Squalicum’s Schlenbaker runs wild in rout, Whatcom teams dominate playoff weekend
The maestro of Whatcom County linebackers, all-state candidate Bryson Lamb, compared Squalicum’s defense in the state playoffs class 2A round of 16 to a “beautiful symphony.”
All-state running back Ben Schlenbaker struck a different note: his style was rockin’ and rollin’ all the way. The Washington State University-bound senior gained 231 yards and scored a career-high six touchdowns in the No. 4 seeded Storm’s 49-14 win over Kingco 2A champion Highline, the No. 13 seed, Friday at Civic Stadium.
Don’t be surprised to see more noise, beautiful or raucous, this weekend when Squalicum (7-2) hosts No. 5 Ridgefield (11-0) in the quarterfinals at Civic Stadium. Ridgefield eliminated Orting 27-14.
The Storm turned in one of three memorable local efforts, all at Civic Stadium, in a historic showcase of the county’s football prowess.
Also in Class 2A, No. 2 Lynden (9-1) shut out No. 15 Fife 34-0 and will be rewarded with a challenging game against No. 7 Prosser, which ousted No. Chehalis W.F. West 34-29.
In the 1A Round of 16, No. 3 Lynden Christian (6-2) — the 2019 runner-up in the most recent state playoffs — dominated Granite Falls 50-0 to set up an intriguing home quarterfinal against Tenino (10-1), a small school power not far from Olympia. Tenino ran up an 80-55 win over No. 11 Freeman.
Whatcom County’s only loss was the most exciting game. No. 8 Mount Baker (5-4) rallied from a 20-0 second-quarter deficit but the Mountaineers suffered an interception at the opponent’s goal line on the game’s final play in a 26-22 loss to No. 9 Toppenish (11-0).
How strong is Whatcom County football? This strong:
The starters on the three winning teams outscored their opponents 133-0 and the teams amassed 1,118 yards while holding the losers to 408. In the first half alone, the winning trio combined for 15 touchdowns to help the 11 county teams improve their overall record to 44-24 against out-of-county squads..
SQUALICUM 49, HIGHLINE 14: “Our defensive effort really was gorgeous, with everything in sync all the way like a beautiful symphony,” said Lamb, who seemed to be anywhere and everywhere on pretty much every play as the Storm took a 42-0 halftime lead. Squalicum amassed 273 yards in the first two quarters and limited Highline (8-3, 6-0 Kingco) to 62 net yards over the same span.
“It seemed like all I was doing was looking at Ben from 50 yards away and holding my arms up (to signal touchdown),” said quarterback Leyton Smithson.
“Yeah, that’s what Leyton told me,” Schlenbaker said with a hearty laugh. He needed only 13 carries to gain 186 yards in the first half, including touchdowns of 63 11, 17, 50 yards plus a defensive touchdown on a recovered fumble in the end zone.
On his only carry of the second half, the school’s career rushing leader scored from the 45. Smithson threw a pretty 17-yard pass to Kai Posey for Squalicum’s second touchdown of the rout and Sebastian Smith went 7-for-7 on conversion kicks.
Schlenbaker, confirming he plans to keep his commitment to WSU despite the recent turnover in the coaching staff, left no doubt about his intended position despite speculation he might be great on defense.
“I’m a running back,” he said in a firm tone.
Highline threw a scare into the Storm with a 57-yard drive to the 3 on the game-opening series. But on third down, Schlenbaker and Lamb led a charge that resulted in a 3-yard loss and the Pirates missed on a 23-yard field goal attempt.
Smithson, who went 5 for 7 for 78 yards and did not have a turnover, displayed his athleticism with an 18-yard throw on the run to Kaleb Hawkinson, setting up Schlenbaker’s 63-yarder.
“Ben was really seeing the field well. And when he runs vertically (forcing missed tackles), he’s really dangerous,” coach Nick Lucey said of his third-year standout, who has 14 touchdowns this season. The Storm has hit the field for only eight games and has also claimed one forfeit.
