Whatcom prep football begins with rivals Lynden and Ferndale meeting Friday at Blaine
What’s both old and new in Whatcom County high school football?
Would you believe a season-opening kickoff for legendary rivals Lynden and Ferndale? The Lions are defending Class 2A state champion and the Golden Eagles are again contenders for a 3A state playoff spot.
That’s right — for the first time in many years, if ever, the powerhouse programs will open against each other. The usual full house is expected for the 7 p.m. kickoff Friday at Blaine High School, which will again be the Golden Eagles’ home field while their new stadium is constructed.
Since Lynden will play seven league games in the eight-team 2A part of the Northwest Conference, and Ferndale will have seven opponents in the 3A Wesco North, the coaches decided they still wanted to meet, even though this season they are locked into Week One.
“We always want to play Ferndale,” stressed sixth-year coach Blake Van Dalen, who played against Ferndale for the Lions and has 26 years of coaching in several football roles for Lynden.
“We always want to keep that game going,” said longtime Ferndale coach Jamie Plenkovich. “I think it’s good for both teams.”
The rivals met twice in 2021 — in Ferndale’s 28-19 win Feb. 26 in the second round of the abbreviated “COVID season” (after nobody played in 2020) and in Ferndale’s 35-25 victory Sept. 10 in the second round of the first full season since 2019. The Lions prevailed 33-21 when current seniors were freshmen.
Anybody want to bet that the over-under won’t be at least 50 this time around?
So, what’s old?
The Lions — who won 11 in a row after last season’s loss to Ferndale — are blessed with 15 returning starters for 22 positions, including the entire offensive line, “plus Troy Petz, to boot,” Van Dalen said, opening with what may be the season’s worst pun. Petz, one of the state’s best kickers and punters, will also play wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner as the league’s most versatile performer.
Ferndale boasts highly sought-after senior line star Landen Hatchett and senior rushing star Isaiah Carlson, who also figures to receive numerous college offers. Hatchett, who has gained about 20 pounds of muscle and is now 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, has committed to the University of Washington for a full scholarship, while Carlson has rehabilitated a knee injury after missing the postseason last year.
Now, what’s new?
There are three new coaches in Whatcom County, all with their first head positions in high school: Lynden Christian’s Greg Terpstra, Bellingham’s Adam Leonard and Lummi’s Watiko Leighton.
There’s a new radio announcer in Dan Kaemingk, who will work weekly for Cascade Radio Group after 27 seasons as head coach at Lynden Christian.
There are six new quarterbacks among the seven county NWC schools with winning overall records in 2021. The only returning regular is Lynden senior Kaedan Hermanutz.
Returning standouts
“We are really blessed,” said Van Dalen, whose returning interior line includes Dane Gatterman, Jesus Ortiz, Kuyper Assink, Bennett Roorda and Josiah VanderHaak.
There are no fewer than nine other standouts who helped throttle Tumwater 21-7 for last season’s title. In addition to Hermanutz and Petz, they include running backs Lane Heeringa and Campbell Nolte; wide receivers Isaiah Stanley, Kobe Baar and Collin Anker; defensive lineman Luke Winterberg; and tight end Trey Smiley. Most will play both ways.
Other county 2A standouts include Sehome receiver/quarterback/safety Carson Neff; running back/linebacker Tommy Funk; and wide receiver/linebacker Max Malo; Squalicum receiver/defensive back Nick Watt; lineman Riley Rambo; linebacker Mason Myers; receiver/defensive back Jacob Sorenson; and running back/linebacker Deandre Dunmore; and Bellingham defensive end Liam Poulton-Claypool; running back Logan Steeves; and quarterback Max Rasset.
Ferndale, the county’s only 3A team, has several returning headliners to support Hatchett and Carlson, including receiver/cornerback Conner Walcker; defensive end/lineman Jake Mason; lineman/linebacker Jordan Mason; and two-way lineman Camden Raymond.
In the 1A ranks, Lynden Christian features running back/defensive end Kade Eldridge and wide receiver/defensive back Tyler Sipma, two of the five-team league’s best and both key figures on last season’s state playoff semifinalist.
Perennial playoff qualifier Mount Baker’s Marques George is one of the county’s best returning running backs and has talented support in lineman Ethan Larson, tight end/defensive end Alex Maloley; and running back/linebacker Brady West.
Other returning 1A standouts include Nooksack Valley quarterback/defensive back Joey Brown, one of the league‘s best athletes; receiver/linebacker Ryan Hughes; lineman Duke Halapiapi; linebacker Colton Lentz; and lineman/defensive end John Stremler. Blaine running back/linebacker Larry Creasey and lineman Jack Albright; and Meridian receiver Hunter Jones, running back Josh Elmer and quarterback/defensive back Jaeger Fyfe.
New quarterbacks
The season will be that much more intriguing what with six new starting quarterbacks on NWC teams with winning records last year.
Actually, make that seven key new signal-callers, since once again Van Dalen plans to use different quarterbacks on alternate series for Lynden. Brant Heppner, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, will see action when the versatile Hermanutz moves to wide receiver.
Mount Baker senior Landon Smith, also a talented defensive back, was in line to start at QB when he broke a thumb in the preseason last year and lineman Davin Beason stepped in. Beason is now bidding for playing time at linebacker for Portland State.
