Perennial Whatcom powers: Ferndale and Lynden notch victories in week 3 football action
The football season’s feature game — Ferndale 17, Lynden 14 in Week One — may have seemed unspectacular at the time, but so far the score could not be more predictive of excellence for both teams.
Defending Wesco champion Ferndale has Whatcom County’s longest active win streak — three games — in the wake of the Class 3A Golden Eagles’ 22-13 win over 4A power Glacier Peak in a fitting Friday Week Three celebration of Ferndale’s sparkling new stadium.
Defending Northwest Conference Class 2A and state champion Lynden has rebounded with all sorts of offensive and defensive fireworks after its state-leading 24-game win streak ended. The Lions’ 35-0 win over previously unbeaten Squalicum followed a 48-6 victory over W.F. West.
Squalicum and the other two teams that came into Week Three with 2-0 records, Sehome and Nooksack Valley, all lost. Sedro-Woolley stifled Sehome 35-0 and sixth-ranked King’s rallied past top-ranked Nooksack 28-26 in a struggle of Class 1A state contenders.
It will be fascinating to see whether Lynden (2-1, 1-0) can win at Sedro-Woolley (3-0, 1-0) Friday in Week Four and whether Ferndale (3-0, 1-0) can prevail at Arlington (2-0), which was a 52-14 winner over Mount Vernon.
Friday’s games
LYNDEN 35, SEDRO-WOOLLEY 0: Three Lynden seniors scored varsity career firsts: Brady Elsner caught his first touchdown pass from Brant Heppner with a 29-yard grab; Luke Human ran 33 yards to set up his 4-yard run for his first touchdown; and Weston Van Dalen made his first interception to preserve a 21-0 halftime lead.
Lynden’s other scores came on a 1-yard run by Charlie Ayres; Heppner’ 4-yard run; and Human’s 3-yard run, which was set up by Max Assink’s 44-yard dash.
Heppner completed 11 of 24 passes for 175 yards and had no interceptions for the 16th consecutive game. The 6-foot-6 junior has produced 10 touchdowns by passing and running combined.
Human ran 12 times for 101 yards and Ayres gained 27 yards on five carries. Elsner caught five passes for 85 yards and Cooper Moore grabbed five for79 yards.
Freshman kicker Malachi Koenen is 13 for-13 on conversions.
“Our defense was outstanding, with two takeaways and three 3-and-out series including Squalicum’s first two series,” said Lynden coach Blake Van Dalen. “Now we need a great week of preparation.”
Junior quarterback Marcus Nixon completed 9 of 13 passes for 115 yards and the interception by Van Dalen. Joaqin Ortiz caught four passes for 61 yards but the Lions limited the Storm to fewer than 60 yards rushing.
FERNDALE 22, GLACIER PEAK 13: Talan Bungard ran for touchdowns of 17 and 48 yards and Phoenyx Finkbonner scored 10 points with a 9-yard on a touchdown run, two conversions and a tackle for a safety. Bungard carried 20 times for 146 yards and Finkbonner had a career best of 117 yards on 17 carries. Quarterback Bishop Ootsey was 2-for-4 passing for 51 yards, including a 32-yarder to Conner Walcker, who also ran for times for 41 yards.
“It was so nice to see that the whole Ferndale community was behind us,” said Walcker, who like everyone was dazzled by a message from Ferndale graduate and NFL coach Doug Pederson on the huge video screen. “I wasn’t expecting to see the whole city show up!”
Linebacker Jacob Gandy forced a fumble by quarterback Lucas Entler with a little more than a minute left and Ayden O’Tool recovered the ball. Entler passed for more than 200 yards but the Golden Eagles limited Glacier Peak rushing star Chrisvin Bonshe to less than 10 yards.
All the scoring occurred in the first three quarters and Walcker and his defensive teammates relished the support of the huge crowd in the final period.
In other Wesco games, Marysville-Pilchuck beat Marysville-Getchell 28-6 and Stanwood defeated Oak Harbor 56-6.
MOUNT BAKER 13, TOPPENISH 7: Dylan Moa scored on a short run and Luis Zavala kicked the conversion to produce a 7-7 halftime tie.
Baker’s defense then went to work at home and scored on a 30-yard interception return by Hayden Rosse in the third quarter as the Mounties (1-2) earned their first victory.
Landon Hanstead and Moa also had interceptions.
“This was our best overall defensive game,” Baker coach Ron Lepper said, “with some big plays on the line by Alex Maloley and Vance Lawrence and a good team effort by everyone.”
“The people in the stands got their money’s worth,” the longtime coach said.
BLAINE 55, VASHION 0: Riley Ihde produced touchdowns with a run, a pass, a reception and an interception and Hunter Vezzetti caught three touchdown passes from Colin Davis as the Borderites (1-2) claimed their first victory.
