Win or go home: Three Whatcom football teams roll to state playoff quarterfinals
With three quarterbacks who have passed for more than 4,000 yards total and have thrown or run for a combined 76 touchdowns while producing a 24-6 record, it’s remarkable that Lynden High, Lynden Christian and Nooksack Valley have also had their fans buzzing about a number of other noteworthy feats on their way to the state playoff quarterfinals.
For example, junior power runner Colton Lentz scored touchdowns on four consecutive first-quarter carries in sixth-seeded Nooksack’s 59-7 win over Cascade Christian in a Class 1A playoff opener Saturday at Civic Stadium.
Senior tight end Kayden Stuit caught three touchdown passes for the second consecutive game in third-seeded Lynden Christian’s 41-20 first-round 1A victory over 14th-seeded Connell on Friday at Blaine High.
Fast-blooming sophomore running back Max Assink — previously best known for being the potential-packed younger brother of senior line star Kuyper Assink — surpassed 100 yards rushing for the second consecutive game in fifth-seeded Lynden’s 41-7 opening-round 2A win over 12th seeded Bremerton on Friday at Civic Stadium.
Oh, and the quarterbacks?
Lynden Christian’s Jeremiah Wright passed for four touchdowns and ran for two scores; Lynden’s Brant Heppner ran for three touchdowns and passed for two; and Nooksack Valley’s Joey Brown threw a 71-yard scoring shot to Jackson Bennett in full stride that had the fans roaring in appreciation of sheer perfection.
As a result, Lynden Christian (8-2) and Nooksack Valley (8-2) will meet at Civic Stadium, tentatively Friday at 7 p.m. This will be a rematch of the Lyncs’ last-minute 21-20 thriller over the Pioneers in Week 6.
Meanwhile, Lynden (8-2) will play at fourth-seeded North Kitsap (10-1) Saturday at 3 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s Class 2A title game, in which the Lions scored with a minute to play for a pulse-pounding 31-24 win. North Kitsap eliminated Ephrata 49-0.
The only sad note for Whatcom County fans — in the wake of Ferndale’s touchdown-loaded season — was the Golden Eagles’ 21-7 loss to Mount Tahoma in a 3A first-rounder in utterly miserable weather Friday at Ferndale. The game left both teams with 8-3 records.
The 3-1 weekend improved the county’s 10 eleven-man teams’ season record to 39-24 against out-of-county completion.
On a historical note, Nooksack Valley will become the first county team to meet another county team in state quarterfinal or semifinal competition in consecutive seasons in the 50-year history of the playoffs. Last season, the Pioneers’ fell to Mount Baker 14-13 in the 1A semifinals.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 41, CONNELL 20: On the Lyncs’ first play, after a bad punt snap set them up on Connell’s 9-yard line, all-league linebacker Brody Bouwman caught a 9-yard touchdown pass.
“That was pretty nice!” Bouwman said of one of the biggest thrills of his hard-hitting career.
Connell (5-6) quickly pulled within 7-6 with a 1-yard score on fourth down by quarterback Carson Lloyd, but that was only a brief scare. On LC’s next three possessions, Wright scored on a 25-yard run, Wright threw an 8-yard touchdown pass on which Stuit made a sensational catch under pressure, and Wright threw an 11-yard touchdown toss to Stuit on a classic slant pattern for a 27-6 lead. Jaden Huleatt’s fumble recovery set up the Lyncs’ third score.
Wright’s 9-yard scoring pass to Stuit, after Malachi VanderMey stripped a Connell runner of the ball, made it 34-6 in the third quarter. Bouwman soon returned an interception 56 yards, setting up Wright’s 4-yard run and Jacob Penner’s fifth extra point (the other try was blocked) for game-clinching 41-6 bulge.
Wright’s final touchdown gave the all-league senior linebacker a share of 11 touchdowns in two consecutive games. He finished 15 for 21 for 165 yards, giving him 1,261 yards and 13 touchdown passes, according to the Whatcom Preps web site.
“Our offensive line really stepped up tonight,” said Wright, who has produced 27 total touchdowns, when asked about what made the difference.
Stuit caught six passes for 101 yards, including four for 81 on LC’s third scoring drive. Stuit now has 35 catches for 576 yards and nine touchdowns. Wright finished with 63 yards on eight carries and Hollis Owen supported him with 46 yards on 10 tries.
“The kids really came out ready,” said Ferndale coach Greg Terpstra. “Not necessarily nervous, but very excited. They rinsed that bad taste out of the mouths (after losing a three-way NWC playoff for two state spots. We showed who we are by putting together an offense while doing it in tough conditions.”
LYNDEN 41, BREMERTON 7: Heppner scored on three short power runs and threw touchdown passes to Isaiah Oudman and to Brady Elsner, his eighth of the season, all in the first half.
“Then we benched Brant on his 17th birthday,” Lions coach Blake Van Dalen said in admiration of how Heppner worked so hard to heal an ankle injury suffered early in Lynden’s 15-8 loss to Anacortes two weeks earlier, in the battle that decided the NWC 2A title. The Lions didn’t want to either run up the score or take any chances.
Charlie Ayres, an all-leaguer at linebacker and running back, took over at quarterback and scored on a 19-yard run.
Max Assink provided outstanding support for Heppner with 107 yards on 11 carries and Elsner caught three passes for 47 yards, giving the much-improved senior 31 catches for 384 yards. Cooper Moore and Jaydin Oaks had interceptions, including the first for Oaks, and Zach Welch recovered a fumble.
Kuyper Assink blocked a field-goal attempt in the second quarter and Elsner’s ensuing 50-yard return of the ball to the 30 set up Heppner’s scoring pass to Oudman for a 20-0 lead after the second of freshman Malachi Koenen’s five conversion kicks.
