Walkoff thriller: Lynden’s comeback drive topples previously unbeaten Sedro-Woolley
Even in Lynden’s storied football history, few last-minute comebacks were any bigger, better or bolder.
As Blake Van Dalen, coach of the defending state Class 2A champion Lions, said with accuracy as remarkable as his star quarterback displayed in the final two minutes, “This was a playoff game!”
“This” was Lynden’s never-to-be-forgotten 29-28 win over previously unbeaten Sedro-Woolley on Friday before Lions fans who have seldom been more grateful to attend a game, no matter how many of the school’s 10 state title teams they have seen.
Against a ferociously physical Sedro squad that allowed 10 points in its first three games, junior quarterback Brant Heppner completed 10 of 13 passes on an 89-yard drive that began with 2:12 remaining.
The drive ended with no time left with Brady Elsner’s 2-yard touchdown catch. It was Elsner’s third TD of the game — one week after the much-improved senior had snagged his first varsity touchdown reception.
But it was the game-winning play that didn’t go into the statistics that left everyone amazed: a two-point conversion pass thrown with pinpoint accuracy and college-caliber speed by Heppner and caught by quick freshman Daniel Bowler.
“There was no doubt in my mind,” Van Dalen said. “When we reached the 30 (on Heppner’s third-and-21 pass for 25 yards to Bowler), I said, ‘We’re going for two.”
The players couldn’t have agreed more.
Starting senior safety Weston Van Dalen, whose first varsity catch played a role in the rally, represented the feelings of the team when he said, “All the momentum was ours. We were confident that we might as well try to end the game right there. I really wanted us to go for two.”
Blake Van Dalen, whose Lions (3-1, 2-0 NWC 2A) claimed their Whatcom County leading third straight win over the Cubs (3-1, 1-1), was as honest as the memorable comeback was long.
“We didn’t want to see Number 12 again (Sedro senior quarterback Carsten Reynolds, who ran for 171 yards and touchdowns of 53, 10 and 1 yards). He’s a great player.”
Reynolds was so good, in fact, that he made the first two interceptions that Heppner has endured in his 17-game varsity career. Reynolds made the thefts on consecutive series late in the third quarter and midway through the fourth.
“The first one was on me for the play I called and maybe the second one too,” Van Dalen said. “We wanted to avoid throwing near Reynolds, but he was everywhere.”
Heppner wasn’t fazed while helping to keep the Lions unbeaten in NWC games since their 14-7 loss to Sedro-Woolley in 2019.
“I just put it out of my mind,” said Heppner, who finished 19 for 35 for 203 yards and the three touchdowns to Elsner, who caught 11 passes for 82 yards, including six for 38 yards during the winning drive. Heppner also ran 18 times for a team-high 71 yards and a three-yard touchdown.
“I didn’t think about it,” said Heppner, who has produced 14 touchdowns by running and passing. “I just stayed in the moment. Our mentality is always ‘setback, comeback.’ “
“I’ve got to give all the credit to (the line and) Brant,” said Elsner. Bowler spoke virtually identical words.
Lynden’s rally began with 16- and 7-yard passes to Elsner, who then caught first-down throws of 9 and 5 yards sandwiched around an 8-yard grab by Van Dalen for 8 yards. Bowler soon caught the 25-yarder, ultimately making the win possible, and Isaiah Oudman also made a first down with a 15-yard reception at the 15.
After an 8-yard penalty against the Cubs, Bowler caught a 5-yarder, setting up Elsner’s 2-yard touchdown as the clock expired and Bowler’s two-point conversion.
Both teams scored touchdowns in each quarter, with ties at the end of each period of 7-7, 14-14 and 21-21. The Cubs took a 21-14 lead on a 2-yard touchdown burst by Sherman Griffin, but the Lions rallied on Elsner’s second 12-yard score and freshman Malachi Koenen’s third extra point, making him 16-for-16 to begin his career. Luke Human’s first down runs of 5 and 3 yards extended the rally and gave him nine carries for 37 yards.
Lynden lost 300-pound offensive lineman Carter Vrieling indefinitely to a knee injury and replaced him with 225-pound sophomore Logan Ostry.
Linebacker Charlie Ayres made many stops as the Cubs finished with 290 yards rushing and 332 in all compared to Lynden’s 338 yards. Senior Cooper Moore, a first-year starter, caught three passes for 62 yards, including a 51-yarder on the drive that gave Lynden a 7-0 lead.
ROYAL 28, LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 7: The Lyncs (2-2) had hoped to keep the town of Lynden at the top of the news cycle Saturday at LC, but defending Class 1A champion Royal (4-0) proved too much. The Lyncs had hoped to become the first team in more than a decade to beat the Knights in consecutive years.
