Sports

POSTED: Sunday, Sep. 07, 2008

PREP FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Lions searching for identity after Week 1 loss

The Lynden High School football team spent much of its first game of the season against Archbishop Murphy on Friday, Sept. 5, trying to figure out what type of team they can be this year.

The Lions came out running to start the game, but began passing more as the game went on. A big reason for that, of course, was that Lynden was trailing and needed to score quickly. They eventually lost 26-15, but the Lions were also trying to figure out what the strengths of their young offense will be.

The Lions relied mostly on running back David Gaylord and quarterback Jordan Hastings for their ground game against the Wildcats. Last season it seemed like Lynden starting running its quarterback a lot more late in the season, opting to use its backs more early in the year. Hastings looked like a capable runner and should be a good option for the Lions.

As a passer Hastings numbers were a little deceiving. He finished 11 for 24 for 103 yards and an interception, but the Lions’ receivers also had several drops. That interception came late in the second quarter as the Lions were trying to move the ball against the clock.

“We’re learning about our team,” Lynden coach Curt Kramme said. “That’s something I knew we had to do. We have to figure out what we’re going to be good at, what our identity is going to be this year. We still don’t know, but we took some steps towards finding out tonight.”

CREIGHTON AN IMPACT PLAYER

The Lions’ opening game against a run-heavy Wildcats team was perfectly suited to linebacker Taylor Creighton’s skill set and he didn’t disappoint.

The senior started the game making four of the first six tackles for the Lions and stayed around the ball the whole night. He showed a great burst into the hole and had no trouble reading Archbishop Murphy’s deceiving Wing-T offense.

SIZE HELPS STORM

Squalicum’s Eric Schacht, one of three tailbacks the Storm like to shuffle, left the game after injuring an ankle in the first series of Squalicum’s 42-19 win over Meridian on Friday.

That could have thrown a sizeable wrench into the Storm’s plans, but it turned out that Squalicum dominated so thoroughly at the line of scrimmage it wasn’t much of a factor. Fullback Evan Fenton had 139 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown, Gursharn Parmar rushed for 128 yards on 20 carries and two scores, and tailback Brad Miller added 101 yards on 16 carries.

The Storm had a clear size advantage up front, and Squalicum’s tailbacks benefitted from their rotation. “It helps having a fresh back in there; you can see how hard they were running when you have a fresh back,” Squalicum coach Reed Richardson said.

Squalicum guard Max Trickett said the offensive linemen don’t especially care who’s getting the yards, as long as the yards are piling up.

“Play some smashmouth football, that’s all that matters,” Trickett said.

PIONEERS THROW IT

Nooksack Valley’s unusual passing barrage gave Mount Baker’s largely inexperienced secondary a solid test during Baker’s 13-6 sea-son-opening victory, giving both teams reason for encouragement.

It’s been a good while since the Pioneers threw 37 times in a game with two different quarterbacks, but coach Robb Myhre seems to have capable prospects in returning senior Wade Rediger and Tyler Perry, a 5-foot-10 sophomore.

“They’ll both play until someone steps up,” said Myhre of Rediger,.who went 11 for 22 for 113 yards without an interception, and Perry, who finished 7 of 15 for 53 yards and one interception.

However, Baker defenders such as first-time senior starters Brett Johnson and Brian Marshall in the defensive backfield and juniors David Kashubin and Kurtis Zender at linebacker made it tough on Nooksack’s two-quarterback system.

Baker’s tackling was generally pretty crisp, Except for a 71-yard pass from Rediger to newcomer Anthony Reese, the Mounties held Nooksack to an average of 5.6 yards per for their other 17 completions.

“We got Reese from the basketball program,” said Myhre of the 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior, who played junior varsity hoops last winter.

Baker basketball coach Rob Gray, meanwhile, kept an eye on one of his junior prospects, 6-foot-5, 227-pound defensive end Jacob Kernells. In addition to starting on the offensive line, Kernells blocked a pass.

Offensive linemen Kevin Zollatz, Matt Millson, Jared Elsner and Cody Anderson – all seniors – provided plenty of holes as Baker amassed 302 yards rushing on 47 attempts, including 111 by Chad Cain and 108 by

Kashubin. Baker’s total was even more impressive considering that the Mounties lost returning starter Matt Cronk with a severe ankle injury on their first offensive play.

BLAINE TO OPEN IT UP

This year Blaine football coach Jay Dodd plans to open the passing offense up a bit.

While the rushing attack will be led by Casey McCabe and Caleb Statham, returning quarterback Daniel Gorze has 6 to 7 legitimate wide receivers to work with this season, Dodd said. On Friday, Gorze threw five touchdowns in a 60-0 non-conference win over the Sands Scorpions (B.C.).