On the only first-half series on which Squalicum did not score, Smithson kicked 36 yards to Highline’s 3. With fourth-and-1 at the Highline 12 and trailing 14-0, the Pirates opted to run instead of punt, committing football suicide, losing a yard and setting up Schlenbaker’s 11-yarder for a 21-0 lead.
The game was essentially over at that point, even though it was late in the second quarter, and Schlenbaker applied the dagger with his 17-yarder after Smithson found Hawkinson for 20 yards.
The rest of the game was a mere formality, especially after Posey’s interception with a 49-0 lead in the third quarter.
“Our defense really gave us a wonderful team effort,” Lucey said, indicating there were too many names that he couldn’t single out anyone “They have adopted (defensive coordinator ) Brian Young’s (indomitable) personality.”
“We were really locked in,” said Lamb, talking of how eager the Storm was to hit the field after a Week 10 bye.
LYNDEN 34, FIFE 0: The Lions gave an excellent example of why coach Blake VanDalen said, “Our defense is still our biggest strength while our offense, with nine junior starters, continues to improve and to work hard.
“I couldn’t be prouder of a team,” he stressed.
Junior running back Lane Heeringa rushed for 144 yards on 19 carries, including seven carries of at least 10 yards, and scored from the 14 in the opening quarter for the Lions’ first touchdown.
Also in the first quarter, junior Campbell Nolte scored on a 1-yard burst to cap a 99-yard, 11-play drive highlighted by Heeringa‘s 27-yard sprint and a 16-yard pass from quarterback Kaedan Hermanutz to fellow junior Isaiah Stanley to the 20-yard line on third down.
Junior defensive lineman Luke Winterberg made play after play for Lynden, but Fife (4-6) battled hard and the Lions did not score again until the first play of the fourth quarter. Stalwart defensive end Cade Slayton, the backup quarterback, scored on a 2-yard keeper to end a 94-yard, 17-play drive. Highlights were passes by Hermanutz of 29 yards to Kole Antypas on third-and-17 and 17 yards to Kaleo Jandoc.
Two-way senior line star Case Zweegman produced the loudest cheers when the 6-foot-5. 240-pound team captain got wide open and scored his first varsity touchdown on a 55-yard pass from Hermanutz.
“That felt just awesome,” said Zweegman, who had sought a “real” touchdown ever since being denied when his scoop-and-score play was ruled an incomplete pass in Week Three against Squalicum.
“I’m just glad to get a special opportunity to help the team,” said Zweegman. “It was a perfect pass from Kaedan.”
Hermanutz scored the last touchdown on a 5-yard run after Slayton recovered a fumble. Hermanutz accounted for 214 of the team’s 428 total yards with 9-for-14 passing for 143 yards with no interceptions and 10 rushes for 71 yards.
Nolte displayed his continuing improvement with 39 yards on seven carries.
“I’ve come a long way,” said Hermanutz, “but I still have a long way to go.”
Strong-legged junior Troy Petz made all four conversion kicks on which he had a legitimate opportunity.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 50, GRANITE FALLS 0: In the No. 3 seeded Lyncs’ fourth consecutive shutout, LC (6-2) claimed a 48-0 halftime lead and gave a multitude of players time in the second half while thoroughly throttling the No. 14 seeded Tigers (7-3)
Converted junior tight end Kade Eldridge amassed 151 yards on 12 carries, all in the first half, and scored on runs of 3, 57 and 24 yards.
“Kade was really agile in how he hurdled a defender on that (sideline) touchdown run!” exulted senior quarterback Will Colwell, who completed 8 of 13 passes for 129 yards without an interception. He threw touchdown passes of 46 yards to Tyler Sipma, 15 to Jamison Hintz and 9 to Caleb Ryan, giving the first-year starter 18 scoring tosses.
Eldridge’s 24-yard demonstration of agility gave the the Lyncs a 41-0 lead along with the fifth of Lucas VanHofwegen’s six conversion kicks. Ryan’s 9-yard run late in the first half ended the day for the starters.
“I’m really happy to see everyone get to play in a state game,” Lyncs coach Dan Kaemingk said. “They’ve all been sloshing in the mud for two weeks of practice (including a Week Ten bye).
