They went winless in 1A NWC play last year, but everybody is keeping an eye on them in 2017

It’s not unusual for Meridian coach Bob Ames to prognosticate that one of the teams his Trojans will face during the 1A Northwest Conference season is going to win a state championship. It’s one of his tricks to avoid talking about his own squad and focus the attention elsewhere.

But this year it was a little bit of surprise when Ames pointed his finger toward Lynden Christian – a team that finished 2-8 in 2016 and failed to win a league game.

“I love Bob,” Lyncs coach Dan Kaemingk said, laughing. “The more he talks down about his team, the more you know he’s trying to hide. Bob’s got some guys, and it’s not just Simon (Burkett, a standout quarterback).”

Though they didn’t proclaim LC ready to win a state title in 2017, Mount Baker’s Ron Lepper and Nooksack Valley’s Robb Myhre also have their eyes on what’s happening along Drayton Street this fall.

And for good reason.

“I think we can expect to be more competitive in the conference and surprise some people after a not-so-good year,” LC senior Jordan Riddle said. “I think we’ll bounce back and have a good year.”

Though the Lyncs have a number of talented seniors and juniors on the roster, it’s the underclassmen that have everyone talking.

“We have two really large classes in our freshmen and our sophomores,” Kaemingk said. “For us, being the smallest 1A school (in Whatcom County), we have 20 sophomores out, which is an extremely high percentage of that class. And they’re all players, which is exciting.”

While you may not see many of them in the starting lineup Friday night when LC opens with Bellingham, you will see their effect.

They’ve been pushing the upperclassmen all summer, making them better. They’ll also give the Lyncs some much-needed depth – a chance to spell people along the offensive and defensive lines for a few plays here and there, making the starters even more effective.

“It just makes us fight for our spots more,” senior George De Jong said.

In addition to a larger roster, LC also is physically bigger this year.

Though he said the team can still continue to work more in the weight room, Kaemingk said he’s really pleased with the progress the Lyncs made during the offseason, crediting second-year athletic director Brenda Terpstra for the weight program she brought to LC.

“I thought last year we just weren’t strong enough,” Kaemingk said. “We saw that in the second Baker game, where our game plan was solid and our kids executed it really well. We hung in there for a while, but eventually, they just wore us out. Getting stronger this year will be a pretty big part of us getting better.”

You don’t have to look much past 6-foot-5, 260-pound Max Likkel to see what Kaemingk is talking about. He’ll be joined up front by De Jong and Jared Smit, though Kaemingk said it’s Likkel that “tilts the field.”

“We are bigger than we’ve been in the past,” Kaemingk said. “We’ve been a little small up front. It’s still got to be size that moves, and so far it’s looked pretty good.”

It will be the second year LC has utilized its modified spread formation since Kaemingk returned as head coach last year, and he said he sees the team “getting it” much better this year. Ty Van Dyken has had a good camp and will step in at quarterback, though junior Payton Robertson can “flat out throw the ball,” Kaemingk said.

Riddle returns at running back and “bat” – weakside linebacker and the fourth coverage man against spread offenses – on defense, while Hunter Te Velde, Michael Lancaster and Kalai Jandoc return and will likely be the Lyncs’ top receivers and defensive backs.

So is that enough to make Lynden Christian a favorite in the state? How about in the league?

“Mount Baker’s still won the league title the past five years,” Kaemingk said. “Until we meet the physicality they bring, especially with the run game, I think it’s Baker’s to take. Is Nooksack capable? Yes. Is Meridian capable? Yes. Are we capable? Sure we are. But you have to give the nod to the team that hasn’t lost in league play in ... who knows how long? I do think we’ll be better, but it’s going to be a tremendous battle among all four teams.”

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 9:00 AM with the headline "They went winless in 1A NWC play last year, but everybody is keeping an eye on them in 2017."