BY JEFF WOOD – For Whatcom Preps
BLAINE – On a blustery night, Lynden Christian used its explosive offense to put points on the board early and often, beating Connell 41-20 and advancing to the state 1A quarterfinals.
After a long bus ride covering over 300 miles, the Eagles could not get anything going on the opening drive and were forced to punt. A bad snap gave the ball to LC at the 8-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage for the Lyncs, senior quarterback Jeremiah Wright found fellow senior tight end Brody Bouwman for an uncontested touchdown over the middle.
Connell answered with its best drive of the night that was assisted by two 15-yard penalties. The Eagle drive was capped by a fourth-and-one dive into the end zone by junior quarterback Carson Lloyd.
The ensuing extra point was blocked by Tyson Bajema preserving a LC 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. That was as close as the Eagles would get on the night as the Lyncs then rattled off 34 consecutive points.
A balanced second drive had Wright connecting with senior wide receivers Bajema and Dawson Bouma. Junior running back Hollis Owen was steady all night from the single back set.
His 10-yard run preceded Wright’s 25-yard TD run pushing the LC lead to 13-6 as the try was blocked.
Still within striking distance, Connell hit a couple long pass plays getting them into LC territory. However, the Eagles fumbled, and it was recovered by junior safety Jayden Huleatt which gave the ball back to LC on its own 20-yard line.
The Kayden Stuit show then commenced.
Four catches covering 80 yards and ending in an Lyncs touchdown showcased the EWU-bound athlete’s speed, strength, and tenacity.
The LC defense quickly gave the ball back to its offense and a second consecutive touchdown grab by Stuit on a slant route put the Lynden Christian lead at 27-6.
The second quarter ended after some short drives by each team and unfortunately an injury to Lloyd, the Connell quarterback.
The third quarter is when the wind, which had been present from the start, really picked up. The gusts made the passing game difficult for both teams.
Connell kept playing hard but was unable to get much going. A third and final Wright to Stuit touchdown connection from 9 yards were the first points of the half giving the Lyncs a 34-6 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Shortly into the fourth quarter, Bouwman stepped in front of a pass to the flat and looked to be headed to paydirt only to be tackled on the 1-yard line. After a false start penalty, Wright capped off a fine night (167 yards passing and 63 yards rushing) for the dual threat QB with a 4-yard touchdown run.
Connell put up two late scores against LC’s reserves before the rain really picked up, making the final score 41-20.
Lynden Christian (8-2) will play the winner of the Nooksack Valley/Cascade Christian game next weekend, most likely at Civic Stadium.
Lynden Christian 41 Connell 20 CON 6 0 0 14 - 20 LC 13 14 7 7 - 41 LC - Bouwman 8 pass from Wright (Penner kick) CON - 1 yard touchdown run (kick blocked) LC - Wright 25 run (kick blocked) LC - Stuit 8 pass from Wright (Penner kick) LC - Stuit 11 pass from Wright (Penner kick) LC - Stuit 9 pass from Wright (Penner kick) LC - Wright 4 run (Penner kick) CON - 8 yard touchdown run (kick good) CON - 3 yard touchdown run (kick good) CON LC 40-72 Rush Att-Yards 26-105 12-29-1 Comp-Att-Int 17-23-1 161 Passing Yards 165 Individual Leaders RUSHING - CON: N/A. LC: Wright 8-63, H. Owen 9-32, Johnson 6-11, DenHartog 2-2, Maberry 1-(-3). PASSING - CON: N/A. LC: Wright 16-22-1-167, Maberry 1-1-0-(-2). RECEIVING - CON: N/A. LC: Stuit 6-100, Bajema 4-29, Bouma 3-26, Bouwman 2-9, H. Owen 1-4, Moorlag 1-(-2).
