Stars shine for Sehome and Squalicum, but rookie kicker makes the winning difference
Three of the finest young football players in the Northwest Conference enhanced their ever-growing reputations with spectacular plays and outstanding production, but Sehome’s least known senior also made a winning difference in a classic rivalry renewal with Squalicum.
In the first significant playing time of his life, football rookie Kyle Diefel kicked a 22-yard third-quarter field goal and three conversions in Sehome’s 38-34 win.
The packed house Friday at Civic Stadium won’t soon forget sophomore quarterback Nolan Wright’s longest varsity run for a breath-taking, game-winning 40-yard touchdown down the sideline with 1:07 to play. The fans will also remember his four touchdown passes, including a dazzling 44-yard leaping catch by junior Andre Watson.
The gathering was also treated to the sheer excellence of Squalicum quarterback Marcus Nixon, who posted a combined 329 yards total offense, with 195 yards rushing and a career-high four touchdowns and 134 yards passing and one score.
Wright improved his touchdown pass total to 21 for the Mariners (5-3, 3-3 NWC 2A), including 11 to Watson. Wright increased his yardage total to 1,656 with a 212-yard effort against the Storm (3-5, 1-5).
Nixon, a junior who runs like he belongs in college already, increased his touchdowns produced total to 20 with 12 rushing and eight passing, for 1,479 total yards for the converted running back.
Diefel, however, was smothered with love from his Sehome teammates after he filled in for reliable kicker Grady Evans, who was out with an illness.
“All I had been doing (the first seven games) was kickoffs,” said Diefel, one of only four seniors for Sehome. “I’m a soccer player but I decided to play football for the first time in my life. Now I would recommend giving football a try for anyone who has never played it.”
Mariners coach Brian Young said “there was no doubt from any of our coaches” about giving Diefel his first field goal opportunity, with Sehome trailing 28-20 and fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line with 3:14 left in the third quarter.
“Kyle has done everything we’ve asked of him,” Young said. “You better believe we were going for a field goal with him.”
On Sehome’s next possession, Wright found fellow sophomore Theo Quiggle with a perfectly placed 13-yard touchdown pass and Wright then threw a two-point conversion pass to Watson for a 31-28 lead.
“Theo is my best friend, so it was great to throw his first two varsity touchdowns,” said Wright, who also fired a 38-yarder to Quiggle to pull Sehome within 21-20 by halftime. Quiggle finished with a game-high six catches for 88 yards and Watson grabbed five for 80 while being doubled-teamed.
Squalicum responded to Wright’s fourth touchdown pass with a 45-yard, five-play scoring drive for a 34-31 lead with Nixon’s 8-yard touchdown run. The play was set up by Nixon’s 25-yard kickoff return, two runs totaling 17 yards by Deandre Dunmore and a 9-yard scamper by Joaquin Ortiz.
Then came Wright’s 40-yard wonder of a game-winner, set up by Solomon McAlister’s 11-yard run and Wright’s 7-yard scramble. One week after breaking out with nearly 100 yards against Archbishop Murphy, McAlister plugged away with 54 yards on 16 carries.
“We’ve been trying to get Nolan to run for eight weeks,” Young quipped of his precious pure passer.
Watson gave Sehome a 7-0 lead when he defied Nixon’s excellent defensive backfield moves with great moves of his own.
“I had my hand on the ball and the next thing I knew I was on the ground and Andre was off for the touchdown,” said Nixon, a lifelong friend of Watson. “Andre jumped higher than I did.”
Squalicum tied the game 7-7 with the first of Nixon’s four scoring runs, a 10-yard twist-and-turn beauty, and the first of Avery Haggen’s four conversions. Nixon also scored from the 5, not long after Ortiz’s 50-yard punt return, for a 14-7 Storm lead.
Watson tied it at 14-14 with a 21-yard touchdown catch, but Nixon’s 75-yard scoring scamper made it 21-14 as the feature run of his 17 carries, with none shorter than three yards. On the Storm’s first series of the second half, after an interception by Zach Watt, Nixon found Laki Fagaautau with a 48-yard touchdown pass for a 28-20 lead. Fagaautau led the Storm with three catches for 91 yards.
In other Friday games:
FERNDALE 34, STANWOOD 7: Conner Walcker scored three touchdowns as the Golden Eagles (6-2, 4-2 Wesco North 3A) assured themselves of a Week Nine crossover game against Edmonds-Woodway (6-2) Friday at Ferndale. The game is for seeding purposes in the State Round of 32 in Week Ten.
