NOOKSACK – Mount Baker got things rolling quickly, scoring 21 points in the first quarter, and they defeated Nooksack Valley 55-21 at Sid Lambert Field on Friday night.
Less than two minutes into the game, Mountaineer’s linebacker Jay Allen blocked a punt and Toby Jefferson scooped it up and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. The Pioneers answered right back when junior running back Cole Eldridge scored for four yards out, and it looked like it was going to be a shoot out.
That was when Mount Baker junior running back Jason Lee took a hand off, and bolted 59 yards for a touchdown. He followed a tremendous block by senior Braeden Shannon who happened to be pulling on the play, from his center position. Quite rare to see a center pull, especially in high school, but he took out a pair of Pioneers to lead the path for Lee on the long touchdown run.
On the ensuing kickoff, perhaps thinking it was going to be a slugfest back and forth, the Mounties attempted a surprise on-side kick. Mount Baker senior Colton Harkness recovered, and Lee scored on a 49-yard touchdown run on the very next play, giving all of the momentum to the side of the visiting Mountaineers. This touchdown run was sprung by a great block thrown by guard Owyn Alvino-Vance.
Baker senior speedster Kobee Malone carried the ball just twice in the first half, scoring touchdowns on both runs. Quarterback Kaleb Bass scored his 10th touchdown of the season in the third quarter and Lee scored his third touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter.
Pioneer quarterback Austin O’Bryan completed 23-of-41 passes for 240 yards and he also ran for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Eldridge led Nooksack Valley on the ground with 51 yards on 15 carries, and in receptions with seven. Wide receivers Evan Neitling and Ty Rawls each caught six passes.
Senior running back Sam Barrett closed out the scoring for Mount Baker when he ripped off a 65-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Despite the lopsided score, the Pioneers had several players on defense make big plays. Eldridge and Rawls each intercepted a pass, linebacker Cooper Clawson had a fumble recovery and there was a tackle for loss by O’Bryan, Landon Bruland, Easton Zylstra, Jordan Prink and Dane Winter.
Lee had a great all around game for the red and black attack. He ran for 211 yards on just nine carries, he also totaled 83 yard in kick returns, intercepted a pass and kicked six extra points.
Allen led the way defensively with two tackles for loss and the blocked punt earlier in the game. Waylon Kentner also had a pair of tackles for loss to go with a fumble recovery. Barrett had sack, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble, and freshman Davin Beason also had a tackle for loss.
Mount Baker (4-2) will travel to Lynden Christian (5-1) to take on the Lyncs on Friday night, while Nooksack Valley (3-3) will attempt to pick up its first conference win of the season when they travel to Meridian (4-2) to take on the Trojans this Friday night.
Mount Baker 55
Nooksack Valley 21
MB 21 14 6 14 – 55
NV 7 7 0 7 – 21
MB – Jefferson 27 blocked punt return (Lee kick)
NV – Eldridge 4 run (Conner kick)
MB – Lee 59 run (Lee kick)
MB – Lee 49 run (Lee kick)
MB – Malone 19 run (Lee kick)
NV – O’Bryan 5 run (Conner kick)
MB – Malone 10 run (Lee kick)
MB – Bass 1 run (kick failed)
MB – Lee 14 run (Lee kick)
NV – O’Bryan 5 run (Conner kick)
MB – Barrett 65 run (Zavala kick)
MB NV
35-424 Rushing Att-Yards 34-146
4-7-2 Comp-Att-Int 25-43-2
134 Passing yards 256
Individual Leaders
RUSHING – MB: Lee 9-211, Barrett 13-119, Malone 3-51, Jefferson 4-38, Bass 5-6, Rodriguez 1-(-1). NV: Eldridge 15-51, O’Bryan 12-48, Neitling 3-30, Lackey 4-17.
PASSING – MB: Bass 4-7-2-134. NV: O’Bryan 23-41-2-240, Eldridge 2-2-0-16.
RECEIVING – MB: M. Kentner 3-80, W. Kentner 1-54. NV: Eldridge 7-67, Neitling 6-82, Rawls 6-42, Boersema 3-35, Whittern 2-27, Averys 1-3.
