Mount Baker’s Schleimer headlines All-County football list

Player

School

Yr.

Position

Thomas Barbo

Mount Baker

So.

Wide receiver

Moved from running back to wide receiver and quickly found success. ... Served as a great play-action target for Mount Baker’s heavy run game. ... Finished with 623 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 31 receptions. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Nick Bartel

Ferndale

Sr.

Offensive line

Monster O-lineman at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds and used size to bulldoze defenders. ... Helped lead the way for Ferndale’s potent rushing attack and 6.0 yard-per-rush average this season. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Mason Bass

Mount Baker

Sr.

Defensive back

Showed strong leadership and impressive pass defense in becoming one of the top secondary players in the Northwest Conference. ... Threw for 1,292 yards and 14 touchdowns as starting quarterback. ... First-team All-NWC pick as quarterback and defensive back.

T.J. Bass

Mount Baker

Jr.

Defensive line

A standout on both sides of the line. ... Paved big holes blocking for Jed Schleimer and caught 13 passes for 225 yards and three TDs. ... A disruptive force on the defensive line. ... A Class 1A AP All-State first-team pick as a defensive lineman and All-NWC first-team tight end and D-lineman.

Taylor Bellefeuille

Ferndale

Sr.

Linebacker

A small linebacker at 5-foot-7, 175 pounds, but arguably the most sound tackler in the Northwest Conference. ... The unquestioned leader on Ferndale’s defense that held opponents to 143.7 yards rushing per game. ... A first-team All-NWC selection.

Free Borsey

Lummi

Jr.

Linebacker

Split time between linebacker and defensive end, recording 108 unassisted tackles and 14 sacks. ... Recorded four interceptions and caught 58 passes for 1,118 yards and 23 touchdowns. ... Led Lummi to state championship game. ... First-team All-NWFL selection.

Raven Borsey

Lummi

Jr.

Defensive back

Split time between corner and defensive end, recording 58 unassisted tackles with seven sacks. ... Logged 11 interceptions and caught 51 passes for 1,048 yards and 17 touchdowns. ... Led Lummi to state championship game. ... First-team All-NWFL selection.

Jacob Burgoon

Squalicum

Sr.

Offensive line

Became arguably the top lineman for the Storm and one of the best in Northwest Conference. ... Helped keep Garrett Sorenson upright and led the way for Squalicum’s 5.0 yards per rush. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Jake Burns

Squalicum

Jr.

Defensive line

Showed off a nice blend of speed and athleticism and was a disruptive force up front. ... Had a true nose for the football and made life tough on offenses as a pass rusher and run stopper. ... Helped limit offenses to 4.7 yards per carry. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Chad Cohn

Mount Baker

Sr.

Offensive line

Like T.J. Bass, another big reason behind running back Jed Schleimer’s record-setting year. ... A big body and a real defensive line mover that helped Mount Baker’s offense tremendously. ... A first-team All-NWC selection as an offensive and defensive lineman.

Nick Dritsas

Meridian

Sr.

Running back

The “heart and soul” of the team according to Bob Ames. ... Showed extreme versatility on offense and was a standout in the secondary. ... Finished with 1,021 yards and 12 TDs on 178 carries and logged 736 receiving yards and 10 scores on 42 receptions. ... Selected All-NWC 1A Co-MVP.

Jonathan Ehlers

Mount Baker

Jr.

Kicker

Followed in the footsteps of Zane Smith and enjoyed a tremendous year as Mount Baker’s placekicker. ... Booted through five field goals, converted 55 extra points and even ran for a score. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Josh Fakkema

Blaine

Sr.

Tight end

A big-bodied athlete who was a strong target in the pass game and a tremendous blocker. ... Finished with 230 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 14 receptions and helped pave the way for Riley Fritsch to run for 1,166 yards. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Brenten Fox

Meridian

Jr.

Offensive line

Emerged as one of the better blockers among the 1A Northwest Conference teams and assembled a quality lineup of pancake blocks. ... Helped pave way for running back Nick Dritsas’ big year. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Riley Fritsch

Blaine

Jr.

Running back

Small stature but a workhorse back for the Borderites, who for the second straight year eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing. ... Finished with 1,166 and 13 touchdowns on 211 carries. ... Six times ran for more than 100 yards. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Nathan Gomes

Lynden

Sr.

Defensive line

Did a lot of dirty work in the interior of Lynden’s defensive line, but as the season rolled along made his share of plays. ... Helped the Lions’ defense play some of its better ball toward the end of the year. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Chris Hernandez

Ferndale

Sr.

Defensive line

When healthy and playing at top speed there may be no more dominant lineman in the Northwest Conference. ... A pillar in the middle of Ferndale’s massive defensive line who helped plugged holes and made plenty plays. ... A second-team All-NWC selection.

Nate Hielkema

Lynden Christian

Sr.

Wide receiver

Emerged as Lynden Christian’s go-to receiver and constantly came up with big plays, evidenced by his 27.8 average-yards-per-catch mark. ... Finished with 779 receiving yards and an NWC-best 11 touchdowns on 28 receptions. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Player

School

Yr.

Position

James Hinson

Ferndale

So.

Defensive back

Matured nicely as Ferndale’s starting quarterback, but was even better playing in the secondary. ... Used 6-foot-2 height and athletic ability to significantly boost Golden Eagles’ pass defense that allowed only 125.2 points per game. ... A second-team All-NWC selection.

