Welcome to week two! There were some great games last week, and some fantastic performances. I’m excited to see what this week of games will bring, and we’ll see how our predictions go!
Again, I will be joined by my colleagues: Eric Trent of the Lynden Tribune, Ryland Spencer of Cascadia Preps and local broadcaster Jeff Bearden. Ryland, Jeff and I all went 6-1 last week, and Eric is a game behind us at 5-2. There are few more different picks this week, and it could cause some separation
I would like to thank Donny Finkbonner for being our guest picker this week. A 1986 graduate of Ferndale, Donny was arguably the best skill player in Whatcom County in the entire decade of the 1980’s. As a three-year starter at cornerback, he was named All-League 2nd Team in his sophomore season and he was named All-League 1st Team in both his junior and senior seasons. He was also an All-State 1st Team pick as a senior at defensive back. As a running back, he was truly dynamic. He scored a touchdown against Shorewood, and saw limited action during the season. He ran for 739 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, while also catching 17 passes for 232 yards and a score. This was back when offensive linemen were not allowed to use their hands at all, so the average yards per carry around the league was around 4. He averaged 9.4 and was named All-League 1st Team. As a senior, he truly had a memorable season. He finished with 1203 yards on the ground, averaging 7.8 yards per carry. He also caught 16 passes for 415 yards (25.9 average). His 29 touchdowns and five 2-point conversions, for a total of 184 points, was an astounding number at the time. His 29 touchdowns in one season stood as the Whatcom County record for 17 years, when Meridian’s Jesse Alderson scored 30 touchdowns in 2002. He was named the Northwest League Offensive Player of the Year, All-State 1st Team, and he was even an honorable mention in USA Today as an All-American. He starred as a running back at Portland State, and ran for 112 yards and five touchdowns in a first-round playoff game against West Chester in 1989.
Now… onto the week two previews.
NOOKSACK VALLEY (0-1) AT GRANITE FALLS (0-1)
Time: 7 PM Friday
Site: Granite Falls High School
When Nooksack Valley has the ball: The running game looked great last week, and the Pioneers will try to keep that going. But, I could see them try to air it out early and often, and maybe save the run game for the end with Dane Winter powering through the middle of the line and Scout Whittern taking fly sweeps. Quarterback Cole Eldridge is getting more and more comfortable with the offense, and he will need to bring his young receivers along.
When Granite Falls has the ball: The Pioneer defense was stout against the run last week with defensive lineman Easton Zylstra leading the charge up front. Look for more of the same, which should force the Tigers into a passing team. First-year varsity corners Nate Steele and Jordan Silva could see a lot of action on the outside.
Player to watch: Levi Harlan will get his first varsity action of the season after missing the first game due to not having enough practices in the preseason. Instead, he was attending boot camp a year early at Fort Benning, Georgia. The lineman will be a great addition..
SEHOME (1-0) AT MOUNT BAKER (1-0)
Time: 7 PM Friday
Site: Bob Tisdale Field
When Sehome has the ball: The Mariners will spread the field, but they will want to run the ball. If it gets bottled up early, look for quarterback Jacob Kaepernick to go to the air. Wide receiver Melloy Nelson caught 10 passes last week, and he did so by finding soft spots in the zone defense. Wide receiver Tim Malo caught six passes in very key situations. The Mountaineer secondary was very active last week, picking off three passes (Tikhonov, Rodriguez and Jacoby), and they will need to have a similar game against Sehome.
When Mount Baker has the ball: The Mounties will be run-heavy, with Toby Jefferson up the middle, Jason Lee off tackle and Ayden Rodriguez on misdirection plays. Senior tight end Waylon Kentner was targeted seven times, and he could be looked for on key third-down situations. Sehome defensive lineman Rylie Bair will try to shoot through the offensive line and stop Baker’s wide running plays. Linebacker Dawson Smith will need to play assignment football and be a sure tackler on plays up the middle.
Matchup to watch: Sehome quarterback Jacob Kaepernick versus Mount Baker safety Jason Lee. Kaepernick went deep a few times down the sideline last week, and wasn’t successful. He will need to be ready for Lee if he decides to throw a deep post.
LORD TWEEDSMUIR (BC) AT BLAINE (1-0)
Time: 7 PM Friday
Site: Blaine High School
When Lord Tweedsmuir has the ball: A lot of great athletes will take the field on offense, and it will be up to the Borderite defense to slow them down. I think they are up for the task after last week’s game. Look for Gavino Rodriguez and Mason Vega to be extremely active in both the stopping the run and the pass, and watch out for the pass rushing abilities of outside linebacker Tyson Kirk.