The game-clincher was a 2-yard keeper by quarterback Lance Allred for the game’s final score with 8:52 remaining. Allred finished with a game-high 73 yards on 21 carries.
Junior defensive back Jayden Huleatt made his first start and came up with three interceptions. He replaced senior Treven Blair, who has a broken foot.
“The defense was lights out (but turnovers gave the Knights short fields of 20 yards and 23 yards for scores in the second half). I was proud of how physical we were,” said LC coach Greg Terpstra. “But that led to a lot of penalties (21 by both teams combined). We were aggressive but that led to (LC’s six) turnovers. We just have to clean these things up.”
Royal, the winner of six of the previous seven state 1A titles, finished with 333 yards as Allred completed 11 of 28 passes for 179 yards. Dawson Bouma also had an interception for LC.
It was a tough day for Lyncs quarterback Jeremiah Wright, who went 6 for 24 for 50 yards and two interceptions. Wright’s 3-yard keeper with 28 seconds left in the first half produced a 7-7 tie.
Allred scored on a 33-yard run and Jared Lee scored on a 7-yard run, both in the third quarter for a 21-7 advantage.
The Knights limited the Lyncs to 92 yards rushing and 153 in all. LC had receiver Kayden Stuit run the ball and he produced 37 yards on five carries.
Thursday’s game
BELLINGHAM 53, SOUTH WHIDBEY 6: Josh Leonard completed 23 of 30 passes for 355 yards, a career-high five touchdowns and two interceptions as the Bayhawks (1-3) broke into the win column after scoring 82 points in three losses.
Josh Tolle caught 12 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first Bellingham player in more than 40 years to catch that many, according to historian Tyler Anderson.
Wyatt Stephan, a senior track star in his first varsity game, caught six passes for 143 yards and two scores. Tyler Frost also scored while gaining 54 yards on seven carries.
Sophomore defensive back Owen Hanstead, who has picked up the nickname “Bayhawk Ballhawk,” accomplished the rare feat of making an interception for the fourth consecutive game.
Sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Stone became the first in BHS history with two defensive scores in a game -- a 53-yard interception and a 3-yard fumble return. Elias Togagae led the defense with 13 tackles including four sacks.
Gabriel VanHofwegen improved his season catch total to 20 with four grabs including a 9-yard score.
Leonard is 79 for 136 for 993 yards and 10 touchdowns. In 13 games, including nine at Squalicum last year, he has passed for 26 touchdowns and more than 2,500 yards.
“Our team played a complete game. We played well in all areas,” said Bellingham coach Adam Leonard. “I’m proud of our effort, relentlessness and effort. Great win for the Bayhawks!”
Friday’s games
ARLINGTON 46, FERNDALE 14: Talan Bungard capped a 15-play game-opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown for Ferndale, but Arlington (4-0, 3-0) ended a three-game win streak for the Golden Eagles (3-1, 2-0) with five first-half touchdowns for 36-7 lead.
Junior quarterback Leyton Moore completed 14 of 20 passes for 264 yards and four scores, including three touchdowns to junior Jake Willis. Caleb Reed rushed 10 times for 73 yards and two scores.
Kleaveland Atwood scored Ferndale’s second touchdown, his first varsity score.
With 140 points in three Wesco wins, Arlington has emerged as a league favorite.
In other Wesco games, Marysville-Pilchuck beat Oak Harbor 21-12 and Stanwood topped Mount Vernon 19-15. In a non-league game, Marysville-Getchell overwhelmed Mariner of Everett 48-12.
NOOKSACK 76, HOQUIAM 7: The Pioneers (3-1) set school records for points and total yards with 641 as junior Corey Olney had a hand in four of the first five touchdowns as Nooksack had 42 points in the first quarter.
Olney scored on a 23-yard run and on a 34-yard pass from Joey Brown. After Kasey Newton recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score, Brown lateraled to Olney, who threw to Jackson Bennett for a 47-yard touchdown. Olney then made an interception, setting up Sky Whittern’s 33-yard touchdown dash on the way to 165 yards on four carries including a 66-yard score.
Evan Bravo scored from the 25 on a pass from Brown, who was needed to throw only three times but completed all three for 61 yards.
Joey’s brother, sophomore Evan Brown, went 3 for 4 passing with a 47-yard score to Bennett, and Evan Brown also ran for touchdowns of 1 and 28 yards. Colton Lentz ran 79 yards for his ninth touchdown as the Pioneers took a 63-0 halftime bulge.
Jorgen Vigre kicked a school record 10 conversions in as many attempts. He has 60 career conversions, a school record according to historian Tyler Anderson.
Nooksack’s five sacks included two by Cian Coppinger and one apiece by Adlei Whitworth, John Stremler and Dalton Hickey.
