attempts per game through the first eight weeks of the 2009 season.

On Thursday, Oct. 29, the Mountaineers went back to their roots - running the football.

Mount Baker attempted only five passes in its 28-7 victory over Squalicum at Civic Stadium. They completed two of them - both for touchdowns.

On their other 53 snaps, the Mounties ran the ball - very well, picking up 324 yards (6.1 average).

"When we were looking at the tapes, we saw something that we wanted to try," Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper said. "We always knew we could run the ball, but we kind of got away from it with the sets we were running."

David Kashubin did most of the damage in the first half, when he 11 rushed times for 116 yards, but he injured his ankle and did not play in the second half. Lepper said he did not yet know the severity of the injury or if it would affect Kashubin's status for Mount Baker's Class 2A Northwest District playoff game at Archbishop Murphy scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6.

Even if Kashubin is unable to go, the Mounties have a number of other weapons in the backfield, as Kurtis Zender displayed by rushing for a game-high 125 yards on 17 carries. Nick Jacoby also had 66 yards on 14 carries.

"Smashmouth football," Zender said. "That's what you think when you think Mount Baker football. Smashing the other team in the mouth and running the ball with powerful running backs. It was good to feel that again tonight."

DAVID RASBACH

STORM IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY

By dropping Thursday's game to Mount Baker, Squalicum fell into the NWC's No. 5 Class 2A seed into the playoffs. That means they'll have to travel to Granite Falls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to face a play-in game for the right to face the NWC's No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs.

"We definitely didn't do ourselves any favors," Squalicum's Reed Richardson said.

Fortunately, it's a road the Storm has travelled before.

Last year, Squalicum earned the No. 5 seed and beat Granite Falls 26-7 in the play-in game, which was held at Civic Stadium. The Storm went on to lose to Lynden in the district playoffs, though.

"We know we'll be OK," Richardson said. "It's definitely not the position we wanted to be in, but we know that we can do it."

DAVID RASBACH

LEADING THE WAY

A running back doesn't rush for 186 yards in a half and a team doesn't game 360 yards on the ground in a game without the help of some outstanding blocking up front. Blaine running back Caleb Statham and the Borderites certainly got plenty of that during their 51-0 victory over Bellingham on Thursday at Civic Stadium.

But equally as impressive was the blocking Blaine gave its backs down the field. No play showed it better than Statham's last of four touchdown runs in the game - a 21-yard jaunt around left end with 7:00 to play in the first half.

On the play, receiver Todd Bird held his block at the goal line for what seemed to be at least 5 seconds, allowing Statham to circle behind him and get in the end zone.

"That was a key block right there," Statham said. "Without that block, that run never would have been a touchdown. I've been getting that kind of blocking from my receivers and fullbacks and my line all season long. You just love to see that as a running back."

DAVID RASBACH

PIONEERS CAN GROW FROM LATE RALLY

If there was a silver lining for Nooksack Valley after a late rally against Meridian during its 26-22 loss on Thursday, Oct. 29 it's that the experience might pay dividends later on in the postseason.

At least that's how Meridian coach Bob Ames saw it.

"It might be a stupid thing to say, but I think for them this is going to pay dividends as they go through the playoffs," Ames said. "This has to be a good character builder. They came back and it came down to a jump ball and they just didn't come up with it. They are going to be in these situations again and they'll know how to react because of this."

JOE SUNNEN

NOOKSACK VALLEY'S CHARROIN ALL OVER THE FIELD

The Nooksack Valley coaching staff has been coming up with interesting ways to use senior Jon Charroin. Against Meridian on Thursday, Oct. 29 he lined up at linebacker, defensive end, halfback, fullback and on the offensive line.

Because of his size (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) Charroin likely projects as a linebacker at the next level. He was an outstanding defensive end last season, but has been playing up more than this season. As a running back he's a bruiser. When he's blocking out of the backfield it's like having another pulling guard in there. He's also returned a kickoff for a score this season on special teams.

JOE SUNNEN