Nooksack senior quarterback Joey Brown is enjoying his teammates and high-scoring offense
Joey Brown’s numbers are down, but the senior quarterback’s football fun and Nooksack Valley’s fortunes are up.
Brown and the explosive, experienced Pioneers (4-1 overall, 1-0) will face what may be their most significant challenge of the regular season when they meet Lynden Christian (3-2, 0-0) Friday at Nooksack.
None of Nooksack’s current players have ever beaten the Lyncs except in last season’s three way mini-playoff to decide the two state spots from Northwest Conference Class 1A.
The Nooksack-LC game may ultimately decide the league title and the only guaranteed NWC berth for 1A state. The loser still will have a shot at the state berth that goes to the Week Ten winner of a crossover game with the Cascade Conference runner-up, although Mount Baker may also earn the chance.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Brown, a fourth-year regular, has so much help all over the field that he’s getting his kicks seeing teammates handle much more of the team’s increased production.
Brown has produced 11 touchdowns by running and passing combined for 66 of the team’s impressive five-game total of 265 points. Last season he led the Pioneers to a 9-2 record including their first state wins since 2010 and their first state semifinal spot since 2009. He produced 23 of the team’s 47 touchdowns.
“I don’t care about statistics,” the student leader said. “All I really care about is winning.”
Brown, in fact, has a chance to lead what could be the biggest winner in school history. Since the playoffs began in 1973, the Pioneers have never advanced to the title game.
“I think Joey is learning to appreciate his teammates,” Nooksack coach Craig Bartl said. “He understands that we are stronger together.”
“He believes in the team first philosophy and his servant’s mindset outside of football is showing on the field,” the coach said.
Brown, like perhaps all of his junior and senior teammates, seems better than ever, even though his rushing numbers are 292 yards and five touchdowns and his passing figures are 456 yards and six scores. In the first game this season, he surpassed 2,000 yards in both rushing and passing for his career.
He loves to talk about who has made so much of that possible.
“Our entire offensive line is back from last year. They’re like a well-oiled machine,” he quipped, using a century-old cliché that fits Nooksack to a T. “They’re fantastic.”
Junior Colton Lentz and senior Skyler Whittern have combined to rush for 16 touchdowns and more than 1,100 yards already, thanks in large part to the big boys up front — Cian Coppinger (265 pounds), John Stremler (255), Dalton Hickey (235), Duke Halaapiapi (312) and Brady Ackerman (255). All are seniors except Ackerman, a junior who plays with effectiveness “beyond his years,” as Brown puts it.
“On and off the field, they’re great people,” Brown said.
Brown also feels fortunate to have four of the league’s better receivers: seniors Jackson Bennett and Wayne Silves and juniors Cory Olney and Evan Bravo.
The Pioneers boast the school career record holder for kicking, senior Jorgen Vigre. Brown noted he has missed only one conversion out of 35 this season.
“In the off-season, everyone spent time in the gym every day, with tons of motivation,” Brown said of the memory of Nooksack’s oh-so-close 14-13 loss to Mount Baker in the state semifinals.
Before that game, the Pioneers provided hints of how good they could become with a 37-12 win over Riverside and a 34-24 victory over Cashmere in the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals.
It will be fascinating to see how well Nooksack can handle Lynden Christian’s talented and disciplined defense. The Lyncs gave up four touchdowns to three-time defending state champion Royal in Week Four, but have allowed only five total scores in the other four games.
Brown treasures every football moment this season, since even though it’s his favorite sport, he may get more college opportunities in track and field. After competing in three individual events at 1A state last season, he hopes to qualify for a highly unusual four events (the maximum allowed).
He displays above average potential as a college competitor in the decathlon. The 10-event test of speed, agility and endurance is not held on the high school level.
“I’d be willing to compete in both track and football in college,” said the all-around athlete, who will also play his final basketball season.
Brown is especially proud of how the players have grown the culture of so much enthusiasm for football. An extraordinary 64 players are in the program, meaning more than 40 percent of the approximately 150 boys at Nooksack
In recent years, Bartl has used many freshmen and sophomores. Brown notes that one sophomore, defensive back Matthew Blake, has worked his way into significant minutes this season.
What would Brown have said if someone had told him the team would have 65 points in the first five games?
“Oh, man, I guess I would have said we must be doing something right,” he replied.
WEEK SIX
Thursday
Squalicum at Lakewood, 7 p.m.
Friday
Lynden Christian at Nooksack, 7 p.m.
Marysville-Getchell at Ferndale, 7 p.m.
Meridian at Blaine, 7 p.m.
Lynden at Archbishop Murphy, 7 p.m.
Coupeville vs. Bellingham at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
Concrete at Lummi, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Anacortes vs. Sehome at Civic Stadium, 1 p.m.
Mount Baker at La Center, 2 p.m.
