Lynden rallies back, falls in OT to Sedro-Woolley (w/video)

Sedro-Woolley all but sealed Lynden’s losing fate with just less than seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Cubs capitalized on Lynden’s fourth turnover of the game, as bruising back Quinn Carpenter scored his third TD to give Sedro-Woolly a 15-point edge.

Then came the rally.

Lynden quarterback Sterling Somers expertly navigated his offense back from the brink of defeat with two impressive scoring drives, tying the game at 29 after a two-point conversion with 12 seconds left in the game.

But the Lions’ storybook ending fell short at the hands of the same team that dashed Lynden’s state title hopes last season at the Tacoma Dome.

Lynden came up empty during its first overtime possession, and Sedro-Woolley kicker Adrian Vasquez struck a low-liner through the uprights from 20-yards out to hand the Lions a 32-29 Northwest Conference overtime defeat Friday, Oct. 23, at Lynden High School.

“I think it was fantastic,” Lynden coach Curt Kramme said of the resiliency his Lions showed by battling back late. “I think most people thought the game was over at that point so we kept battling, and even though we didn’t come out on the right end, I couldn’t be more proud of our team.”

The loss snapped a four-game win streak for the Lions (5-3, 4-2 NWC).

Somers finished with 280 passing yards and touchdown passes to Jordan Wittenberg and Noah King. He also threw two first-half interceptions, which doubled the standout signal-caller’s INT total entering the game.

King hauled in nine passes for 152 yards, and ninth catch was a 10-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left that trimmed Sedro-Woolley’s lead to 29-27. King also gave the Lions a huge first-half boost, returning a fumble Davis Bode stripped 95 yards for a touchdown.

“It was a hard game, the outcome was hard,” King said. “But it was one of the funnest games I have ever played.”

Early turnovers, and one late fumble, crippled the Lions.

Twice Lynden had the ball inside Sedro-Woolley’s 10-yard line in the first quarter, but the Lions came away with no points after Somers threw an interception and fumbled on a rushing attempt.

Carpenter, who finished with 108 rush yards on 24 carries, put the Cubs in front 7-0 with 5:53 left in the second quarter, and King tied the game right before half.

After a first-half defensive battle, Lynden’s defense had few answers for Carpenter and do-everything-player Carter Crosby, who played running back and QB. Crosby finished with 177 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts.

Sedro-Woolley and Lynden scored on back-to-back-to-back possessions to start the third. Somers scored on a 5-yard TD run with 3:21 left in the third to tie the game at 14 before Carpenter scored his second touchdown of the game.

A Dalton Ohligschlager fumble on the Lions’ next possession, followed by a Cubs’ TD that put Sedro-Woolley in front 29-14, seemed to be the game.

“I can recall thinking at one point in the (fourth) quarter that it’s hard to win a game with four turnovers,” Kramme said. “For us to overcome that and have a chance to win, I think that says a lot about our guys.”

But Somers picked apart the Cubs’ secondary, moving his team twice down the field to score, and a short pass to Wittenberg tied the game at 29.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 10:53 PM with the headline "Lynden rallies back, falls in OT to Sedro-Woolley (w/video)."