BY MAKAYLA SPARKS – For Whatcom Preps
NOOKSACK – Just as predicted, it was a packed house at Sid Lambert Field on Friday night, where two Top 10 ranked 1A schools faced off. The unexpected part was No. 8 ranked Lynden Christian Lyncs completing the upset victory over No. 5 ranked Nooksack Valley Pioneers, 21- 20.
The Pioneers got on the scoreboard first, after receiving the opening kickoff Nooksack Valley junior running back Colton Lentz broke off a 45-yard run to bring his team into Lync territory. From there, senior kicker Jorgen Vigre put one through the uprights for a 34-yard field goal.
Up 3-0, Nooksack forced an LC punt and with 24 seconds left in the quarter, Lentz scored his first touchdown of the game on 7-yard run to the left of his offensive line. The first quarter ended 10-0 for the Pioneers.
A minute and a half into the second quarter, Lyncs senior quarterback Jeremiah Wright scored his team’s first points on an 8-yard run touchdown run, that was set up by a 45-yard pass to senior tight end Kayden Stuit.
With the score sitting at 10-7 in Nooksack Valley’s favor, LC stifled the powerful Pioneer offense and took the ball back on a punt. They converted a fourth down on an offsides penalty but Nooksack Valley junior defensive back, Evan Bravo, picked off a Lyncs’ pass.
The ensuing drive concluded in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Pioneer senior quarterback Joey Brown to Lentz.
Nooksack Valley took the halftime lead, 17-7.
Lynden Christian opened the second half by punting the ball away to Nooksack Valley. The Pioneers worked four minutes off the clock before Vigre kicked is second field goal of the game and handed his team another three points.
LC turned the ball over on downs on their next drive after completing one fourth down conversation, but Nooksack Valley had to punt it back on its next drive. The third quarter ended 20-7 in favor of the Pioneers.
With one quarter left in regulation, the Lyncs turned the jets on. The fourth quarter started with a touchdown pass from Wright to Dawson Bouma on a quick pass in which the senior wide receiver raced across the field and scored from 30 yards out which closed the scoring gap to 20-14.
Lynden Christian suffocated the Nooksack Valley’s offense and gained possession after forcing another punt. However, the Pioneers quickly regained possession when sophomore cornerback Cole Coppinger, who was filling in for an injured Wayne Silves, intercepted a Lynden Christian pass.
Once again, Nooksack was unable to capitalize and punted the ball back to LC, and with 6:15 to go in the game, the Lyncs needed to drive 60 yards.
Quick passes and short runs helped Lynden Christian move down the field, and it’s biggest gain on the drive was on a defensive pass interference, which gave the Lyncs the ball 1st-and-10 at the Pioneer 24-yard line with 2:47 left in the game.
10-yard passes to Bouma and Tyson Bajema moved LC inside the Nooksack Valley 5-yard line, and the Lyncs broke out their wishbone formation.
Three plays later, on his only carry of the game, Stuit tied the score with 25 seconds to go on a 1-yard touchdown run. The successful extra point by sophomore kicker Jacob Penner gave Lynden Christian their first and only lead of the game.
The following kickoff was recovered by Bajema, which ultimately ended the contest.
The Lyncs (4-2) will continue conference play at Meridian (3-3), and the Pioneers (4-2) will host Mount Baker (2-4). Both games are on Friday at 7:00.
Lynden Christian 21
Nooksack Valley 20
LC 0 7 0 14 - 21
NV 10 7 3 0 - 20
NV - Vigre 34 FG
NV - Lentz 7 run (Vigre kick)
LC - Wright 8 run (Penner kick)
NV - Lentz 21 pass from J. Brown (Vigre kick)
NV - Vigre 25 FG
LC - Bouma 30 pass from Wright (Penner kick)
LC - Stuit 1 run (Penner kick)
LC NV
28-69 Rush Att-Yards 37-200
21-30-2 Comp-Att-Int 7-14-0
226 Passing Yards 106
Individual Leaders
RUSHING - LC: H. Owen 18-43, Wright 9-25, Stuit 1-1. NV: Lentz 15-111, Whittern 14-88, Bennett 1-10, Olney 1-(-2), J. Brown 6-(-7).
PASSING - LC: Wright 21-30-2-226. NV: J. Brown 7-14-0-106.
RECEIVING - LC: Bouma 6-87, Stuit 6-83, Bouwman 5-23, Bajema 4-33. NV: Bennett 3-61, Bravo 2-22, Lentz 1-21, Olney 1-2.