“There was a three-way tie for second (with Marysville-Pilchuck and Marysville-Getchell), but we had the better preseason draw,” said Ferndale coach Jamie Plenkovich.
Plenkovich praised his defensive front of Camden Raymond, Kulshan LaValley, Kellan Lefave and Phoenyx Finkbonner and also received an outstanding effort from linebacker Jacob Gandy.
“Stanwood returned a kickoff to make it 21-7 at the half, so our defense shut them out,” the coach said.
Walcker scored on a 50-yard pass from Bishop Ootsey on the first play from scrimmage. Eli Kennerley set up the score with a 37-yard kickoff return. Walcker then added touchdown runs of 24 and 1 yards, giving the versatile senior his third game with multiple touchdowns rushing and receiving and 116 yards on six carries.
Walcker celebrated by going on an official visit to Eastern Washington University over the weekend.
In the second half, Finkbonner scored on a 16-yard run for his 10th touchdown, and Talan Bungard scored on a 12-yard run for his 13th score.
Bungard gained 70 yards on 13 carries and Finkbonner picked up 62 yards on seven carries, giving Bungard 831 yards rushing, including 122 on 19 carries in a 49-14 win over Mount Vernon in the previous game, and earning Finkbonner 518 yards, according to the Whatcom Preps website.
Ootsey’s 44-yard kickoff return set up Finkbonner’s score. Kaden Eldridge kicked four of five conversions.
In other Wesco North games, Marysville Pilchuck beat Mount Vernon 41-21 and Marysville-Getchell topped Oak Harbor 28-18. North champion Arlington (8-0,6-0) claimed a 35-0 non-league win over Inglemoor.
LYNDEN 50, LAKEWOOD 12: Junior quarterback Brant Heppner threw touchdown passes of 35 yards to Isaiah Oudman, 10 yards to Cooper Moore and 30 yards to Brady Elsner, who made his seventh scoring catch of the season as the Lions won their 30th consecutive league game.
Heppner completed 12 of 18 passes for 194 yards and one interception for the Lions (7-1, 6-0 NWC 2A), who will host Anacortes (8-0, 6-0) for both the league title Friday and seeding in the State Round of 16 in Week 11. Both teams are assured state spots.
Linebacker Charlie Ayres scored on a 20-yard fumble return and on a 5-yard run for Lynden’s fourth and fifth scores. Oudman’s strip-sack set up the fumble return. Sophomore Max Assink scored on runs of 8 and 1 yards and finished with 26 carries for 128 yards. Sophomore Dani Bowler caught six passes for 102 yards.
Freshman Malachi Koenen kicked his first field goal, a 40-yarder for Lynden‘s final points, after seeing his streak of conversion kicks ended at 26 with two misses before he began a new streak with five makes.
Heppner improved his season touchdown pass total to 17 and his yardage to 1,372.
“Malachi looked real good on that field goal,” coach Blake Van Dalen said of his freshman standout. “He came in 0-4 on field goals, but the shortest attempt was 37 yards.”
In another NWC 2A game, Archbishop Murphy (4-4, 3-3) claimed a 17-13 win over Sedro-Woolley (5-3, 3-3). Anacortes gained a forfeit over Burlington-Edison.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 48, BLAINE 14: Quarterback/linebacker Jeremiah Wright produced touchdowns three different ways for the Lyncs (6-2, 3-0 NWC 1A), who will try to cap an unbeaten league season Thursday night against Mount Baker at LC.
Wright ran 47, 1 and 62 yards to score on all three of his carries. He also threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Kayden Stuit and finished 8 for 14 for 94 yards with no interceptions, giving the senior 205 total yards. Wright capped his big day with a fumble recovery in the end zone for his fifth touchdown produced.
Junior running back Hollis Owen scored from the 17 for his seventh touchdown of the season. Levi DeKoster scored on a 3-yard run for the senior defensive lineman’s first varsity touchdown.
Trey Bosman returned interceptions 55 and 44 yards to set up scores and blocked a punt. Jayden Huleatt intercepted his fifth pass of the season and Brody Bouwman was outstanding at linebacker along with two-way star Wright.
Jacob Penner made six of seven conversion kicks.
Blaine (2-6, 1-2) scored on a 25-yard run by quarterback Colin Davis and on a 60-yard pass from Davis to Justin Minjarez. Davis finished 9 for 19 for 163 yards and his 12th scoring pass.
