The smoke’s cleared and it’s time for football. Here are Whatcom’s players to watch
For a couple of days last week, football fields around Whatcom County were strangely quiet. No grunts of exertion, no popping of pads, no shrill whistles followed by coaches bellowing — just silence.
Dangerous air quality conditions from wildfire smoke around the region drove most Whatcom County football teams indoors for a handful of practice sessions.
“You definitely don’t get as much out of practicing indoors as you normally would,” Ferndale coach Jamie Plenkovich said. “I think we’re all feeling a little behind at this point.”
Fortunately, the smoke has cleared and the 2018 season will kick off with seven games involving Whatcom County teams Friday night and one more on Saturday evening.
Though every season brings change, the biggest of note this fall is the new two-tiered format for an expanded 2A Northwest Conference.
Five teams — Lynden, Burlington-Edison, Lakewood, Sedro-Woolley and newly added Archbishop Murphy — will battle it out in the top tier Sky Division, while Bellingham, Blaine, Sehome, Anacortes and new arrivals Cedarcrest and Mountlake Terrace will play in the Lakes Division. All five teams from the Sky Division advance to the postseason, which starts a week earlier in Week 9 (Oct. 26), while the top four finishers in the Lakes division are expected to advance.
Here are 35 Whatcom County players that could make an impact on the 2018 season:
Chase Abshere
School: Blaine
Position: WR/DB
Year: Senior
The key for Abshere, coach Jay Dodd said, is to stay healthy, as injuries limited him during his sophomore and junior years. “It he stays healthy, he’s one of the best players in our conference,” Dodd said. Abshere showed that by catching 50 passes for 736 yards and seven TDs as a junior.
Jalen Apol
School: Lynden Christian
Position: WR/DB
Year: Senior
Apol caught six passes for 16 yards last year, but he’s expected to take on a much larger role as a senior. “He’s a good kid, and we’re expecting to get some good stuff out of him,” Lynden Christian coach Dan Kaemingk said. “He’s got some abilities we want to utilize.”
Sam Barrett
School: Mount Baker
Position: RB/LB
Year: Senior
After rushing for 457 yards and four TDs as a junior despite some injuries, Barrett will likely see a larger role this year, as he, junior Jason Lee and senior Kobee Malone will see most of the carries this fall. “We’re looking for him to have a really solid year on both sides,” coach Ron Lepper said.
Kaleb Bass
School: Mount Baker
Position: QB/DB
Year: Senior
Bass passed for 1,082 yards and 11 TDs as a junior in leading the Mountaineers to the first round of the state playoffs. Lepper said he’s constantly improving and should be a good senior leader this year. “We want him to take care of the offense and not get too far ahead of himself,” Lepper said.
Jacob Broselle
School: Ferndale
Position: RB/DB
Year: Junior
Broselle rushed for 585 yards and five TDs last year, and will likely see an increased carry load in 2018. He’s also a valuable piece of Ferndale’s defensive backfield. “He saw some time for us at the end of last year, and we’ll look to him this year,” coach Jamie Plenkovich said.
Landon Bruland
School: Nooksack Valley
Position: OT/DE
Year: Senior
Coach Robb Myhre said Bruland is the second-fastest player on the roster — not bad for a 6-foot-3, 190 pounder. “He’s a really smart, heady kid,” Myhre said. “We’re really excited about what he’s going to bring to our offensive line and our defensive line this year.”
Christian Butenschoen
School: Bellingham
Position: OL/DL
Year: Senior
Butenschoen earned second-team All-NWC 2A honors last year and will likely be a force up front for the Red Raiders along with junior Butch Mullins, as Bellingham looks to establish itself in the NWC 2A’s new Lakes Division.
Cooper Clawson
School: Nooksack Valley
Position: OL/LB
Year: Senior
Clawson will be a valuable piece of what could be a very good Nooksack Valley offensive line. He’s also at the center of the Pioneers’ defense at inside linebacker. “He controls our defense and had a really nice season for us last year,” Myhre said. “He has a nose for the football.”
Wyatt Cole
School: Blaine
Position: OT/DT
Year: Junior
After a strong sophomore year up front that earned him second-team All-NWC 2A honors, Cole worked hard during the offseason to get stronger and quicker. Dodd said he’s not only athletic and explosive on the field, but also a vocal leader the Borderites need.
