Lynden-Blaine matchup highlights Friday’s prep football slate

Lynden (5-3, 4-2 NWC) at Blaine (4-4, 2-4 NWC)

Time: 7 p.m.

Site: Blaine High School

Lions update: Lynden rallied from 15 points down with less than seven minutes to play last week to send its matchup with Sedro-Woolley to overtime, but ultimately the Lions took a 32-29 loss. Sterling Somers completed 19 of 28 passes for 283 yards and had two TDs and two INTs. He also ran for 60 yards and a touchdown. Noah King caught nine passes for 152 yards and a score, and Jensen Mayberry had 11 tackles.

Borderites update: Blaine fell into a 34-0 hole and didn’t score until the fourth quarter during a 34-13 NWC road loss to Squalicum last week. Riley Fritsch ran for 185 yards on 35 carries, and QB Jalen Kortlever threw for 142 yards and touchdown passes to Josh Fakkema and Gunnar Arnason.

Key to the game: The Borderites have allowed 38.8 points per game the past four games, and they will need to shore of their defense against a high-powered Lynden offense. If Blaine can figure out how to take away the Lions’ pass game, they could have a chance.

Stat leaders: Passing: Sterling Somers (Lyn) 111-160, 1,599 yds, 15 TD, 3 INTs; Jalen Kortlever (Bla) 76-163, 1,394 yds, 19 TDs, 7 INTs. Rushing: Sterling Somers (Lyn) 59 att, 347 yds, 6 TDs; Riley Fritsch (Bla) 186 att, 1,117 yds, 11 TDs. Receiving: Jordan Wittenberg (Lyn) 42 rec, 688 yds, 6 TDs; Anthony Ball (Bla) 32 rec, 528 yds, 8 TDs.

Player to watch: Gunnar Arnason has caught a touchdown in each of the past two games. The big-play threat will be looking to make it three straight.

Prediction: Lynden 35-14

Sehome (2-6, 1-5 NWC) at Burlington-Edison (5-3, 3-3 NWC)

Time: 7 p.m.

Site: Burlington-Edison High School

Mariners update: Sehome turned the ball over four times and fell in an early hole before taking a 49-7 NWC road loss to Ferndale last week. QB Jace Rinker scored Sehome’s only touchdown, a 36-yard score, in the third quarter. Rinker also threw for 86 yards and four interceptions. Seven different Mariners caught passes.

Tigers update: Hunter Anderson threw for 228 yards and four touchdowns to lead Burlington-Edison to a 42-7 NWC road win over Anacortes last week. Derek Cherryholmes caught four passes for 99 yards and three touchdowns, and Taran Lambert ran for 99 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Burlington-Edison’s defense held Anacortes to 147 total yards.

Key to the game: The Mariners have only scored 27 points in the past four games. Facing a talented offense, Sehome needs to get some offense of its own going.

Stat leaders: Passing: Jace Rinker (Seh) 48-91, 501 yds, 1 TD, 9 INTs; Hunter Anderson (BE) 102-188, 1,426 yds, 17 TDs, 5 INTs. Rushing: Kevin Sun (Seh) 76 att, 287 yds, 2 TDs; Taran Lambert (BE) 659 yds, 5 TDs. Receiving: Taylor Rapp (Seh) 16 rec, 219 yds, 2 TDs; Derek Cherryholmes (BE) 35 rec, 622 yds, 8 TDs.

Player to watch: A physical player like Jeremy Johnson could make an imprint on this game with strong play in the trenches.

Prediction: Burlington-Edison 42-14

Mount Baker (7-1, 5-0 NWC) at Lynden Christian (5-3, 2-3 NWC)

Time: 7 p.m.

Site: Lynden Christian Schools

Mountaineers update: After trailing early, Mount Baker reeled off 36 straight points to earn a 36-15 NWC road win over Meridian. Jed Schleimer ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns, and Mason Bass completed 7 of 11 passes for 167 yards, two touchdowns and threw an interception. Schleimer and Thomas Barbo each caught TD passes, pushing Schleimer’s season touchdown total to 24. Mount Baker’s defense, for the second straight week, allowed only 24 rushing yards.

Lyncs update: Wide receiver Zach Roetcisoender caught three touchdowns passes, and Nate Hielkema’s third quarter touchdown reception from Ty Van Dyken put the Lyncs up two scores to help give Lynden Christian a 35-28 NWC road win over Nooksack Valley. Roetcisoender caught TD passes of 3, 30 and 59 yards, all from quarterback Lucas Roetcisoender. David Bladies ran for a game-high 159 yards.

Key to the game: Simply put, Lynden Christian’s defense has to play its best game of the season if the Lyncs have a chance to win.

Stat leaders: Passing: Mason Bass (MB) 46-95, 886 yds, 9 TDs, 7 INTs; Lucas Roetcisoender (LC) 59-108, 1,189 yds, 14 TDs, 5 INTs. Rushing: Jed Schleimer (MB) 138 att, 1,621 yds, 23 TDs; David Bladies (LC) 129 att, 817 yds, 10 TDs. Receiving: Thomas Barbo (MB) 22 rec, 517 yds, 5 TDs; Nate Hielkema (LC) 18 rec, 555 yds, 8 TDs.

