Yes, there will be another preview tomorrow to look at the rest of the Week 10 games. Today, let’s look at what we know will happen. Meridian will finish its season down in South Whidbey, while Mount Baker, Nooksack Valley and Lynden Christian will battle at Blaine for two 1A State Playoffs spots.
MERIDIAN (5-4) AT SOUTH WHIDBEY (8-1)
Time: 5:30 PM Thursday
Site: South Whidbey High School
What to expect: The Trojans have dominated South Whidbey over the years, but these aren’t your normal Falcons. South Whidbey is averaging 45.4 points per game, and that’s going to be the biggest thing on Meridian’s mind. Forcing turnovers and making tackles will be the biggest thing for Meridian, and if they are able to force the Falcons to make mistakes, the Trojans will need to take advantage of them.
Player to watch: Sophomore running back/strong safety Landen Downey. One of the most versatile players in Whatcom County this season, he can do a little bit of everything. He’s a powerful runner between the tackles, a dynamic receiver, a playmaker on defense and he can punt pretty well, too.
Historical significance: These two teams have played each other six times over the years, including five years in a row (1999-2003) when the two teams were in the North Cascades Conference. The Trojans easily won all six contests, with the closest game coming in 2003 when Meridian won 56-20.
Moving up the record book: Only seven players in school history have intercepted at least 10 passes in their career. Hunter Jones is one of them, as he currently sits at 11. The other six are Jeff Bennum (15), Kenny Shockey (14), Joel Pears (14), Sean Hurlbut (12), Zach Slesk (12) and Mitchell Tripp (10).
MOUNT BAKER (5-4) – NOOKSACK VALLEY (7-1) – LYNDEN CHRISTIAN (8-1)
Time: 5:00 PM Thursday
Site: Blaine High School
It’s going to be a battle at the border, as these three teams are competing for two state playoff spots. The night will start with Mount Baker and Nooksack Valley facing off in a Kansas City Tie Breaker. The winner of that contest will get an automatic bid into the state tournament. The loser will face Lynden Christian immediately after. The winner of the second contest will also get a bid into the state tournament, and the loser of that game will be ousted from postseason competition.
Predicted Starting Lineups:
Nooksack Valley Offense: QB - Joey Brown RB - Colton Lentz WR - Jackson Bennett WR - Cory Olney WR - Evan Bravo TE - Ryan Hughes LT - Brady Ackerman LG - Duke Halaapiapi C - Cian Coppinger RG - John Stremler RT - Dalton Hickey Nooksack Valley Defense: DE - John Stremler DT - Duke Halaapiapi DT - Cian Coppinger DE - Brady Ackerman LB - Daemion Perez LB - Colby Martin CB - Thomas Abell-Stean CB - Wayne Silves SS - Colton Lentz SS - Ryan Hughes FS - Cory Olney Mount Baker Offense: QB - Landon Smith RB - Marcques George RB - Wilhem Maloley WB - Landen Hanstead WR - Tanyen Staton TE - Dylan Moa LT - Alex Maloley LG - Ethan Larson C - Vance Lawrence RG - Drake Pinkey RT - Jesse Harward Mount Baker Defense: DE - Ethan Larson DT - Jesse Harward DT - Drake Pinkey DE - Alex Maloley OLB - Marcques George MLB - Dylan Moa OLB - Brady West CB - Landen Hanstead CB - Hayden Rosse SS - Wilhem Maloley FS - Landon Smith Lynden Christian Offense: QB - Jeremiah Wright WR - Tyler Sipma WR - Tyson Bajema WR - Lane Dykstra WR - Braden Kuik WR - Kayden Stuit LT - Carter Seigman LG - James Dick C - Tommy Meyer RG - Jason Veenstra RT - Tyler Myhre Lynden Christian Defense: DE - Treven Blair NT - Jacob Tolsma DE - Carter Seigman OLB - Jeremiah Wright ILB - Brody Bouwman ILB - Kayden Stuit OLB - Braden Kuik CB - Tyler Sipma CB - Mick Owen S - Lane Dykstra S - Tyson Bajema