If LC beats Mount Baker and Nooksack Valley (5-2, 2-1) wins at Blaine, also Thursday, the Lyncs will get a guaranteed spot at state and Nooksack will play a crossover game in Week Ten with an Emerald Sound League team for a state berth.
If Baker (3-5, 2-1) pulls off an upset, there would be tri-champions and a three-way playoff Tuesday to determine the postseason qualifiers for the automatic state berth and the crossover game.
MOUNT BAKER 30, MERIDIAN 27: The Mountaineers retained hopes for an 11th consecutive postseason berth as junior Luke Smith threw a game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass to Landen Hanstead with less than five minutes to play. Tanyen Staton kicked his fourth conversion of the game.
It was the first varsity touchdown pass for Smith. He replaced Toga Tigilau, who sustained a broken collarbone in the previous game.
Defensive line star Alex Maloley deflected a fourth-down pass by Meridian inside Baker’s 20-yard line to preserve the win.
Dylan Moa’s second touchdown of the game and his 10th of the season, a 3-yard run, and Hanstead’s two-point conversion run gave Baker a 23-20 lead before the visiting Trojans (3-5, 0-4) rallied to go up 27-20.
Meridian led 14-0 when Moa scored on a 55-yard run and Vance Lawrence made a tackle in Meridian’s end zone for a safety. Smith then gave Baker a 15-14 advantage with a 14-yard run before Meridian again rallied for the lead at 20-15.
“A big play for us occurred when Bryson Moa recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half,” Baker coach Ron Lepper said.
Dylan Moa’s season high 168 yards on 21 carries were too much for Meridian, which battled well with four rushing touchdowns. Landen Downey scored on runs of 16 and 2 yards and kicked three conversions while picking up 102 yards on 15 carries, and Josh Elmer scored on runs of 3 and 13 yards while finishing with 100 yards on 13 carries and 80 yards on three receptions from Jaeger Fyfe, who threw for 188 yards on 15-for-28 passing.
Downey has 81 points with 10 touchdowns and Elmer has 70 points with 11 scores. Fyfe improved his total yardage to 1,394, according to Whatcom Preps.
BELLINGHAM 33, FRIDAY HARBOR 20: The Bayhawks (5-3) won their fifth in a row as they outscored their island opponent 26-7 in the second half while senior running back Holden Bates turned in a career-best effort.
Bates scored the game’s final three touchdowns on runs of 5, 9 and 70 yards and finished with 179 yards on 14 carries.
Josh Leonard scored on a 1-yard keeper and threw a 46-yard scoring pass to Wyatt Stephan for Leonard’s 25th touchdown pass (and 41st in two seasons) and Stephan’s 10th score. County leader Leonard gained 221 yards on 16-for-30 passing with one interception, increasing the senior star’s total to 2,160 yards, according to Whatcom Preps.
County receiving leader Josh Tolle caught seven passes for 92 yards and Stephan grabbed five for 75, providing Tolle with 57 catches for 862 yards and the explosive Stephan with 24 catches for 596 yards. Only Sehome’s Andre Watson, with 51 catches for 680 yards, has more than 50 catches among county receivers.
Bellingham’s defense received encouragement for the future as junior linebacker Gabe VanHofwegen and sophomore safety Owen Hanstead combined to be in on at least 20 tackles and senior Aaron Llagan had an interception.
“Our team showed resilience with our first comeback victory,” said coach Adam Leonard. “I’m very proud of this team and our five-game winning streak. Now it’s time to reset to plan for a tough Meridian team.”
NEAH BAY 62, LUMMI 0: The young Blackhawks (1-6, 0-5 Northwest Eight-Man Conference) will finish the season at home Friday at 6 p.m. against Tulalip Heritage.
State playoff contender Neah Bay (5-2) increased its total to 362 points for a 52-point average.
“We’re just having growing pains with our young core,” Lummi coach Watiko Leighton said. “(Despite the score), our kids played hard all four quarters and stayed resilient at all times.”
WEEK NINE
Thursday
Mount Baker at Lynden Christian, 7 p.m.
Nooksack Valley at Blaine,7 p.m.
Friday
Anacortes at Lynden, 7 p.m.
Edmonds-Woodway at Ferndale, 7 p.m.
Bellingham at Meridian, 7 p.m.
Lakewood vs. Sehome at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
Squalicum at Sedro-Woolley, 7 p.m.
Tulalip Heritage at Lummi, 6 p.m.
This story was originally published October 23, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
