Long before they take the football field, these Lions have already proven their heart

There’s nothing Sedro-Woolley can throw at the Lynden football team. Nothing from Burlington-Edison. Not from Anacortes, Bellingham, Blaine or Lakewood, either. Not even anything Archbishop Murphy can do.

No adversity the Lions could possibly face between the white lines during the 2017 season could possibly rival what they’ve already been through together. Long before this season kicks off Friday, they’ve already been through the fire, taken one of the hardest punches life has to offer, and they’re still standing.

In April, Curt Kramme – Hall of Fame coach, winner of seven state titles at Lynden, pillar in the community and father figure to numerous players who have come through the program the past 26 years – died after a yearlong battle with a rare form of cancer.

Blake VanDalen, who coached on Kramme’s staff for 20 years before being named his replacement last spring, has seen the effect the loss of his own friend and mentor has had on the team. And as hard as it’s been, he likes what he’s seen.

“The sense of this team is unity,” VanDalen said. “That just kind of rose up last week. I truly got a sense of how tight these guys are. When you’re playing for something bigger than yourself, that’s the ultimate. And they are. They’re playing for Lynden, but they’re also playing for Coach Kramme. They’re playing for each other. So the No. 1 thing that’s come out of this camp is that they’re playing for unity.”

While that’s one of the biggest traits to have in football, it only takes you so far.

Fortunately, VanDalen said he’s seen plenty of other skills the Lions have to fall back on as they attempt to keep building on the foundation Kramme began more than two-and-a-half decades ago.

VanDalen said he’s not planning any major changes to what he helped Kramme build, but there will be adjustments – same as there are any year.

“What I learned from Coach Kramme is every year, we need to adjust – as coaches – to what we’ve been given,” VanDalen said. “We don’t recruit in high school, so you get what you get. He did a really good job of assessing what we had and adjusting what we do to those strengths.

“I feel like I’ve done the same thing. I sat back and looked at what we had, and fortunately, I have 20 years of teams to draw on. I’ve been able to identify that ‘this team is a lot like that team’ or ‘that really helped there.’”

What VanDalen has noticed is that the Lions will be a hard-hitting squad in 2017.

Because of that, he said, the defense with seven returners, is a little farther ahead entering the season. Captain Jordan Brockmeyer will lead the defensive line, with his new “little buddy” Payton Scott. Disruptive defensive ends Trey LaBounty and Jacob Kettels are both back and will be spelled by Cole Crass and Carson Bode. Gage Bates is back after a record-setting season at linebacker last year and now has Trevin Melendez and Bodie Human at his side. Even the secondary should be strong with the return of Aaron Weidenaar, Cory Warner and Blake Silves.

“We’re strong, and we’re quick,” VanDalen said. “Hopefully we’ll put it all together. We’re a bend-but-don’t-break style. You may run a lot of plays, but we’re going to make you earn it.”

The offense may take a little time to catch up, but VanDalen said he is confident it will.

He described new sophomore quarterback Brock Heppner as “cerebral” and a “game manager,” who can take advantage of what a defense gives him both running and throwing the ball. Melendez and Eric Martin-Mann are blue-collar guys that will split the duties at running back, while Weidenaar and Silves should lead a “typical Lynden” receiving corps. LaBounty and Kettels also anchor what figures to be a bigger offensive line than Lynden is used to along with Marty Karb, Kaden Mayberry, Cooper Brown and Crass.

“I think the key will be the same as always: handling adversity,” VanDalen said. “Things don’t always go your way – we’ve learned that in the offseason, and we’ve handled that admirably. ... ‘Setback, Comeback’ is a phrase everybody talks about here at Lynden, but it really means a lot in the big scheme and also in the play-by-play.”

This story was originally published August 28, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Long before they take the football field, these Lions have already proven their heart."