SEHOME 14, BURLINGTON-EDISON 7: The Mariners (3-1, 1-1) rebounded from a loss to Sedro-Woolley as sophomore Nolan Wright threw two touchdown passes in the first half.
Wright found Andre Watson for a 16-yard score and Brad Duckworth for 36 yards, giving Wright 12 scoring passes. Grady Evans kicked both extra points.
“An injury in the fourth quarter delayed the game for about an hour,” said Sehome coach Brian Young. “A Burlington (1-3, 1-1) player suffered a football accident, a freak injury while Duckworth was making a clean play on a sack. There were no penalties.”
Young said Wright bounced back well after suffering an interception on Sehome’s first series. He finished 10 for 18 for 109 yards with two interceptions. Watson caught six passes for 53 yards and Duckworth had two for 42 yards.
Young said Coleby Chambers “did a great lights out job in the defensive backfield against Burlington’s best receiver.” The new head coach also praised junior linebacker Carl Bach for “a key sack late in the game” and noted that he has about 30 solo tackles for the season.
Fisher Hall led Sehome in rushing with 60 yards on 22 carries.
“I saw a team that came off a tough (36-0) loss to Sedro-Woolley but has developed some character and backbone,” Young said. “They’re setting their own benchmark for what Sehome football is.”
MERIDIAN 48, NATHAN HALE 15: Ross Driscoll, a junior defensive standout, scored on a 16-yard return of a punt blocked by Kelley Gray, and Driscoll also recovered a fumble in the end zone for the Trojans (3-1) for two of the first three scores.
Junior quarterback Jaeger Fyfe completed 10 of 18 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns, including scores of 15 yards to Landon Downey and 5 yards to Cohen Fuller. Downey also scored on a 1-yard run and kicked six conversions.
Fyfe scored on a 1-yard run for a 14-0 led and capped a strong effort with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Josh Elmer, who rushed 11 times for 70 yards, caught two passes for 81 yards and made two interceptions.
Downey, a key as the Trojans jumped to a 28-0 halftime lead, caught five passes for 106 yards and ran five times for 29 yards, finishing with 18 points in all.
The Trojans, who have scored 125 points, hope to give Nooksack a good go in a Northwest Conference 1A opener Friday at Meridian. With a young, promising group, the Trojans have joined Ferndale, Lynden, Sehome and Nooksack with three wins in four weeks.
ARCHBISHOP MURPHY 38, SQUALICUM 6: Junior backfield standout Joaquin Ortiz scored the Storm’s touchdown on a 14-yard run.
Squalicum (2-2, 0-2), which scored 67 points in two wins over Canadian teams but has struggled in NWC play, will try to bounce back Thursday against Burlington-Edison at Civic Field.
Archbishop improved to 2-2, 1-1.
KING’S 63, MOUNT BAKER 22: The Mountaineers fell to 1-3 in non-league play against one of the state‘s best 1A teams on the road. Mount Baker will open NWC Class 1A at home against Blaine on Friday.
Brady Bruland scored on a 97-yard kickoff return and Landen Hanstead turned a pass from Toga Tigilau into a 68-yard score. The first of Maddox Strickland’s two extra points and Dylan Moa’s two-point conversion on a run cut King’s first-half lead to 21-15.
But King’s (4-0), a state playoff contender, got 192 yards from star rusher Noah Clark and five touchdowns by Braeden Caulk to dominate the second half. Bruland’s 5-yard run provided Baker’s final touchdown.
CEDAR PARK CHRISTIAN 9, BLAINE 7: The Borderites fell to 1-3 with a road loss to the Bothell team at Juanita.
Hunter Vezzetti scored on a 48-yard pass in the fourth quarter from Colin Davis, who completed 12 of 31 passes for 135 yards, with five to Vezzetti for 72 yards. Matt Hayes kicked the extra point, but the Borderites could not make up for a first period touchdown and a second quarter safety for Cedar Park.
“Our defense played very well throughout the night,” said Blaine coach Andy Olson. “Our offense failed to finish drives when we were within scoring range.”
LUMMI AT CRESCENT, CANCELLED: Lummi coach Watiko Leighton said poor air quality on the Olympic Peninsula led Crescent to call off the game against the Blackhawks (1-1).
WEEK FIVE
Thursday
Burlington-Edison vs. Squalicum at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
Friday
Marysville-Pilchuck at Ferndale, 7 p.m.
Sehome at Lynden, 7 p.m.
Nooksack Valley at Meridian, 7 p.m.
Blaine at Mount Baker, 7 p.m.
La Conner vs. Bellingham at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Napavine at Lynden Christian, 2 p.m.
Lummi at Charles Wright, 3 p.m.
