Week 2 football roundup: Mariners finish strong in loss to defending 2A state champs
Sehome coach Brian Young was convinced that the 35-7 score of defending 2A state football champion Anacortes’ victory over the Mariners did not begin to tell the story.
So were his players. Not a single Sehome head was hanging when Young held an inspirational team gathering Friday night at Civic Stadium.
“We’re going to the playoffs. That’s our mindset,” Young said. “We’re still a young team.”
With 16 seniors, the Seahawks are anything but young. Even so, Sehome “won” the last two quarters 7-0 after Anacortes scored four touchdowns in the opening quarter of the Northwest Conference game.
“At halftime, I challenged our guys to win the third quarter and build off that,” said Young, whose Mariners had only 35 yards at the half compared with 259 for the Seahawks (2-0, 1-0 NWC).
“I really thought we could win the third quarter,” said wide receiver Andre Watson, whose 5-yard touchdown catch of junior Nolan Wright’s 38th career scoring toss came on Sehome’s first series of the fourth quarter.
“They’re a great team. It’s hard to compare them with last year’s team,” said Wright, who completed 15 of 33 passes for 156 yards, including 6 for 83 to fellow junior Theo Quiggle and 6 for 49 to Watson, whose touchdown catch was the senior’s school record 25th career scoring reception.
‘We’re a lot better mentally than we were last year,” said Wright, who verified that when led the Mariners to a 157-24 yardage bulge in the second half as the Seahawk held out stellar running back Brock Beaner.
Young praised his defense for their maturity.
“Fisher Hall and Finn Seitz Gregoire were all over the place along with Hudson Neff and (lineman) Cole Turrell played on half a leg“ the coach said of the junior line.
Guided by sophomore quarterback Ryan Harrington, Anacortes needed only the first four plays to drive 60 yards and score on Beaner’s 19-yard sprint around the right side.
Anacortes shackled Sehome on minus five yards on its opening series, then scored on Beaner’s 31-yard gallop. The Seahawks Tyler Olson recovered a looping kickoff at the Sehome 26 and Harrington immediately found Riley Walgamott for a score.
After Anacortes continued to keep Sehome without a first down, Harrington capped a 53-yard, eight-play drive with a 3-yard pass to Brady Beaner for 28-0.
But the Mariners showed what they’re made of by earning their first three first downs while using 14 plays to cover 34 yards. But they ran out of downs at the Anacortes 31-yard line.
Harrington got that 34 yards back plus more with a 39-yard pass to Micah Dickison. Eight plays later, Shia Webster scored from the 8 with 16 seconds left in the first half.
At that 35-0 point, Young challenged his defense to show its pride. That the defenders did, holding the Seahawks to one first down in the second half.
“Be proud of who you are, be proud of who you represent, I told them,” Young said.
The game might have set a league record with 55 total passes on a rainy night. Harrington went 9 for 22 for 137 yards and showed immense potential. Put next year’s Wright-Harrington dual on your calendars — unless these teams meet in the playoffs.
Sehome, which attracted a large crowd to Civic, will give their fans a quick chance to enjoy the team’s maturity with a home game Friday night at Civic against Lakewood (1-1 NWC).
Friday’s other games
Squalicum 44, Marysville-Pilchuck 14: In his first two varsity starts, junior quarterback Cole Burke has led the Storm to a 2-0 NWC 2A record and 74 points. Joaquin Ortiz scored two touchdowns for the Storm, which has already won half as many games as last season.
Burke threw touchdown passes of 36 and 28 passes to senior speed burner Ortiz and 6 yards to fellow junior Ansen Asbjornsen for the second, third and fifth scores for the Storm, which led 24-7 at halftime.
Malakai Smith got Squalicum rolling with a 1-yard touchdown and first-year varsity kicker Slade Kaiser booted a 31-yard field goal for a 17-7 lead. Kaiser, a sophomore, made five of six conversions.
Squalicum had interceptions by junior Zach Watt, Asbjornen and Ortiz, whose pass theft set up a 4-yard touchdown by Marcus Nixon, who is once again prospering in the backfield after one year at quarterback.
Junior Tanner Berg capped the scoring with his first varsity touchdown, a 2-yarder.
Nixon ran 18 times for 107 yards and Smith had 10 cracks for 88 yards. Ortiz caught four passes for 90 yards and Burke completed 13 of 19 for 171 yards with no interceptions.
Coach Nick Lucey said linebackers Nixon and Avery Weener and lineman Ezra Nichols were especially effective in a solid team defensive effort.
