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For the third straight week, several of the Northwest Conference’s best faced each other, an no one made it through unscathed. After several standing eight counts over the past two weeks, all teams need to put the finishing touches on the regular season, and see where the district tournament chips will fall.

For the third straight week, several of the Northwest Conference’s best faced each other, an no one made it through unscathed. After several standing eight counts over the past two weeks, all teams need to put the finishing touches on the regular season, and see where the district tournament chips will fall.

The three-way tizzy between Lynden, Anacortes and Sehome got a lot more interesting this week. They have now all played each other, and each came away with a win and a loss. More on that 2A District RPI triangle, later.

Mount Vernon has established themselves in the middle of the 3A District RPI pack, currently at #7. Oak Harbor is sitting in the 12^th and final position.

In 1A, they still use the old fashioned “league standings” to determine district tournament seeds. Lynden Christian will have the top seed as they are two games in front of Blaine with two games to play, and holds the tiebreaker over the Borderites.

Meridian has a one game lead over Nooksack Valley, plus the head-to-head win, and each has two games to play. Mount Baker will be the fifth seed.

So, let’s get to it.

On Monday in Mount Vernon, the 9-1 Borderites took on the charging 6-4 Bulldogs. If you like offense, this was the week to be a fan. The Bulldogs escaped with an 82-79 win in overtime.

The Borderites jumped out to an 11-2 lead in less than two minutes, but it didn’t end there. With less than three minutes of game gone by, the Borderites led 17-5. Blaine senior Ethan Koreski nailed three 3-pointers in that short stretch.

However, the Bulldogs corrected themselves and behind a balanced offensive attack, trailed by only three at the end of the quarter. From there, the game stayed tight as the teams were tied at halftime, and the Borderites leading 58-57 after three quarters.

After the first quarter, it was the Russ versus Swanson show. Blaine’s 6-5 senior Mathew Russ, and Bulldog junior, and league’s leading scorer, 6-2 Quinn Swanson, went to work.

Russ had just four points at halftime, but his athleticism to get near the rim with his ability to put the finishing touch on shots netted him 15 points in the third quarter, and eight more after that for a total of 27 on the night.

Swanson paced himself, as he scored at least seven points in each quarter, finishing with 36.

In the final minute, they went directly at each other, as Swanson put the Bulldogs up with a drive for two. Russ did the same at the other end to tie the score at 75-75 with 50 seconds left.

Russ then blocked a Swanson shot with 35 seconds left, but neither team could break the tie in the final seconds of regulation.

In overtime, Russ scored with 43 seconds left to bring the Borderites to within 80-79. Then, Swanson hit two free throws with 26 seconds left to build the lead to three. The Borderites last gasp was a long 3-point attempt by senior, Carson Lehnert, which missed at the buzzer.

Senior guard, DeVari Davis, added 16 points for the Bulldogs. Koreski finished with 17 for the Borderites, and senior Lucas Smith had 15. Lehnert added 11.

That was the start of a tough week for the Borderites, as they went on to face Lynden Christian on Thursday and Anacortes on Saturday.

On their home floor against the Lyncs, with both teams tied with 9-2 records, the Lyncs broke this one open in the second quarter, and defeated the Borderites, 70-56.

Entering this game, the Lyncs had won 14 straight in the series, going back to the 2009-10 season. This was an important game for seeding to the 1A District Tournament, as the winner would have the edge for the top spot.

Early on, evidence was clear that the Lyncs offensive focus would be on feeding their beast inside, 6-6 junior Jeremiah Wright. Wright had three buckets in the first quarter and added five more field goals in the second quarter, all within reach of the rim.

The Borderites held a 13-12 lead after one quarter, but with Wright scoring inside, LC senior guard, Tyler Sipma, began bombing away from the outside. By halftime, Wright and Sipma combined for 33 of the Lyncs 37 points.

Wright’s effectiveness inside was aided by several textbook entry passes by the LC wings. This has become a lost art over the years, as has post play. But no matter whether the Blaine defense played in front of, or behind Wright, those entry passes led directly to easy shots.

Wright finished with 25, but it was one bucket in particular, that should make the highlight reel. And it was probably the longest shot he took all night.

In the fourth quarter, after a Lyncs missed free throw and players stumbling after the loose ball, Wright was able to secure possession. Trouble was, he was on one knee. Not missing a beat, and probably fearing a travel call if he stood up, he calmly lofted the ball up of the backboard from the low block, for an easy two points.

