Undefeated Lyncs stay atop NWC power rankings
No Northwest Conference team has been better than Lynden Christian this year, but that could certainly change in the coming weeks.
The Lyncs travel to play Anacortes early next week in what should be a matchup of two unbeatens, and two days later LC hosts city-rival Lynden in what should be another difficult matchup.
1. Lynden Christian (previous rank: 1): The Lyncs are ranked No. 1 in Class 1A, unbeaten but have a big showdown next week on the road against Anacortes. The winner will most likely be the frontrunner for the NWC title.
2. Squalicum (previous rank: 2): The Storm could get right back into the race for a league title with a matchup against Anacortes next week. With a week to prepare, expect the Storm to put together a great game.
3. Anacortes (previous rank: 3): The Seahawks are one of two NWC unbeatens, but arguably no team has a tougher schedule next week. Fortunately, Anacortes gets Lynden Christian and Squalicum at home.
4. Lynden (previous rank: 4): Three straight wins and the Lions are back on track following a home loss to Anacortes. All eyes will be on the Lions and Lyncs next week when the city rivals meet at Lynden Christian.
5. Mount Baker (previous rank: 6): The Mountaineers followed a key two-point win over Ferndale with a comfortable victory over Burlington-Edison. Baker has Lynden and Nooksack Valley next.
6. Ferndale (previous rank: 5): Win, loss, win, loss, win, loss — the Golden Eagles can’t seem to gain momentum. Finally with a full, healthy roster, the Golden Eagles are hoping to play great during the second half.
7. Nooksack Valley (previous rank: 7): The Pioneers have dropped three straight but still have all Class 1A NWC opponents to play. Squalicum up next will be tough, but Nooksack can certainly win its following three.
8. Sehome (previous rank: 8): The Mariners are talented with Leighton Kingma, Marcus Montag and Logan Deboo, but it’s been a struggle integrating some young, promising players into the mix.
9. Blaine (previous rank: 9): After earning a nice win over Sedro-Woolley, the Borderites were blown out by Lynden. Blaine has a good chance to take two out of three during next week’s slate.
10. Sedro-Woolley (previous rank: 11): The Cubs may be 3-11, but they are playing teams tough. Sedro-Woolley also picked up a great 58-56 win over Nooksack Valley and faces Sehome and Bellingham next.
11. Meridian (previous rank: 12): The Trojans have lost each of their past three games by double digits, and things don’t get much easier with a healthy Ferndale team up next.
12. Burlington-Edison (previous rank: 10): The Tigers got a league win a few weeks ago by topping Bellingham, but that victory could very well be Burlington-Edison’s last one given its remaining schedule.
13. Bellingham (previous rank: 13): The absence of key players has seem to have decimated what once appeared to be a promising season. The Red Raiders lost two games by a combined 73 points last week.
This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 9:13 PM with the headline "Undefeated Lyncs stay atop NWC power rankings."