The Storm figures to be severely tested Friday at Archbishop Murphy (2-0 NWC), which battered Burlington-Edison after opening with a 48-24 win over Lakewood.
Meridian 48, Omak 20: Jaeger Fyfe completed 16 of 26 passes for 201 yards at home, with touchdowns of 27 yards to Landen Downey,45 yards to Trey Alexander and 20 yards to Pierce Brzozowski.
Sophomore speedster Kasey Brennan scored on an 80-yard kickoff return to build on a 20-7 halftime advantage.
Downey kicked six of seven extra points to improve his total for the Trojans (2-0) to 34 points. The senior also caught four passes for 46 yards.
Fyfe scored the first touchdown on a 9-yard run and Gray scored from the 1 and the 3 for the second and seventh scores.
The improvement of Meridian, Mount Baker and Blaine -- now a combined 6-0 after going 10-20 last season -- has enabled the NWC 1A to take a combined 9-1 start. And it took Vancouver College -- the top team in British Columbia -- to hand Lynden Christian the NWC’s lone 1A loss.
The five teams have amassed 365 points in their 10 games.
Lynden Christian 26, North Kitsap 15: Junior quarterback Eli Maberry completed 20 of 30 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns against a perennial 2A playoff team, including three to junior Boyce Robertson for 10, 26 and 79 yards. Robertson finished with eight catches for 191 yards and Mick Owen snagged five for 50 yards including a 9-yard touchdown for a 19-9 lead.
“Our guys were backyard brawlers. North Kitsap was bigger, but our defense kept hammering and our kids just kept coming,” said coach Greg Terpstra. “The whole defensive unit was really good. It was a really rewarding game to watch as a coach.”
All-leaguer Trey Bosman was especially effective at outside linebacker was Mick Owen was a standout both ways. Sophomore cornerback Dawson Hintz was also a standout.
Bosman caught a 15-yarder and Boyce grabbed a 40-yarder to set up the first score. Terpstra credited the offensive line with an outstanding job on a 65-yard drive for third touchdown, plus “great runs” by Hollis Owen and Treyson Johnson and two key catches by Mick Owen.
Blaine 47, Cedar Park Christian 12: Jaiden Paez gained 170 yards on only eight rushes and scored four touchdowns for the second consecutive game, including runs of 43, 16, 10 and 22 yards.
Kai Kerwin opened the scoring with a 55-yard punt return. After Paez scored from the 43, Colby Shipp added a 4-yard score and quarterback Colin Lewis raced 27 yards for a touchdown. Logan Villarreal kicked five extra points.
The Borderites (2-0) led 33-6 at the half, giving them 68 points in their first two games before intermission.
“Blake Koreski led our defense with three solo tackles at linebacker, two tackles for loss, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one sack,” coach Andy Olson said.
“Our offensive line was great,” Olson added, giving credit to Malloy Messenger, Malaki Murillo, Zoe Ndateba, Otto Shelton and Jayden Winslow. “It was a good team win. “We are looking to clean things up and eliminate some mental errors.”
Mount Baker 27, Hockinson 7: “Our defense turned in a real good team effort” said coach Ron Lepper of an impressive home win over a good 2A program. “Noah Nikol-Mills, a sophomore, had a big quarterback sack in the second half.
Dylan Moa and Brady Bruland ran for two touchdowns apiece and combined for 218 yards rushing for the Mountaineers, who are off to their first 2-0 start in several years. It was the second game they have each scored twice. Moa scored on two power runs and Bruland tallied from the 26 and the 8.
Enoc Smith made three of four conversions, making the freshman 10 for his first 11 tries.
“Luke Smith and Shaun Dugger combined on a big pass of more than 40 yards in the second half,” said Lepper, whose team led 13-0 at the half.
County historian Tyler Anderson, a Mount Baker graduate, noted that Moa became the 31st player in Baker’s proud football history to surpass 1,000 career yards rushing.
Jet Ross had an interception to set up a first-half score. Smith completed 6 of 10 passes for 109 yards.
Lynden 56, Mariner 0: The Lions (2-0 overall) prepared for their strong seven-game NWC 2A test, took a 42-0 halftime lead as junior Max Assink scored on runs of 8, 70 and 10 yards, finishing with 8 carries for 87 yards.
The Lions turned big plays into their second and fifth touchdowns, a 62-yard pass-run from Brant Heppner to sophomore Samm Puello Arango and a 60-yard punt return by junior flash Dani Bowler, who also had an interception. Heppner, who completed 6 of 7 passes for 123 yards, threw a 7-yard pass to Isaiah Oudman for the sixth score, giving Heppner five scoring passes.
