BY MAKAYLA SPARKS – For Whatcom Preps
DEMING – With the talent-level between the 1A Northwest Conference teams closer than ever, fans were expecting a great game on Friday night. The matchup between the Nooksack Valley Pioneers and Mount Baker Mountaineers didn’t disappoint as the Pioneer chalked up their first conference win, 34-20, at Bob Tisdale Field.
The game started with the Pioneers forcing the Mountaineers to punt the ball away, and the Mountaineers returning the favor. However, the Pioneer punt was mishandled by the return man and Nooksack Valley senior Evan Bravo fell on top of the loose ball to keep it in the hands of the Pioneers.
Two minutes later, his teammate, senior running back Colton Lentz found the end zone on a four-yard carry and the Pioneers took a 6-0 lead.
Mount Baker answered back with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter when Mountaineer senior quarterback Luke Smith connected with senior running back Brady Bruland on a 22-yard pass to tie the game at 6-6.
As the clock expired on the quarter, Nooksack Valley junior quarterback Evan Brown matched his counterpart with a passing touchdown of his own. Brown found senior Cole Bauman on a 37-yard route and the first quarter ended 12-6 with the Pioneers out in front.
Action slowed down for the next eleven minutes with both defenses forcing punts. But, with a minute and nine seconds to go in the first half, Smith found Bruland for their second touchdown connection of the game and the first Mount Baker lead. The 30-yard pass pushed the Mountaineers ahead 13-12.
It wouldn’t last long.
Just thirty seconds later, Brown matched Smith yet again. He aired one out to Bravo who scurried into the end zone for a 40 yard touchdown reception. Brown kept the ball himself on the two point conversion and charged into the end zone to retake the lead 20-13.
A penalty riddled second half caused struggles for both teams. Finding themselves on 3rd-and-24, Mount Baker took a deep shot down field midway through the second quarter and Bauman stepped in front of it, picking off the ball and handing possession back to his team.
Lentz powered into the end zone from two yards away for his second touchdown four minutes later and the Pioneers had the first two-score lead of the night 27-13.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, Lentz completed his hat trick, finding the end zone one last time on a nine-yard run.
Lentz finished the night with 254 yards rushing on 27 carries.
With Nooksack Valley leading 34-13, Bruland wasn’t done putting on a show for his home crowd. He grabbed the ensuing kickoff and made a handful of defenders miss, before powering to the house 89 yards for his school-record fourth career kickoff return touchdown.
Bruland also led his team in rushing with 73 yards and receiving with 52 yards.
The Pioneers (4-1) will be back home on Friday when they battle Blaine (4-1) at 7:00, and the Mountaineers (4-1) will be at Meridian (4-1) on Friday to take on the Trojans at 7:00.
Nooksack Valley 34 Mount Baker 20 NV 12 8 7 7 - 34 MB 6 7 0 7 - 20 NV - Lentz 4 run (kick failed) MB - Bruland 22 pass from L. Smith (kick failed) NV - Co. Bauman 37 pass from Brown (run failed) MB - Bruland 30 pass from L. Smith (E. Smith kick) NV - Bravo 40 pass from Brown (Brown run) NV - Lentz 2 run (T. Martin kick) NV - Lentz 9 run (T. Martin kick) MB - Bruland 89 kickoff return (E. Smith kick) NV MB 35-282 Rush Att-Yards 34-133 14-25-0 Comp-Att-Int 7-16-1 167 Passing Yards 108 Individual Leaders RUSHING - NV: Lentz 27-254, Olney 4-20, C. Martin 2-4, Brown 2-4. MB: Bruland 13-73, D. Moa 13-48, L. Smith 4-6, Dugger 2-6, Cooper 1-0, K. Moa 1-0. PASSING - NV: Brown 14-25-0-167. MB: L. Smith 7-16-1-108. RECEIVING - NV: Bravo 4-50, Coppinger 3-31, Olney 3-10, Co. Bauman 2-59, D. Ackerman 1-12, Kamphouse 1-5. MB: Dugger 3-42, Bruland 2-52, Allred 2-14.
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