He drives a car almost three times his age — Lynden linebacker brings old-school toughness
Even though he has fully realized most of the season that his high school football career could have ended before Lynden’s season did, there’s no doubt that linebacker Taivin VanDalen has continued to be one of his team’s hardest hitters.
“He’s definitely that guy,” Lions coach Blake VanDalen said, recalling how his players voted the team’s annual “hardest hitter” honor to Taivin as a junior.
But the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Taivin feels he isn’t assured of the honor this year.
“ I think Mr. Lane Heeringa could win this season. He‘s worthy of it,” he said of the junior linebacker, especially since Heeringa also hits hard as a running back and blocker.
Taivin has played with a knee injury since the third game this season, but he says it’s the type he could play with, barring further injury to the cartilage. He is scheduled for knee surgery in December and rotator cuff surgery in January.
“I don’t really feel it. I don’t feel pain from it,” he said of the knee injury. “I actually didn’t miss a play against Squalicum in our third game, since the injury occurred right before halftime and I was taken care of.”
Taivin has made it into the Class 2A state championship game. The No. 2 seeded Lions (11-1) will face No. 1 Tumwater (10-2) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.
It will be the biggest challenge of his career. The Thunderbirds displayed a fearsome defense in their 14-3 win over No. 4 Squalicum in the semifinals, while the Lions also showed a lot on that side of the ball in their 15-10 last-minute comeback win over previously unbeaten No. 3 North Kitsap.
Taivin, a lifelong resident of Whatcom County, works on the beef cattle ranch owned by his parents, Mike and Raelene VanDalen. Mike is a cousin of Blake’s family members.
How tough is Taivin?
“He broke a horse when he was 14 years old,” Blake says with awe in his voice.
That he did, but Taivin says it took about a month to tame his then-4-year-old strawberry roan quarter horse Buddy. It wasn’t like the way it was done in the old western movies.
“He’s a real cowboy,” Blake said of Taivin, who earned the chance to work cattle with Buddy.
Even better at this stage of his life, Taivin is a real successful football player.
In fact, several colleges have indicated an interest in him. He took a recruiting trip to Cheney to see Eastern Washington during Lynden’s bye in Week Ten.
“I definitely want to give college football a shot,” said Taivin, who is hoping to be offered a scholarship. His grade-point average is 3.8.
“I won’t be able to play in 2022,” he said, referring to the two postseason surgeries he will undergo this winter.
When he was called up for the State Playoffs in 2018, he was inspired by the Lions, who finished 13-1 and did not lose until they suffered a thrilling 42-37 setback to Hockinson in the title game.
“Being on the sideline in that game definitely gave me the fire to want to get back to the championship game,” said Taivin. “I think that’s true of all our (13) seniors.”
“Our seniors have shown phenomenal leadership — leadership we’ve never had in my five years as head coach,” said Blake. “Our seniors have owned this team. What a great bunch.”
Taivin started the first four games at safety on the 2019 team, which finished 11-2 with a loss in the state semifinals.
He suffered a back injury early in the 2019 season, but he did make it back for the last two games.
In the senior class’s four years at Lynden, they have seen only six losses, including a 4-2 abbreviated season late last winter and 11-1 so far this season.
“Forty is a nice round number,” he said of the four-year victory total the school hopes to achieve by winning the state title.
Taivin seemingly has countless tackles and five interceptions in his career.
He sometimes gets kidded but also gets admiring looks for likely driving the oldest car of any current Lynden student. He has restored a 1973 Dodge.
“It looks like new,” he said with pride. “It’s a collectible car, but I can’t see selling it.”
But you can bet he would love to drive it in a parade celebrating a state title.
This story was originally published December 3, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