Other new quarterbacks in line for extensive duty on teams seeking to repeat a winning season include Ferndale junior Bishop Ootsey; Squalicum junior Josh Leonard; Blaine senior Kael Evinger and sophomore Colin Davis; and Meridian sophomore Jaeger Fyfe. At Sehome, freshman Nolan Wright and versatile returnee Neff will attempt to help the Mariners improve over a 3-6 season.
Terpstra said his Lynden Christian Lynx are giving quarterback consideration to senior Tommy Meyer, junior Jeremiah Wright, senior Griffin Dykstra and junior Thomas DenHartog, due to their wide variety of differing skills.
A wild jamboree
The stands were close to packed as Lynden hosted an entertaining jamboree Friday with Ferndale, Lynden Christian and Mount Baker — all explosive 2021 playoff teams. Lynden and Ferndale did not meet, and nor did Lynden Christian and Mount Baker, so the two 1A schools both took on the challenge of the two larger schools.
Each team had 12 plays on offense and 12 on defense against both opponents.
Lynden got a 35-yard scoring run from Heeringa on the Lions’ first play against Mount Baker and Petz scored on an 11-yard pass from Hermanutz. Chris Elenbaas had a 5-yard touchdown. Against Lynden Christian, the Lions got a 1-yard score from Heeringa, an 18-yard touchdown from Heppner to Stanley, and a booming 36-yard field goal by Petz to end the jamboree.
Ferndale’s Walcker scored on a 22-yard pass from Ootsey and J.J. Nowak ran for a 9-yard score against Lynden Christian. Dylan Moore ran 30 yards to score against Lynden and Jacob Gandy powered over from the 3.
Lynden Christian’s Lane Dykstra caught a 23-yard scoring pass from Wright, and Griffin Dykstra scored from the 2. Mount Baker varsity newcomer Tanyen Staton ran 35 yards with a scoring pass from Smith.
All in all, with 96 offensive plays in the jamboree, there were 13 scores.
“It was great to have such a large crowd having fun and seeing how the kids respect each other,” Van Dalen said. “We really respect (Lynden Christian) and Baker coming here to play.”
“I couldn’t have been prouder of our kids,” Terpstra said of their response to such competition.
New coaches
New Lynden Christian coach Greg Terpstra, who teaches three subjects in sixth grade in the Lynden Christian school system, is the younger brother of Lynden Christian athletic director Brenda Terpstra. He is no stranger to varsity football, having served as Sehome coach Kevin Beason’s offensive coordinator for the previous five seasons after assisting Lynden legend Curt Kramme on three state 2A championship squads.
Terpstra, a standout player in Lynden Christian’s class of 1992, was twice an NAIA All-America cornerback at Northwestern College.
New Bellingham coach Leonard, the president of Bellingham Youth Football, is the father of new Squalicum quarterback Josh Leonard. He won’t get the chance to coach against his son, since the Bayhawks are again playing an independent schedule. They did so the past two seasons under Robb Myhre, who has returned to Nooksack Valley as an assistant coach.
Leonard lettered in football, basketball and baseball as a member of the class of 1995 at Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He played basketball and baseball on scholarship at the University of Puget Sound when it was an NAIA school.
Leonard is especially excited that the Bayhawks have a turnout of more than 60 players for the varsity and C teams combined.
New eight-man football Lummi coach Leighton, the 21-year-old son of Vista Middle School principal Heather Leighton, was a football and basketball standout for Ferndale’s class of 2019.
He was an assistant for two seasons under Lummi legend Jim Sandusky, whose Blackhawks qualified for the postseason in all but the first of his 19 seasons. At this point, Leighton is coaching without any returning starters but he is enthusiastic about reloading with numerous talented younger players.
Whatcom County’s most experienced current head coach is Mount Baker’s Ron Lepper, who is in his 27th season as head coach and has guided his team to the postseason for the past nine years.
The other returning head coaches are Blaine’s Jay Dodd, Ferndale’s Jamie Plenkovich, Lynden’s Blake Van Dalen, Meridian’s Patrick Ames, Nooksack’s Craig Bartle, Sehome’s Kevin Beason and Squalicum’s Nick Lucey.
Kaemingk’s new job
Kaemingk, one of the most familiar personalities in county football, said he is enthusiastic about his new weekly broadcasting job with play-by-play man Randy Farmer. They are scheduled to call two Lynden Christian games — against Nooksack Valley and Mount Baker.
“This will be a key part of getting the (football) itch scratched,” said Kaemingk, who has gained post-season experience in broadcasting football and basketball in recent years.
Week One games
With last season’s local records.
Thursday, Sept. 1
Squalicum (8-3) at Orting, 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 2
Lynden (12-1) vs. Ferndale (7-3) at Blaine High School, 7 p.m.
Mount Baker (5-4) vs. Sehome (3-6) at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
Mountain view (Clark County) at Nooksack Valley (4-5), 7 p.m.
Seaquam Secondary (B.C.) at Lynden Christian (7-3), 7 p.m.
Meridian (6-4) at Granite Falls, 7 p.m.
Blaine (4-3) vs. Port Angeles at Port Angeles Civic Field, 6 p.m.
Bellingham (2-7) vs. Cleveland at Southwest Athletic Complex (Seattle), 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 3
Tulalip Heritage at Lummi (6-2), 12:30 p.m.
