Lynden's season ends in district playoffs

Shock and disbelief crept across Lynden’s sideline as the final seconds ticked away.

Sedro-Woolley, nursing a four-point lead with more than eight minutes left and the ball on its 3-yard line, methodically picked up one first down after another, draining the clock until the time and Lynden’s hope of a 10th consecutive state playoff berth vanished.

The Lions again ended their season with a heartbreaking defeat to Skagit County rival Sedro-Woolley.

And just like last year’s state title loss, this one stung.

Lynden suffered its third straight defeat to Sedro-Woolley, falling 21-17 during the Class 2A Northwest District Playoffs on Friday, Nov. 6, at Civic Stadium.

“We were very confident going in,” Lions QB Sterling Somers said. “We just never lost this early, so we were just shocked, but we had chances to win. I didn’t come through, but there’s nothing you can do. I’m just lost for words.”

No team expects to lose, and Lynden certainly didn’t either, Lynden coach Curt Kramme admitted, despite falling to the Cubs two weeks ago in overtime.

But after reaching the state playoffs every year since 2005, a district playoff defeat was difficult to comprehend.

“I want to give all the credit to Sedro-Woolley,” Kramme said. “It’s a playoff game. They had the adversity they faced without having their leader (Carter Crosby) out there, and they found a way to get the job done, so I tip my hat to those guys.”

The Lions struggled slowing down the Cubs’ run game even with Crosby, Sedro-Woolley’s dynamic playmaker, out with injury, and the Cubs still finished with 303 ground yards.

Lynden trailed most of the game.

Sedro-Woolley running back Billy Hornbeck capped off a nine-play, 64-yard scoring drive with a 29-yard touchdown run, giving the Cubs a 7-0 lead with 11:40 left in the second quarter.

The Lions responded with an impressive drive of their own.

Lynden finished a 10-play, 70-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Wittenberg on a third-and-8. Wittenberg got behind the Cubs’ defense on a double move and just got his feet down inside the back-left corner pylon, pulling Lynden even at 7-7 with 7:45 to go until the half.

A costly Wittenberg fumble on a Sedro-Woolley punt set the Cubs up at Lynden’s 17, and two plays later Bryce Hornbeck scored from 11 yards out.

Kicker Per Wolfisberg gave the Lions a huge boost before halftime, splitting the uprights from 46 yards out as time expired, trimming Sedro-Woolley’s lead to 14-10.

Bryce Hornbeck added a second touchdown with a rushing score from 15 yards out, extending the Cubs’ lead to 21-10 with 6:15 left in the third.

But the Lions answered once more when Somers connected with Wittenberg on a 46-yard TD pass to trim Sedro-Woolley’s lead to 21-17 with 1:44 left in the third.

Lynden moved the ball to the Cubs’ 26 early in the fourth quarter, but Somers threw an interception on a fourth-and-10, which led to Sedro-Woolley’s game-ending drive that started at its own 3 and ended inside Lynden’s 10.

Somers completed 11 of 24 passes for 128 yards, two touchdown and an INT, ran for a team-high 98 yards on 17 carries and Wittenberg had six receptions for 106 yards and two scores.

“It’s not the outcome that we expected, but I don’t doubt these kids’ effort,” Kramme said. “They played hard, and for whatever reason it wasn’t our night tonight.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 10:14 PM with the headline "Lynden's season ends in district playoffs."