BELLINGHAM – With heavy winds throughout the game, Nooksack Valley resorted to a power run game and rode it all the way to a 23-12 victory over Zillah in the first round of the 1A state football playoffs at Civic Stadium on Saturday night.
Already without the 1A NWC Offensive Player of the Year, Colton Lentz, for the game, the Pioneers looked to running back Colby Martin to power the offense. The 205-pound senior bruiser responded with 78 hard-earned yards on 13 carries, but it was senior Cory Olney that stole the show.
A four-year starter at wide receiver and free safety, Olney was asked to carry the load in the backfield throughout the game, and he was up for the task.
His first touchdown of the game came in the second quarter, and when freshman Tyler Martin’s 30-yard extra point (due to a penalty) cut through the wind and split the uprights, the Pioneers led 7-6.
The Leopards scored their second rushing touchdown of the game in the third quarter, and took a 12-7 lead by doing so. However, Olney would look to his offensive line as they together put the team on their collective backs.
Going into the fierce wind in the fourth quarter, and down 12-7, Olney carried the 11 times for 52 yard in the final period alone. He also had the go-ahead touchdown from two yards out, ran in the two-point conversion, and later scored on a powerful 11-yard run that saw him break tackle after tackle before willing himself across the goal line with less than a minute to go to put the final stamp on the contest.
The follow-up conversion was just icing on the cake as multiple penalties backed the Pioneers up 30 yards. Nooksack Valley still found a way to convert as junior quarterback Evan Brown found wide receiver Evan Bravo on a short pass, and the speedy senior took care of the rest down the left sideline.
Olney finished with 165 yards rushing on 28 carries, while also catching a team-high four passes.
Brown was a perfect 10-for-10 through the air, becoming just the third player in Whatcom County history to attempt at least 10 passes in a game with throwing an incompletion. He joined Mount Baker’s Mark Lehman, who was 10-for-10 against King’s in 1973, and Sehome’s Daniel Ziegler who was 12-for-12 against Anacortes in 2012.
The Pioneer defense held Zillah to just 171 yards of total offense on 48 plays, and got its biggest play from senior defensive end Lance VanBerkum who registered a sack late in the game on fourth down, which set up the final score of the game.
Nooksack Valley (9-2) will now battle Cashmere (9-1) at the Apple Bowl in Wenatchee at 1:00 on Saturday for a chance to get to the semifinals for the third year in a row.
Nooksack Valley 23 Zillah 12 ZIL 6 0 6 0 - 12 NV 0 7 0 16 - 23 ZIL - 1 yard touchdown run (run failed) NV - Olney 11 run (T. Martin kick) ZIL - 2 yard touchdown run (run failed) NV - Olney 2 run (Olney run) NV - Olney 11 run (Bravo pass from Brown) ZIL NV 35-153 Rush Att-Yards 42-234 4-13-0 Comp-Att-Int 10-10-0 18 Passing Yards 101 Individual Leaders RUSHING - ZIL: N/A. NV: Olney 28-165, Martin 13-78, Brown 1-(-9). PASSING - ZIL: N/A. NV: Brown 10-10-0-101. RECEIVING - ZIL: N/A. NV: Olney 4-20, Bravo 3-63, Coppinger 2-11, Bauman 1-7.
