BY MAKAYLA SPARKS – for Whatcom Preps
LYNDEN – After last year’s 8-1 Lynden Christian team missed the playoffs and Bellevue Christians’ 6-4 team made the playoffs, it felt like the Lyncs had something to prove when the two faced off on Saturday. They did just that as they put together a 64-6 win over the Vikings.
The first scoring of the game came from a safety after Bellevue Christian snapped the ball over the head of their quarterback. Twenty seconds later, LC senior quarterback Jeremiah Wright connected with senior receiver Tyson Bajema for a 15-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 9-0 in favor of the Lyncs.
LC’s next touchdown was set up by a Bellevue Christian fumble recovered by Lynden Christian’s senior defensive lineman Malachi VanderMey. Three plays later, junior running back Hollis Owen scored from a yard out.
With 5:49 to go in the first quarter LC senior Treven Blair intercepted a Vikings pass attempt. The next play was a 53-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Thomas DenHartog to senior Dawson Bouma expanding the Lyncs’ lead to 23-0.
The quarter ended with a fumble recovery for Bellevue Christian. Unable to make anything happen, they started the second quarter by punting the ball away.
The Lyncs took over possession on their own 30 yard line and just under a minute later, LC’s third quarterback to see action in the game sophomore Eli Maberry found Bajema, and the end zone, on a 66-yard pass. After another Bellevue punt, DenHartog returned to the field, throwing another touchdown pass to Bouma, this one going for 30 yards.
The Bellevue punt and LC scoring pattern continued through the second as the Vikings punted two more times and the Lyncs scored two more touchdowns. The first of these touchdowns was a 19-yarder by junior Mick Owen, and the second was 17-yard touchdown run by sophomore Treyson Johnson. The result was 51-0 Lync lead heading into half time.
With a running clock ticking time away, Lynden Christian didn’t lose any momentum in the second half. Converting two fourth downs, the LC junior running back Austin Engels rushed for five yards on the only score of the third quarter, putting LC up 57-0 with one quarter of play left.
Six and a half minutes into the fourth quarter, Lynden Christian reached the end zone one last time with a one yard run by sophomore Hayden Herwerden. With a final effort, Bellevue Christian made their best play of the afternoon returning the ensuing kickoff 87 yards and gathering in their only score of the game.
The Viking touchdown made the score 64-6 for LC and that’s what the scoreboard read at the end of the game.
Lynden Christian totaled over 500 yards of offense over the course of the game, and it allowed just 29 yards.
Defensively, junior linebacker Trey Bosman had the team high of 7.5 tackles and VanderMey accounted for 4.5 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Senior defensive lineman Levi DeKoster recorded 2.5 tackles and 2 tackles for a loss, and Eastern Washington Commit senior Kayden Stuit had 4 tackles and a tackle for a loss. Blair, along side of his interception, had 2.5 tackles and a tackle for a loss.
The Lyncs (2-1) will stay at home and face the defending state-champion Royal Knights (3-0) at 2pm on Saturday.
Lynden Christian 64 Bellevue Christian 6 BC 0 0 0 6 - 6 LC 23 28 6 7 - 64 LC - Safety, ball snapped out of end zone LC - Bajema 15 pass from Wright (Penner kick) LC - H. Owen 1 run (Penner kick) LC - Bouma 53 pass from DenHartog (Penner kick) LC - Bajema 66 pass from Maberry (Penner kick) LC - Bouma 30 pass from DenHartog (Penner kick) LC - M. Owen 19 pass from Maberry (Penner kick) LC - Johnson 17 run (Penner kick) LC - Engels 5 run (pass failed) LC - Herwerden 1 run (Penner kick) BC - 87 yard kickoff return touchdown (run failed) BC LC 24-20 Rush Att-Yards 30-225 2-8-1 Comp-Att-Int 10-13-0 9 Passing Yards 279 Individual Leaders RUSHING - BC: N/A. LC: H. Owen 7-105, Johnson 6-65, Engels 8-34, Herwerden 5-26, DenHartog 4-(-5). PASSING - BC: N/A. LC: Wright 2-4-0-51, Maberry 3-3-0-121, DenHartog 5-6-0-107. RECEIVING - BC: N/A. LC: Bajema 3-117, Bouma 2-83, Moorlag 2-3, Hubbard 1-36, Vander Veen 1-21, M. Owen 1-19.