Blake DeRuyter
School: Lynden Christian
Position: K/P/DB
Year: Senior
DeRuyter was selected a first-team All-NWC 1A punter last year, and this year he assumes the place-kicking duties, as well. Kaemingk said he’s been making field goals from 35 to 40 yards out. “He’s a big part of our kicking game and, we feel, a big part of our game,” Kaemingk said.
Sam Faber
School: Lynden Christian
Position: RB/LB
Year: Senior
Faber will play two of the toughest positions for the Lyncs this year at H back and weakside linebacker. “Those are a couple of heady positions,” Kaemingk said. “You need a guy who knows what he’s doing out there, and we think Sam is that guy.”
Jack Fields
School: Bellingham
Position: RB/LB
Year: Junior
Fields is Bellingham’s top returning rusher from last year, as he rushed for 143 yards and a TD in 2017. He’ll likely see an increase in workload this fall and will be an important part of the Red Raiders’ defense at linebacker.
Baylor Galley
School: Nooksack Valley
Position: WR/CB
Year: Senior
The two-way first-team All-NWC 1A selection from last year finished second on the team with 829 yards and six TDs receiving last year, and the Pioneers are expecting even bigger things in 2018. Myhre said he’s had a great offseason, improving his speed, athleticism and competitiveness.
Geiran Hatchett
School: Ferndale
Position: OL/DL
Year: Junior
Ferndale has only one All-Wesco 3A North returner from last season, but he’s a good one — one that’s already received NCAA Division I offers from the likes of Alabama, Notre Dame, USC, Washington, Texas, and Oklahoma, among others. He’s coming off offseason foot surgery, but should be ready.
Dylan Hickok
School: Meridian
Position: RB/WR/LB
Year: Senior
After developing into a standout at linebacker last year as a first-team All-NWC 1A pick, Hickok will be asked to serve as the quarterback of Meridian’s defense this year. He’ll also play multiple roles at running back, receiver and tight end on offense.
Sequoyah Julius
School: Ferndale
Position: QB/DB
Year: Senior
Julius is competing with fellow senior Bryan Ebe to be the Golden Eagles starting quarterback this fall, Plenkovich said. Both Julius and Ebe also will be counted on to once again make the Ferndale defensive secondary a strength of the team.
Dylan Kaemingk
School: Lynden Christian
Position: OL/DL
Year: Senior
The coach’s son was a first-team All-NWC 1A selection on defense last year. “He plays with great leverage and is very strong,” coach Dan Kaemingk said. “We’re looking at him as a run stopper and a valuable piece of our line.” He’ll team with Simon Anker and Jake Libolt to be a force.
Michael Kentner
School: Mount Baker
Position: WR/DE
Year: Senior
Kentner makes things happen on defense with his 6-foot-3 frame. “He can put some pressure on the quarterback, and we’re looking for him to consistently be that guy,” Lepper said. His height also makes him a valuable target for quarterback Kaleb Bass.
Jacob Kettels
School: Lynden
Position: OL/DE
Year: Senior
At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Kettles will be an anchor for a senior-laden Lynden offensive line that will include Cooper Brown and Kaden Mayberry. Kettels also was selected second-team All-NWC 2A on the defensive line and fits the mold in a long line of big, disruptive Lynden defensive ends.
Adam Kruzich
School: Meridian
Position: OL/DL
Year: Senior
Kruzich has been a big, physical presence on both lines for the past two years, earning All-NWC 1A honors on both sides last year. Coach Bob Ames said he had surgery to repair the ACL in his knee in March, but “he’s a really quick healer and has been cleared to play.”
Spencer Lee
School: Bellingham
Position: WR/DB
Year: Senior
Lee was a first-team All-NWC 2A selection last year after finishing fourth among Whatcom County receivers with 858 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s an athlete who could play a number of roles for the Red Raiders this year on both offense and in the secondary.
Watiko Leighton
School: Ferndale
Position: WR/DB
Year: Senior
Leighton recorded 211 yards and four touchdowns for a team that isn’t known for throwing the football a whole lot — they had 1,040 yards passing total last year. “He’s definitely somebody to keep an eye on for us this year,” Plenkovich said.
Spencer Lloyd
School: Squalicum
Position: QB/LB
Year: Senior
Lloyd returns to lead the Storm offense, after passing for 1,251 yards and nine scores and rushing for 741 yards and 13 TDs as a junior. “He put in a lot of work and had great spring, summer and fall camps,” coach Nick Lucey said. “He’ll be a bell cow for us, a captain and a leader.”