Davis completed 11 of 14 passes for 111 yards and four touchdowns, including 25, 8 and 8 yards to Vezzetti, who caught four passes for 49 yards. Ihde scored on a 13-yarder from Davis, then turned around and scored on a 16-yard run at quarterback and on a 40-yard interception return. Ihde also threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Deming.
Jaden Paez ran for 77 yards on 9 carries and scored from 16 yards out. Matt Hayes kicked seven of eight extra-point attempts and Tyler Bouma had an interception.
Linebacker Blake Koreski was in on 10 tackles, including three for loss and one sack.
“Our kids continue to work hard and improve each week,” said new coach Andy Olson. “It was a fun night to be a Borderite.”
SEDRO-WOOLLEY 35, SEHOME 0: One week after tying the Whatcom County record with six touchdown passes in a 44-6 win over Blaine, sophomore quarterback Nolan Wright found himself under constant pressure by the bigger and older Cubs (3-0, 1-0).
“Nolan was under a lot of pressure all night,” said Sehome coach Brian Young. “Still, he did a great job of just managing the situation. He had a couple of deep shots to Andre Watson and Brad Duckworth, but the Sedro running game (with more than 400 yards rushing) scored all five touchdowns.”
Young was not discouraged. “I’m really impressed with the character our team showed. We were down 28-0 at the half, but when the second half wound up 7-0 I saw a group of young guys who are always going to fight, always going to compete.
“I think we got more out of this game than from our two wins,” Young said. “There was no quit in our guys.”
Wright completed nine of 23 for 111 yards and two interceptions. Watson caught three for 38 yards and Duckworth two for 50. Coleby Chambers had his second interception of the season.
In other NWC 2A games, Anacortes beat Archbishop Murphy 45-0 and Burlington-Edison defeated Lakewood 25-20.
KING’S 28, NOOKSACK VALLEY 26: Matthew Williams kicked a 23-yard field goal with about three minutes left for the game’s final points. Kings quarterback Noah Clark completed 16 of 36 passes for 266 yards, with two touchdowns to sophomore Colton Adams and one to Jack Fuller.
The field goal provided the only points of the fourth quarter.
All four of Nooksack’s touchdowns were runs, including the last by Colton Lentz for a 26-25 lead in the third quarter. Jackson Bennett scored in the first quarter and quarterback Joey Brown scored two touchdowns in the second quarter.
Lentz has eight rushing touchdowns overall and Brown has four.
GRANITE FALLS 32, BELLINGHAM 27: The Bayhawks led 21-12 at the half, but lost their third heartbreaker by one touchdown despite Josh Leonard’s 18 for 33 passing for 254 yards and touchdowns to Gabriel Van Hofwegen and Josh Tulle.
Holden Bates rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns for the Bayhawks, who may be the most productive 0-3 team in the state with 82 points.
DARRINGTON 50, LUMMI 20: The Loggers (3-0) showed why they are a state title contender.
The Blackhawks (1-1) had touchdown catches of 20 and 5 yards by Mathias Johnson on passes from Desmond Bailey, who scored their first touchdown on a 15-yard run. Bailey also threw to Johnson for a two-point conversion.
Saturday’s games
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 63, BELLEVUE CHRISTIAN 6: After the Lyncs scored an early safety, LC’s first five touchdowns included passes to Tyson Bajema from Jeremiah Wright and Thomas Den Hartog; passes from Eli Maberry to Bajema and Den Hartog to Bouma; and a run by Hollis Owens for the second score.
The last four scores for the Lyncs (2-1) were by Mick Owen on a sweep, Trey Johnson, Austin Engels and Hayden Herwerden. Jacob Penner made seven of eight conversion kicks.
“I’m really proud of the players who have been pushing our starters,” LC coach Greg Terpstra said. “When they got the opportunity, they were hungry and ready to hit the field.”
The Lyncs shut out Bellevue Christian until a kickoff return for a touchdown after LC’s ninth and final touchdown.
MERIDIAN 35, KING’S WAY CHRISTIAN 12: The Trojans (2-1) have scored 77 points in their first three games with starring roles by junior quarterback Jaeger Fyfe and senior running back Josh Elmer.
Full details of the night game at Meridian were not available by deadline.
WEEK FOUR
Thursday
South Whidbey vs. Bellingham at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
Friday
Lynden at Sedro-Woolley, 7 p.m.
Ferndale at Arlington, 7 p.m.
Archbishop Murphy vs. Squalicum at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
Sehome at Burlington-Edison, 7 p.m.
Hoquiam at Nooksack Valley, 6 p.m.
Meridian at Friday Harbor, 6:30 p.m.
Mount Baker at King’s, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Royal at Lynden Christian, 2 p.m.
Blaine vs. Cedar Park Christian at Juanita HS, 7 p.m.
Lummi at Crescent, 1 p.m.