Player to watch: Look for Zach Roetcisoender to follow up a strong performance with another one on senior night.

Prediction: Mount Baker 42-21

Nooksack Valley (0-8, 0-5 NWC) at Meridian (4-4, 3-2 NWC)

Time: 7 p.m.

Site: Meridian High School

Pioneers update: Sophomore QB Casey Bauman accounted for all four Nooksack Valley touchdowns last week, but the Pioneers suffered a 35-28 NWC home loss to Lynden Christian. Bauman threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 39 yards and a score. Joe McNeely, Michael O’Bryan and Michael Jackson each caught touchdown passes. For the fifth straight week, Nooksack Valley’s defense yielded more than 290 rushing yards.

Trojans update: Meridian’s offense struggled last week, and starting quarterback Simon Burkett left the game early with an injury. Burkett threw a touchdown, and backup Marcus McGuinn threw for 106 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Nick Dritsas logged 109 receiving yards on six receptions and caught a touchdown, and Daniel Young hauled in a TD. Meridian’s offense amassed only 24 rush yards on 32 attempts.

Key to the game: The Pioneers’ defense will need to figure out a way to stop Meridian’s Nick Dritsas and the Trojans’ rushing attack, but beating Meridian will be awfully tough.

Stat leaders: Passing: Casey Bauman (NV) 154-262, 1,486 yds, 12 TDs, 7 INTs; Simon Burkett (Mer) 75-140, 1,036 yds, 11 TDs, 5 INTs. Rushing: Joe McNeely (NV) 57 att, 205 yds, 2 TDs; Nick Dritsas (Mer) 125 att, 727 yds, 12 TDs. Receiving: Michael O’Bryan (NV) 44 rec, 357 yds, 2 TDs; Nick Dritsas (Mer) 25 rec, 436 yds, 6 TDs.

Player to watch: Simon Burkett accounted for five TDs, running for 118 yards and passing for 128, last time these two teams met. If healthy, he should be in line for another big game.

Prediction: Meridian 45-14

Squalicum (8-0, 6-0 NWC) at Anacortes (2-6, 0-6 NWC)

Time: 7 p.m.

Site: Anacortes High School

Storm update: Quarterback Garrett Sorenson threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and Ben Peterson logged 137 receiving yards and a score and ran for a touchdown to help Squalicum earn a 34-13 NWC home win over Blaine last week. The Storm ran off 34 unanswered points before Blaine scored in the fourth quarter. Damek Mitchell caught five passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns, and Triston Smith ran for 74 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Seahawks update: Anacortes’ offense struggled mightily against Burlington-Edison last week, picking up only 147 yards of total offense during a 42-7 NWC home loss to the Tigers. P.J. Monroe ran for a team-high 82 yards on 19 carries and scored the team’s only touchdown. Starting quarterback Camden McLaughlin completed only 1 of 9 pass attempts for -2 yards, and backup QB Trystan Lowry completed 3 of 4 passes for 57 yards. Griffin Overa caught four passes for 55 yards.

Key to the game: Anacortes’ defense couldn’t stop Burlington-Edison’s pass game last week, and now the Seahawks face another strong passing team in Squalicum. Anacortes will need to find an answer for Squalicum’s many outside weapons.

Stat leaders: Passing: Garrett Sorenson (Sq) 87-150, 1,381 yds, 15 TDs, 4 INTs; Camden McLaughlin (Ana) 74-139, 974 yds, 10 TDs, 7 INTs. Rushing: Triston Smith (Sq) 67 att, 318 yds, 4 TDs; P.J. Monroe 78 att, 320 yds, 2 TDs. Receiving: Ben Peterson (Sq) 22 rec, 477 yds, 5 TDs; Trystan Lowry (Ana) 27 rec, 372 yds, 2 TDs.

Player to watch: Look for Jacob Burgoon to make some plays on both the offensive and defensive line against Anacortes.

Prediction: Squalicum 42-7

Highline (1-7) at Bellingham (4-4)

Time: 7 p.m.

Site: Civic Stadium

Pirates update: Highline yielded all 42 points during the first half of its 42-7 loss to Renton last week. The Pirates’ only touchdown came in the fourth quarter.

Red Raiders update: Bellingham’s four-game win streak was snapped last week with a 24-7 road loss to La Conner. Isiah Harrington accounted for 70 of the Red Raiders’ 82 rushing yards, and the sophomore scored Bellingham’s only touchdown. Quarterback Nick Knutson completed 9 of 19 passes for 101 yards and threw two interceptions.

Key to the game: If Bellingham can get its offense going better than it did last week, the Red Raiders should have no problem dispatching the one-win Pirates.

Stat leaders: Passing: Nick Knutson (Bel) 83-150, 1,080 yds, 11 TDs, 7 INTs. Rushing: Isiah Harrington (Bel) 70 att, 586 yds, 9 TDs. Receiving: Zach Lorenz (Bel) 14 rec, 409 yds, 5 TDs.

Player to watch: Look for quarterback Nick Knutson to get back on track this week. The signal-caller had thrown nine touchdowns and only two picks during the Red Raiders’ win streak, and throws should be there against a Highline team that has been giving up its share of points.

Prediction: Bellingham 35-14

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Lynden-Blaine matchup highlights Friday’s prep football slate."