When Blaine has the ball: The offensive line had a great game last opening up holes for Oscar Caridad, who had his best varsity game with 164 yards rushing and two touchdowns. You can probably look for more of the same, but quarterback Will McKinney is not afraid to air it out. His receivers are coming along nicely, and his presence in the pocket has really grown.
Player to watch for: Senior Kavika Hee will be really fun to watch. The slot receiver on offense, he’s good at getting open, and he doesn’t slow down once he catches the ball. Also a starter at cornerback, he caught four passes for 55 yards and his first varsity touchdown a week ago.
BELLINGHAM (0-1) AT LAKEWOOD (1-0)
Time: 7 PM Friday
Site: Lakewood High School
When Bellingham has the ball: The Red Raiders had me fooled last week. I knew that Morgan Cavalier could play some receiver, and that Cody Tolle was also a quarterback… I just didn’t know they were going to start the game that way, and play the entire game that way. Cavalier is a big, strong athlete that could be a mismatch problem, and running back Jack Fields runs with a purpose every time he touches the ball.
When Lakewood has the ball: Not many coaches will be as creative offensively as the Cougar head coach Dan Teeter, so Bellingham will have to be on its collective toes. I’m hoping that more players will be eligible for this game, so subbing can be a little more frequent. Seniors Jackson Taylor and Andre Triplett had a lot of tackles last week, and they bring a lot of intensity to the game.
Player to watch for: Senior Andre Triplett is a playmaker on both sides of the ball, actually in aspects. He caught a long pass last week, returned some kickoffs, punted and returned an interception 93 yards for a touchdown. Expect him to be all over the field again.
LYNDEN (0-1) AT FERNDALE (0-1)
Time: 7:00 PM Friday
Site: Ferndale High School
When Lynden has the ball: Will we see the rotating quarterbacks? It’s hard to say, but I do know that Coach Van Dalen and his crew will get everything figured out. Running back Steven DiLorenzo could play a much bigger role, and Brock Heppner will make plays, wherever he is lined up. The Golden Eagle defense is good at bringing outside pressure, and forcing the play towards the middle of the field. That is where the young, and fast, linebacking corps can really make some big plays.
When Ferndale has the ball: You know the Golden Eagles are coming out in the Wing-T, and you know that the Lions just saw that formation a ton last week. Aside from some tackling miscues, the defense played pretty well last week, and it’s much easier to defend the Wing-T after you’ve seen it up close and personal. Sophomore tight end Jazen Guillory is a great athlete that could make big plays downfield.
Matchup to watch: Geirean Hatchett on offense against Brock Heppner on defense. The pulling guard will meet up with a defensive end/outside linebacker on many plays, and it could happen a lot in this game. Arguably the two best overall football players in the county could battle head-to-head in this scenario.
SQUALICUM AT ARLINGTON
Time: 7 PM Friday
Site: Arlington High School
When Squalicum has the ball: The Storm had a very balanced game offensively last week, and that can only be a successful formula for coach Nick Lucey. Squalicum had the leading rusher and the leading passer, which points to one thing… the dominant offensive line. LT Brandon Gimse, LG Ben Paz, C Adam Morris, RG Bryson Lamb, and RT Adam McCluskey combine size with athletic ability, and they working great as a collective unit.
When Arlington has the ball: The Eagles like to throw it, and the Storm did an awesome job at getting after the quarterback last week. Linebacker Billy Scammell and defensive lineman Cesar Vasquez each had a pair of sacks, with McCluskey and Lamb also making numerous plays behind the line of scrimmage. The secondary will be tested, but Reed Richardson, Elliott Aslan, Bryce Pennock and Aidan Weston all played a plus game last week, and should improve from week one to week two.
Player to watch for: The most important game in this early season in Whatcom County, the first WesCo 3A North game of the year, and Squalicum and Arlington are a few of the favorites. Look for quarterback Mason Binning to have a big game in what could be a shoot-out.
MERIDIAN AT COLVILLE
Time: 1 PM Saturday
Site: Peshastin-Dryden Sports Complex
When Meridian has the ball: It will be the classic mix of run and pass for the Trojans, and controlling the ball will be key in this game. Running back Trent Martin proved to be a valuable weapon that is equally dangerous taking hand offs as he is lining up as a receiver and running routes. He will need to be involved early and often, and quarterback Cameron Webster will need to make plays on his if things begin to fall apart.
When Colville has the ball: The Trojans will need to swarm to the ball, and make the initial tackle. Webster made too many tackles last week, while playing safety. Colville will likely keep things on the ground, and Meridian will need to make some key third down stops to get off the field.
Player to watch for: The return of Austin Anderson could be huge for Meridian. I wrote earlier about the defense swarming to the ball, and maybe nobody can do that quite like Anderson. He could also get some time at running back, and I am really interested to see him carry the ball. I would imagine he’s going to dish out more punishment than he’s going to take.
