LYNDEN – For much of last season, the Lyncs were ranked as the top team in the state for their classification, but late season losses prevented them from making the state tournament.
This season, they left no doubt as Lynden Christian defeated Mount Baker 49-13 on Thursday night to secure the 1A Northwest Conference Championship and a state berth.
The Lyncs started out with a bang, on the second play from scrimmage senior linebacker Kayden Stuit recovered a fumble on the Mountaineer 38-yard line. On the very next play senior quarterback Jeremiah Wright swept to his left, lateraled the ball to senior wide receiver Dawson Bouma who was sprinting in the opposite direction, and he then unloaded a pass downfield that resulted in a touchdown to Stuit.
LC went on to score on its next drive, with junior running back Hollis Owen who powered into the end zone from 10 yards away and the Lyncs led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Wright tossed three touchdown passes in the second quarter alone, his first on a slant to senior Tyson Bajema for 16 yards. The other two were both caught by Stuit, one a 17-yarder and the other from 10 yards out.
The Lyncs blocked a punt late in the first half, which set them up with great field position to score one last time before the half, but a pass to the outside was picked off by Mount Baker junior linebacker Brady Bruland who sprinted 86 yards for a touchdown.
It was the fourth different way (rushing, receiving, kickoff return, interception return) that he scored a touchdown this season, and the two teams went into the locker room with Lynden Christian holding a 35-6 halftime lead.
Wright tossed his fourth touchdown pass of the game in the third quarter, this time on a post route to Bouma who turned on the jets for a 67-yard touchdown.
LC also began the fourth quarter with a score when Wright stripped the football, picked it up with one hand and waltzed into the end zone from 11 yards out. It was the second week in a row that he had scored a defensive touchdown.
The Mountaineers scored one last touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard counter run by senior Bryson Moa.
Stuit headed up the strong Lynden Christian defensive charge with 14.5 tackles, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Mount Baker was led on defense by Bruland who not only had the pick-six, but also had a team-high 6.5 tackles and a tackle for a loss.
The Lyncs (7-2) will be off next week, and they will await their fate from the seeding committee for the state tournament, and the Mountaineers (3-6), who will miss the state playoffs for the first time since 2011, will host Squalicum (3-6) on Thursday at 6:00.
Lynden Christian 49 Mount Baker 13 MB 0 6 0 7 - 13 LC 14 21 7 7 - 49 LC - Stuit 38 pass from Bouma (Penner kick) LC - H. Owen 10 run (Penner kick) LC - Bajema 16 pass from Wright (Penner kick) LC - Stuit 17 pass from Wright (Penner kick) LC - Stuit 10 pass from Wright (Penner kick) MB - Bruland 86 interception return (kick failed) LC - Bouma 67 pass from Wright (Penner kick) LC - Wright 11 fumble return (Penner kick) MB - B. Moa 4 run (Staton kick) MB LC 36-126 Rush Att-Yards 25-86 2-6-1 Comp-Att-Int 19-27-2 31 Passing Yards 336 Individual Leaders RUSHING - MB: D. Moa 11-38, Hanstead 2-26, B. Moa 3-24, Bruland 10-22, K. Moa 1-9, Smith 6-6, Cooper 2-3, Maloley 1-(-2). LC: H. Owen 17-37, Wright 5-36, Johnson 2-13, Maberry 1-0. PASSING - MB: Smith 2-6-1-31. LC: Wright 14-22-1-239, Bouma 1-1-0-38, DenHartog 1-2-1-36, Maberry 3-3-0-23. RECEIVING - MB: Staton 1-26, Hanstead 1-5. LC: Bouma 5-140, Stuit 4-100, Bajema 4-42, DenHartog 3-23, Bouwman 2-28, Trey Blair 1-3.