As for four consecutive shutouts, the 26th year head coach said “I don’t think we’ve ever had anything like that.”
That means a lot, since defensive excellence especially excites Kaemingk, who saw the ferocious likes of senior linemen Matthew Burrows and Roman Meenk dig in and make stop after stop.
“We really put in the work,” Kaemingk said of the past two weeks of practice. “I’m excited by how our guys came out ready to play.
Colwell began the game with an 18-yard scamper to highlight a nine-play 63-yard drive. VanHofwegan’s kickoff bounced off a Ridgefield player right back to the kicker.
It took only three plays to make it 14-0: Colwell’s 22-yard pass to Sam Penner, Eldridge’s 27-yard run and Ryan’s 2-yard burst. On LC’s next series, Colwell threw his 46-yarder to Sipma on the first play. Eldridge’s 57-yard rumble made it 27-0 only eight minutes into the game.
TOPPENISH 26, MOUNT BAKER 22: Stellar junior quarterback/safety Joshua Perez intercepted a pass from Davin Beasley at the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal (actually fourth-and-22) in the final seconds to preserve the Wildcats’ unbeaten season.
Perez completed 17 of 23 passes for 293 yards and three touchdowns, including a 73-yard catch-run sideline play to Jason Grant for a 26-14 advantage in the third quarter, to deny a noteworthy comeback by the Mounties.
“Our kids battled hard. I’m very proud of their effort,” coach Ron Lepper said, referring to how they rallied from a 20-0 deficit with 3:55 left in the first half.
Beasley ended a 66-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run on a rollout with no time left in the first half and Jesse Sande ran for a two-point conversion, slicing the Wildcats‘ lead to 20-8. Beasley connected for 34 yards to Wyatt Pettigrew to make the drive possible.
Sande scored his 12th touchdown on a 10-yard run on the first series of the second half — soon after Beason found sophomore Alex Maloley for 30 yards to the Toppenish 32 — to bring Baker within 20-14. But Grant scored his 73 yarder and Baker was again down two scores at 26-14.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Maloley forced a fumble and Vance Lawrence recovered. That gave Baker hope and Marques George responded with a 38-yard touchdown run for the game’s final points.
Junior linebacker Brady West recovered a fumble with three minutes to play at the 20, but Perez soon finished a good season for the Mounties, who won 10 games in 2021, including a 5-1 record in the abbreviated winter season.
George finished a strong junior season with a game-high 111 yards on 12 carries and Sande gained 60 on 10 tries. Beasley finished 6 for 17 for 130 yards with three interceptions under pressure and heavy rain. Caleb Horsmon caught two passes for 54 yards.
The higher seeded teams in 1A and 2A combined for a 14-2 record, with the No. 9 teams beating No. 8 in both divisions.
UPDATED STATE QUARTERFINALS NOV. 19-20
Class 2A
No. 6 Steilacoom at No. 3 North Kitsap.
No. 7 Prosser vs. No. 2 Lynden, 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, Civic Stadium.
No. 5 Ridgefield vs. No. 4 Squalicum, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Civic Stadium.
No. 9 Enumclaw at No. 1 Tumwater.
Round of 16 scores
Lynden 34, Fife 0.
Squalicum 49, Highline 14.
Steilacoom 30, Othello 13.
North Kitsap 42, Shadle Park 0.
Prosser 34, Chehalis W.F. West 29.
Ridgefield 27, Orting 14.
Enumclaw 38, Hockinson 28.
Tumwater 56, East Valley 7.
Class 1A
No. 6 Tenino vs. No. 3 Lynden Christian, noon, Saturday, Civic Stadium.
No. 7 Riverside at No. 2 Eatonville.
No. 5 King’s at No. 4 Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls).
No. 9 Toppenish at No. 1 Royal.
Round of 16 scores
Lynden Christian 50, Granite Falls 0.
Tenino 80, Freeman 55.
Toppenish 26, Mount Baker 22.
Riverside 27, Montesano 20.
Eatonville 58, East Jefferson 0.
King’s 28, Zillah 14.
Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) 42, Omak 0.
Royal 50, Bellevue Christian 6.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