In the third quarter, Gordy Bedlington caught an 8-yard pass from fellow sophomore Lukas Lalji for their first varsity score. Junior Jax Baar capped the outburst with a 2-yard run for first score.
Malachi Koenen, a sophomore running back/linebacker, booted the first two extra points, making him 6 for his first six. His brother, freshman Markus Koenen, was given a shot and went 6 for 6.
“Markus had quite a day with the C team,” said Lynden coach Blake Van Dalen. “He caught 19 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns, went 5-for-5 on conversions, had a 54-yard punt, and made eight kickoffs, all inside the 5-yard line.”
Lynden honored the late coaching legend Curt Kramme with a plaque at halftime, since this was Lynden’s first meeting with Mariner since the Lions lost to the Snohomish County school in the 1998 state playoff semifinals during Van Dalen’s second season as an assistant coach.
Oak Harbor 32, Ferndale 29: The Golden Eagles (0-2,0-1) lost their Wesco North 3A opener at home on a short field goal on the game’s final play.
Talan Bungard and Zach Nielsen each rushed for two touchdowns for Ferndale, which capped a 22-point third quarter comeback with a two-point conversion pass from Nolan Boleak to Lincoln Thomas for a 29-21 lead after trailing 14-7 at the half.
Before leaving with an injury, Kaden Eldridge made good on the first three conversions, making the seniot lineman 32 of 33 since he took over the extra point chores midway through last season.
Ferndale made a fine goal-line stand in the last minute and Jacob Gandy was in a third-down tackle for loss, forcing the field goal attempt.
Nielsen scored on runs of 10 and 16 yards and Bungard on power runs of 3 and 4 yards. Bungard netted 125 yards on 23 carries and Eli Kennerley was 12 for 80 yards. Boleak went 6 for 9 for 85 yards.
Lakewood 46, Bellingham 14: It was a rough return to the NWC 2A ranks for the Bayhawks (0-2, 0-1).
“We had eight starters sidelined,” said Bellingham coach Adam Leonard, explaining why the defensive ranks were thin. “Jordan Stone had three first-half sacks.”
Tyler Frost, returning to action, had a 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The Bayhawks scored in the fourth period on Joe Harward’s 15-yard pass to Aiden Pullar.
Frost had 78 yards on 15 runs and Harwood gained 224 total yards, with 148 passing including three for 75 yards to Owen Hanstead.
The Bayhawks play Friday at defending state champion Anacortes.
Darrington 34, Lummi Nation 8: The young Blackhawks (0-2) were no match for a state playoff contender at home.
Andrew Tangean scored on a 15-yard run and Isaiah Yrizarris threw a two-point conversion pass to Treyvon Lee.
“It was a tough battle and our kids fought all the way to the end,” said Lummi coach Watiko Leighton. “We had small mistakes in the first half that resulted in some touchdowns. But we were able to establish some ball control in the second half,” providing pride and encouragement.
Saturday
Nooksack 49, Renton 14: The Pioneers (2-0) improved their two-game total to 91 points behind fourth-year varsity standout Colton Lentz and junior Evan Brown, in his first season as starting quarterback:
Lentz ran for touchdowns of 9 and 2 yards, extending his school record to 52.
Brown threw scoring passes of 36 and 25 yards to Evan Bravo and 80 yards to Cole Coppinger, improving Brown’s total to five.
Colby Martin rushed 5 yards for a score and Tyler Martin kicked all seven extra points in his first season as varsity kicker.
Tristan Kamphouse had a 55-yard pick six for the senior’s most exciting play.
“We got better in some areas this week,” said coach Craig Bartl. “We have a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be. Our league is incredibly tough this year.
Eight different players have touchdowns for the Pioneers, who play their home debut Friday against King’s.
Upcoming games
Friday, Sept. 20
- Marysville-Pilchuck at Lynden, 7 p.m.
- Lakewood vs. Sehome at Civic Stadium, 7 p.m.
- King’s at Nooksack Valley, 7 p.m.
- Centennial Secondary (B.C.) at Mount Baker, 7 p.m.
- Lynden Christian vs. Omak, 6 p.m.
- Ferndale at Marysville-Getchell, 7 p.m.
- Bellingham at Anacortes, 7 p.m.
- Squalicum at Archbishop Murphy, 7 p.m.
- Blaine at Chelan, 7 p.m.
- Meridian vs. Kamiak at Goddard Stadium, 7 p.m.
- Lummi Nation: bye
This story was originally published September 16, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Week 2 football roundup: Mariners finish strong in loss to defending 2A state champs."