Heppner completed of 11 passes for 129 yards, giving the junior 1.571 yards passing and 19 touchdown tosses. He also has run for 11 touchdowns for 30 total touchdowns produced this season.
“This was the first time since Week Six against Archbishop Murphy when we came out of a game with all the guys healthy we went in the game with,” Van Dalen said.
NOOKSACK VALLEY 59, CASCADE CHRISTIAN 7: The Pioneers improved their season total to a school-record 498 points as Lentz scored on runs of 6, 18, 50 and 15 yards, giving the hard-running junior a school-record 24 touchdowns for the season and more than 40 for his career as the school‘s most prolific scorer. He leads Whatcom County with 1,209 yards rushing, according to the Whatcom Preps web site.
Nooksack made it 35-0 on Brown’s 71-yard pass to Bennett and the fifth of Jorgen Vigre’s eight conversions, giving the senior kicker a school record 61 conversions in 62 attempts. He also kicked a 33-yard field goal, contributing to Nooksack’s 59-0 halftime lead while preparing for further playoff action.
“Joey’s pass to Jackson could not have been more perfect,” Lentz said. “It was the combination of great speed by a wide receiver and a cannon for our quarterback.”
Bennett soon celebrated his memorable catch with a 25-yard pick six for a 42-0 lead one minute into the second quarter. The two-way standout said it was his first score on an interception.
Skyler Whittern scored on a 65-yard run for his 14th touchdown. He finished with 122 yards on 12 carries, moving the senior past 1,000 yards rushing with 1,050, giving the Pioneers a rare 1,000-yard duo.
Brown’s 32-yard dash helped set up Lentz’s 50-yard score. Brown threw only five passes and completed four for 122 yards, including a 30-yarder to Lentz to help set up his first touchdown. Brown’s accuracy is an outstanding 67 for 96 on the season, according to Whatcom Preps, with 1,183 yards and 13 touchdown passes, plus eight scoring runs.
All-league senior lineman John Stremler, given a late second-quarter chance to run the ball, scored untouched on a 22-yard run by the 255-pound senior.
“Give props to our line,” Stremler said. “That was one of our plays out of our jumbo package.”
“I’m more jealous of Dalton Hickey getting a pick at linebacker,” junior Brady Ackerman said of his fellow line star. Evan Bravo joined Bennett and Hickey with an interception, his fourth.
Nooksack coach Craig Bartl said he was gratified because “our kids could have become lax but they didn’t. Our league is just so tough. I really wish the state would go to a 32-team playoff to start the postseason.”
MOUNT TAHOMA 21, FERNDALE 7: In the second closest contest among the first eight playoff games, the Thunderbirds limited the Golden Eagles to a season scoring low while displaying great speed on the way to a 21-0 lead after scoring on the first series of the third quarter.
Coach Jamie Plenkovich, who expressed pride in the overall season after Ferndale graduated numerous standouts off last year’s overall Wesco champion, also could take pride in how the Golden Eagles responded to the 21-0 deficit.
Up to that point, the Thunderbirds had limited Ferndale to 71 total yards in the first half. The Golden Eagles finished with 183, including a 56-yard scoring drive in the third quarter.
Conner Walcker provided the key plays with a 10-yard catch from Bishop Ootsey on fourth down to the Mount Tahoma 41. After a 14-yard pass interference penalty, Walcker scored on a gritty 9-yard run on which he broke a couple of tackles. It was his 14th touchdown of an outstanding season.
Mount Tahoma reached the Ferndale 2-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, but a goal-line standout stymied the Thunderbirds at the 1 on fourth down. But Ferndale’s ensuing 68-yard drive ended at the 31 with too little time left.
The Thunderbirds simply proved too much most of the game up front. But Ferndale’s Talan Bungard (who finished with 1,082 yards for the season), Walcker (687) and Phoenyx Finkbonner (676) could take pride in being the primary offensive factors with a combined 41 touchdowns in a strong season.
Mount Tahoma scored on a 9-yard run by quarterback Tre’ Walker, who completed 11 of 14 passes for 175 yards with no interceptions and rushed for 85 yards on 11 carries, including a 6-yarder to make it 21-0. Deonjae Ervin caught a 25-yard scoring pass in the second quarter and finished with seven catches for 94 yards. Bryson Bailey had a game-high 89 yards on 17 carries.
WEEK TWELVE
2A
Lynden (8-2) at North Kitsap (10-1), Saturday, 3 p.m.
1A
Lynden Christian (8-2) vs. Nooksack Valley (8-2) at Civic Stadium, Friday at 7 p.m.
ROUND OF 16 SCORES
3A
Bellevue 49, Monroe 7
Arlington 35, Ridgeline 13
Garfield 28, Mount Spokane 21
O’Dea 48, Auburn Riverside 0
Kennewick 27, Mountain View 12
Eastside Catholic 40, Lincoln 0
Mount Tahoma 21, Ferndale 7
Yelm 38, Marysville-Pilchuck 13
2A
Highline 34, W.F. West 6
Enumclaw 49, Othello 12
Orting 33, Washougal 10
Anacortes 53, Rogers (Spokane) 12
Lynden 41, Bremerton 7
North Kitsap 49, Ephrata 0
Clarkston 44, Woodland 6
Tumwater 70, Port Angeles 12
1A
Nooksack Valley 59, Cascade Christian 7
Lynden Christian 41, Connell 20
Freeman 28, Montesano 21
Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) 41, Life Christian Academy 14
Seton Catholic 56, Kings 48
Cashmere 49, Toppenish 14
Omak 21, La Center 7
Royal 50, Eatonville 0
This story was originally published November 13, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
