Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Thursday, Sep. 04, 2008

Chivers enjoying return to improved Red Raiders

Perhaps no one in Whatcom County is better qualified to assess the strides the Bellingham High School football team has made over the past two seasons than senior Reid Chivers.

When Chivers moved to Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) from Bellingham two years ago, the Red Raiders had won three games total during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Making the state playoffs seemed about as realistic as the Red Raiders beating a team like Ferndale.

Funny how things change.

Chivers is back in Bellingham following another family move, and the Red Raiders are coming off their first state playoff appearance since 1987. Now, if the football team wants to give Chivers a memorable homecoming game, how about a win over Ferndale?

Bellingham opens the season against the Golden Eagles at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, at Civic Stadium.

"We're looking pretty good," Chivers said in a phone interview. "We not only look like a team that's headed to the state playoffs, but a team that could win a state championship."

Coming from anybody else that might sound like misguided ambition, but Chivers knows a thing or two about what it takes to compete against the best in the state. He won two state wrestling titles while at Lakeside at 189 pounds and helped the Eagles to the opening round of the Class 1A state football playoffs last season.

"We're excited to have Reid back," Bellingham coach Doug Trainor said. "He's just a cat out there. He's all over the field. He's going to be a big addition."

Chivers steps into Bellingham's starting tailback spot on offense and will play safety on defense. He rushed for nearly 1,000 yards for Lakeside last season and scored 12 touchdowns. With former running back Jeremy Rick slated to play quarterback for Bellingham this year that means the Red Raiders will have a backfield that combined for more than 2,000 yards rushing a year ago.

"It gives us some weapons," Chivers said. "Michael Gonzales will also be getting the ball, and he's somebody else who could rush for 1,000 yards. That's how good we could be."

Chivers also is excited about the new offense Bellingham plans to use this season. The Red Raiders have been experimenting with a run-first shotgun look that will give the backs plenty of options. It's a far cry from the I-formation he ran at Lakeside.

"It's pretty complicated," Chivers said. "It's taken some time to get it down, but by now we've worked most of the bumps out."

The same could be said for the Bellingham football program. After a lot of hard work and some bumps along the way the Red Raiders appear poised to make the next step to becoming a perennial playoff contender.

"There are a lot more hard workers on this team," Chivers said. "They are a lot more dedicated. These guys are all about the team."