BY MAKAYLA SPARKS – For Whatcom Preps
LYNDEN – It’s not often you see a team win a football game after only scoring one touchdown but that was all the Lynden Lions needed in the rain on Friday night at Rollie Dekoster Field. The Lions upset the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats taking the 7-3 victory and adding their name to the tie at the top of the Northwest 2A Conference.
Everyone knew the weather would play a big factor with rain coming down well before kickoff time.
“We told our kids both teams have to play in it, so we need to embrace it,” Lynden head coach Blake VanDalen said of his team’s mindset regarding the weather. “I told them this is a game you will never forget, win or lose.”
Lynden drove down the field on the first drive of the game, but couldn’t come up with points. However, the Wildcats were even more unsuccessful in making something happen and punted the ball back to the Lions, who gained possession near midfield.
Lynden then managed to get into field goal position but the kick was no good and the first quarter ended scoreless.
The first positive play for the Wildcats happened partial way through the second quarter when the Lions mishandled an Archbishop Murphy punt and the Wildcats recovered it deep in Lynden territory. The Lion defense held them out of the end zone and the game remained scoreless.
Then, with only a few minutes to go in the first half, Lynden drove into Wildcat territory and was knocking on the door of putting points on the board. With 2:52 left, senior quarterback Brant Heppner powered into the end zone from a yard out for the only touchdown of the game. Sophomore kicker Malachi Koenen’s extra point was good and the Lions took a 7-0 lead.
The Wildcats had one last drive before the first half ended but once again the Lynden defense prevented any scoring.
With Lynden holding the momentum coming out of halftime and Archbishop receiving the ball, the Wildcats finally grabbed some points, hammering in a 30-yard field goal at the 6:23 mark of the third quarter.
Still up 7-3 in the fourth quarter, the Lions prevented a Wildcats fourth-down conversation with four minutes to go in the game.
A minute later, with Lynden only needing a couple of first downs to cement the win, the Lion’s coaching staff decided to seal the Wildcat’s fate with their own Wildcat.
The Lions ran onto the field after a timeout, and lined up in the quarterback position was senior tight end Isaiah Oudman. Two first downs later, he had done his job.
“I was ready for it,” Oudman explained. “We’ve been going through it at practice all week, and I was ready to do what I can do.”
Heppner returned to the quarterback slot in victory formation, and two kneel downs later, the Lions were celebrating their upset win by sliding into the muddy end zone.
“This is our home, we defend it,” Oudman said of the win, who also led the team in receiving with three catches for 43 yards.
“To say that we’re tied for first in the toughest conference in the state is something we don’t take lightly…but there’s a lot of work left to be done,” Coach VanDalen stated in regards to being back on top of their conference.
Oudman had a similar sentiment. “We still have two more games, you got to finish it.”
Lynden 7 Archbishop Murphy 3 ATM 0 0 3 0 - 3 LYN 0 7 0 0 - 7 LYN - Heppner 1 run (Mal. Koenen kick) ATM - 30 yard field goal ATM LYN 35-123 Rush Att-Yards 43-146 1-3-0 Comp-Att-Int 9-20-0 -7 Passing Yards 114 Individual Leaders RUSHING - ATM: N/A. LYN: Heppner 24-86, Assink 16-47, Oudman 3-13. PASSING - ATM: N/A. LYN: Heppner 9-20-0-114. RECEIVING - ATM: N/A. LYN: Oudman 3-43, Tigilau 2-26, Assink 2-17, Arango 1-23, Bowler 1-5.
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