Teamwork key to Nooksack Valley’s quest for a spot in Northwest Conference Class 1A playoff
No one will ever convince Nooksack Valley junior standouts Joey Brown and Cian Coppinger-Carter that playing other sports won’t improve your football outlook.
Brown, in fact, feels he is absolute proof that a high school quarterback can improve his sprint speed, not to mention his confidence, by turning out for track and field and basketball.
Coppinger-Carter, the football team’s center, dreams that a squad loaded with solid juniors and sophomores can help fulfill what seems like a realistic aspiration — state honors in three sports. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound heavyweight also seeks to win medals in wrestling and track and field.
Anyone who sees these two longtime buddies playing with remarkable synchronicity will see true teamwork in action.
That doesn’t mean the Pioneers can’t be beaten. Undefeated Lynden Christian spoiled Nooksack’s first 5-0 start in 47 years when the Lyncs’ used their bruising defense and opportunistic offense to claim a 30-7 victory last week.
Even so, Nooksack (5-1, 1-1) is still in the running for one of the Northwest Conference’s two Class 1A state playoff spots heading into the Pioneers’ game at playoff contender Mount Baker (3-3, 1-0) Friday.
The 6-3, 195-pound Brown, who has produced 14 touchdowns rushing and passing, can only hope that he can be a quick part of a victory. Though he finished the Lynden Christian game with his typical can-do spirit, he sustained an ankle injury of undetermined severity late in the first half on the only sack allowed by the Pioneers.
“Not sure on Joey yet,” Nooksack coach Craig Bartl said earlier this week. “It will have to be late-week decision.”
Everyone in Nooksack’s corner will attest to Bartl’s evaluation of Brown’s value.
“Joey is an athletic dual threat,” the coach said of Brown, the son of Eric and Alyssa Brown. “He has the ability to make quick run/pass decisions and uses his speed to his advantage. Joey is always willing to help others and he has a lot of toughness.”
In other words, Brown will play if at all possible. If not, the affable, articulate co-captain will be a student-coach for a night.
No matter what, Brown is grateful that Coppinger-Carter will be playing both ways on the line after a hip injury last season limited his playing time in some games.
He has been switched from guard to center and he loves the position.
“Center is more natural for Cian. He understands the position,” Brown said. “Last year’s center, Dalton Hickey, is now a great tackle.”
“I didn’t know if I would like center, but after two or three games, I stopped being nervous and it felt natural,” Coppinger-Carter said. “Now I love playing center. I feel real comfortable and Joey and I can be honest with each other.”
Bartl was counting on that when he and his staff put together their offensive line of Hickey, Coppinger-Carter, John Stremler, Brady Ackerman and Duke Halaapiapi. All are juniors except Ackerman, a sophomore and the son of line coach T.J. Ackerman, so Brown is truly excited about building for next season as well as this year.
Coppinger-Carter, the son of Carrie Coppinger and Matthew Carter, says he has long been inspired by his older brother, Liam Coppinger, who is playing as a redshirt freshman at Division II College of Idaho in Caldwell.
“Liam inspires me in many ways on and off the field,” he said.
Bartl is grateful that Brown and Coppinger-Carter, who also qualified for state track and finished ninth in the shot put, work so well together.
“Cian is a hard worker and the anchor for the offensive line,” Bartl said. “He is physically strong and he always places the welfare of the team first.”
Brown, who studies at a small nearby school, Cornerstone Christian, and Coppinger Carter both want to play football in college if they can find the right academic/athletic fit. Brown is interested in exercise science and physical therapy and his buddy has become intrigued by computer science.
He surprised a lot of people in his first track season when he won a sixth-place medal in the long jump by improving a foot at state with a leap of 21-2½. He also last spring qualified for the 100 meters and hopes to medal there, as well.
“I was ecstatic with my long jump. It’s a great experience and I am way more explosive. I have trust in my legs. Our track coach, Kyler Perry, talked me into it. He said I would be good in track,” Brown said. “Track has helped me tremendously. I’m very self-motivating in all three sports. I’m pretty hard on myself.”
Brown loves the change he has seen in the football team.
“We believe in ourselves now,” he said. “Last year, it was ‘I hope we can win the game.’ This season it’s ‘I believe we can win the game’ each week.”
Week 7 games
Thursday, Oct. 13
Squalicum vs. Anacortes at Civic Stadium,7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 14
Crescent at Lummi, 6 p.m.
Ferndale at Mount Vernon, 7 p.m.
Nooksack Valley at Mount Baker, 7 p.m.
Meridian at Lynden Christian, 7 p.m.
Lynden at Burlington-Edison, 7 p.m.
Sehome at Archbishop Murphy, 7 p.m.
Blaine vs. Bellingham at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