Austin Honeycutt

Ferndale

Sr.

Running back

A bruising back who ran with authority throughout the year and punished defenders. ... Ran for 1,233 yards and 14 touchdowns on 189 carries. ... Ran for a season-high 224 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries against Sedro-Woolley. ... First-team All-NWC selection at running back and defensive line.

Noah King

Lynden

Sr.

Wide receiver

One of the better athletes in the Northwest Conference and became a great one-two receiving punch with Jordan Wittenberg. ... Finished fifth in the NWC with 691 receiving yards on 48 catches and scored five touchdowns. ... Returned a kick and a fumble back for a touchdown. ... A second-team All-NWC selection.

Vadim Kotsyuba

Mount Baker

Sr.

Defensive back

The one real leftover from last year’s strong secondary unit and provided strong play all season long. ... An impactful tackler who helped Mount Baker limit opposing offenses and was pivotal in the run game. ... A first-team All-NWC selection.

Trazil Lane

Lummi

Jr.

All-purpose

Missed the season’s first few games but added a whole new game-breaking element to Lummi’s offense upon return. ... Finished with 1,144 yards and 22 touchdowns on 46 receptions. ... Had seven interceptions on defense and ran back three for TDs. ... A first-team All-NWFL selection.

Jensen Mayberry

Lynden

Sr.

Linebacker

A big, physical player who helped set the tone for Lynden’s defense. ... Led the Lions in tackling with 61 tackles and 48 assists. ... Helped hold opponents to 4.4 rush yards per game. ... First-team All-NWC selection at linebacker and offensive line.

Gavin Mumford

Lynden Christian

Jr.

Linebacker

Shouldered less of the running back duties to focus on leading the Lyncs’ defense and was impressive in doing so. ... Headlined an LC defense that seemed to get better as the year went along and was a sound tackler. ... A first-team All-NWC selection.

Tanner Patrick

Sehome

Sr.

Linebacker

A bright spot for a Sehome team that couldn’t overcome myriad injuries at important spots. ... Gave Sehome’s defense a physical edge and made several crushing tackles teamming with Zach Zimmerman. ... A second-team All-NWC selection.

Ben Peterson

Squalicum

Jr.

Wide receiver

A big-time playmaker who did a bit of everything for the NWC champion Storm. ... Caught 33 passes for 784 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 220 yards and three TDs. ... Had four defensive or kick return TDs and was invaluable on defense. ... Selected All-NWC 2A/3A MVP.

Taylor Rapp

Sehome

Sr.

Defensive back

One of the most gifted athletes to come through Whatcom County in some time and displayed it at safety. ... Made as much of an impact as he could for a Mariners team that had struggled at times. ... University of Washington commit, Class 2A All-State AP first-team pick and a NWC first-team selection.

Sterling Somers

Lynden

Sr.

Quarterback

A dual-threat quarterback with a talented arm. ... Completed 140 of 214 passes for 1,948 yards and 20 touchdowns with five interceptions. ... Ran for 507 yards and six touchdowns. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Garrett Sorenson

Squalicum

Jr.

Quarterback

Thrived in his first-year starting under center, taking advantage of Squalicum’s many offensive weapons. ... Completed 125 of 207 passes for a NWC-best 1,980 yards and 21 touchdowns with six interceptions. .... Led Storm to perfect regular season and NWC title. ... Second-team All-NWC selection.

Caleb Starkovich

Squalicum

Sr.

Defensive line

Manned defensive line with high-energy play for what was arguably the most athletic defense in the Northwest Conference. ... Added to the Storm’s physical nature and made several big plays throughout the year. ... Second-team All-NWC selection.

John-Mark Stromberg

Lynden Christian

Sr.

Offensive line

Became one of the better Class 1A Northwest Conference linemen, giving Lynden Christian a much-needed physical presence along both lines. ... Helped pave the way for running back David Bladies’ big season. ... A first-team All-NWC pick as offensive and defensive lineman.

Jack Wendling

Squalicum

Jr.

Linebacker

Became central command for many of Squalicum’s big plays on defense. ... Used rare combination of size, speed, and physicality to chase running backs sideline to sideline and also get after quarterbacks in the rush game. ... A big piece to Squalicum’s overall success. ... First-team All-NWC selection.

Josiah Westbrook

Squalicum

Sr.

Wide receiver

Missed several games, but no denying talent level and catching ability. ... Finished with 451 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 28 receptions. ... Helped Squalicum finish regular season undefeated and capture NWC title. ... Second-team All-NWC selection.

Jordan Wittenberg

Lynden

Sr.

Wide receiver

Wittenberg was Lynden quarterback Sterling Somers’ top target and for good reason. ... The athletic, dynamic receiver recorded league highs in receptions (53) and yards (847) and had eight touchdowns and also ran for a pair of scores. .. First-team All-NWC selection at receiver and defensive back.

Kolton Zender

Mount Baker

Sr.

Offensive line

Like T.J. Bass and Chad Cohn, was pivotal to the running success of Jed Schleimer. ... Also became one of the better linebackers in all the Northwest Conference. ... Class 1A AP All-State first-team selection on the offensive line and an All-NWC first-team pick on the O-line and at linebacker.