Dawson Logan
School: Meridian
Position: QB/WR/CB
Year: Senior
Logan caught 20 passes for 335 yards and five TDs last year as part of a talented corps of skill position players that led Meridian to the Class 1A state title game. With many of those players gone, he’ll be asked to take on a bigger role as the Trojans’ quarterback this fall.
Domonick Mack
School: Squalicum
Position: OL/DL
Year: Senior
Mack is a returning starter and a state placer in wrestling. “He’s one of the strongest kids to come through our program,” Lucey said. “Along with Collin McEachran, Brandon Gimse and Jackson Campbell, he’ll be asked to be a physical presence up front.
James Marsh
School: Lynden
Position: QB/DB
Year: Senior
Marsh earned second-team All-NWC 2A honors as a junior, after passing for 1,039 yards and nine TDs and rushing for 441 yards and two more scores and leading the Lions to the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he’s also a thumper at safety.
Austin O’Bryan
School: Nooksack Valley
Position: QB/LB
Year: Senior
As a junior, O’Bryan accounted for 1,331 yards of total offense and scored 16 touchdowns. This year he’ll move behind center as the Pioneers’ starting quarterback. “We’re really excited about the weapons he’ll bring to that and on defense,” Myhre said.
Trevor Pagnossin
School: Meridian
Position: OL/DL
Year: Senior
Pagnossin returns for his third year starting up front for the Trojans and should be an anchor at tackle. Ames said Meridian will lean heavily on its two experienced returning linemen while the rest of the offense and defense continues to mature around them.
Devante Powell
School: Squalicum
Position: WR/DB
Year: Junior
Powell was part of a young nucleus that saw extensive playing time in 2017, as he had 185 yards and one touchdown. “He does things with the ball in the air as a safety and at receiver — you see that court sense come through,” Lucey said. “He’s a special athlete.”
Branden Powers
School: Squalicum
Position: RB/LB
Year: Junior
With the graduation of Triston Smith, Powers will likely see the ball a whole lot more in 2018. He rushed for 97 yards and a TD in 2017. “He’s really strong and surprisingly quick,” Lucey said. “He’s going to tote the rock for us and be our defensive signal caller. He’s a dynamic playmaker.”
Dylan Roberts
School: Sehome
Position: RB/LB
Year: Senior
Roberts will help lead the Mariners back into league play after a year playing as an independent. He led the team with 792 yards and 12 TDs rushing last year and added 194 yards and two TDs receiving. He’s also got “the heart, drive and athleticism” the team needs on defense, coach Kevin Beason said.
Gavino Rodriguez
School: Blaine
Position: OL/DL
Year: Junior
Like fellow second-team All-NWC 2A selection Wyatt Cole, Rodriguez has taken a big jump forward during the offseason, working on his strength and speed, Dodd said. “He’s going to be like the Energizer Bunny out there for us,” Dodd said. Blaine plans to build its offense around these two anchors.
Payton Scott
School: Lynden
Position: RB/DL
Year: Senior
At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, Scott is the prototypical slanting Lynden defensive lineman with good quickness and the ability to eat up blockers up front. He earned first-team All-NWC 2A honors as a junior and is part of a senior-laden squad that has high hopes this year.
Braeden Shannon
School: Mount Baker
Position: OL/DL
Year: Senior
Along with fellow seniors Jay Allen and Noah Rathjen, the Mountaineers will learn heavily on their experienced linemen to establish the physical toughness for which Mount Baker is known. Shannon is a big, strong kid, and Lepper said he should be a force on defense.
Jacob Westfall
School: Blaine
Position: RB/MLB
Year: Senior
The second-team all-NWC 2A pick is a smart, vocal leader according to his coach, who said the senior will be the quarterback of the Borderites’ front seven. “We’re going to try to move guys around and do things to line up differently, and he is instrumental in getting everyone in the right spot,” Dodd said.
Week 1 schedule
Friday, Aug. 31
Lynden at Mount Baker, 7 p.m.
Sehome at Nooksack Valley, 7 p.m.
Sedro-Woolley at Meridian, 7 p.m.
Bellingham at Lynden Christian, 7 p.m.
Earl Marriott at Blaine, 7 p.m.
Lake Stevens at Ferndale, 7 p.m.
Redmond at Squalicum (at Civic Stadium), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 1
Lummi at Tacoma Baptist (at Curtis), 7 p.m.