Those two were part of Wright’s 25 on the night, while Sipma finished with 23. Blaine was led by 17 from Josh Russ, 13 from Noah Tavis, and 12 by Lucas Smith.

The Lyncs finished the week with a 66-42 win at Ferndale. That, combined with Anacortes’ 84-70 win at Blaine on Saturday, gives the Lyncs a two game lead with two games to play, plus the tiebreaker.

On Wednesday, the last of the NWC’s undefeated teams met, as Lynden traveled to Anacortes for a showdown with the Seahawks, and both teams having earned 10-0 records.

Surprisingly, this series has been rather one-sided recently, as the Lions had won five straight over the Seahawks, and eight of the last nine. These are two of the top programs in the state, year to year, and they wouldn’t be there without their long time coaches, Brian Roper, in his 18^th season at Lynden, and Brett Senff, in his 16^th season with the Seahawks.

On game day, these were the top two teams in the league as far as defense goes, with Lynden giving up a stingy 43 points per game, and the Seahawks giving up only 50. So, of course, both teams went for over 70 in this one. The Lions overcame a double-digit first-half deficit, taking sole possession of first place with a 78-73 win.

In front of a huge home crowd, the Seahawks owned the first half, as 6-5 sophomore guard, Davis Fogle (25ppg) had things rolling early, scoring ten first quarter points, for a 16-11 Seahawks lead.

The Lions top two scorers, forward Anthony Canales and guard Coston Parcher had trouble finding the net early on. A free throw by Parcher was the only point for the two in the first eight minutes.

Fogle added ten more to his total in the second quarter, and got help from several teammates along the way, and the Seahawks led 39-27 at halftime. Seahawk 6-5 senior, Jacob Hayes added nine points in the first half. The lead grew to as much as 15 with just under two minutes to play.

The third quarter started with a 6-0 run by the Lions to cut the lead in half. A 3-pointer by Canales closed the gap to 41-36 with 5:15 left in the third. Just seconds later, Seahawk senior wing, John-Fritz Von Hagel, countered with a three of his own, to push the Anacortes lead back to eight.

But the Lions continued to keep the pressure on, and two free throws by Canales brought the Lions to within one with 1:08 left in the third.

On the next Anacortes possession, Fogle went left around a high screen, but Lion 6-6 senior post, Cameron Petersen, jumped out in Fogle’s path and knocked the ball loose. Petersen scooped it up and went for an uncontested lay-in, giving the Lions the lead 48-47. The score was knotted at 50-50 after three quarters.

Fogle, Canales and Parcher assumed scoring responsibilities over the final eight minutes, but it may have been the scoring of Petersen, off the bench, that hurt the Seahawks the most.

In the fourth quarter, Petersen hit a 6-foot jump-hook in the key, then Parcher dished to Petersen twice for lay-ins. The second, finished a 14-5 run by the Lions, and a nine-point lead with 4:15 left.

But the Seahawks weren’t done, as Fogle stepped on the gas pedal. While Parcher and Canales combined for 20 of the Lions 28 fourth quarter points, Fogle scored 17 of his own over the final eight minutes.

The nine-point lead the Lions had was now down to 71-68, after two free throws by Fogle with 41 seconds left. After that, Canales, Fogle again, and Parcher, alternated hitting two free throws each, and the Lions led 75-70 with 19 seconds left.

Fogle then nailed a 3-pointer from the third row of his student section, and it was a 2-point game with nine seconds to play.

Parcher was fouled, and with eleven second to play, hit one of two free throws, and the Seahawks still had time, down by three.

Fogle raced the ball hard up the right sideline, searching for the tying shot, but slipped to the floor nearing the 3-point line, and Parcher secured the ball for the Lions. He was fouled and sank two free throws for the final margin.

Fogle scored 42 points on the night for the Seahawks. Hayes added 13. For the Lions, Canales scored 22 of his 27 in the second half. Similarly, Parcher scored 15 of hit 22 after halftime. Along with the ten points from Petersen, the Lions also got ten points from 6-6 sophomore, Brant Heppner.

All this, and the week is far from over.

On Thursday, Nooksack Valley nearly grabbed the headlines, but could not hang on to a double-digit lead, and lost at home to Mount Vernon, 68-67.

The Pioneers led at the end of each of the first three quarters, including 51-44 after three.

DeVari Davis inside hoop gave the Bulldogs a 61-60 lead with 1:30 to play. Then, Pioneers 6-6 senior, Ayden Roper’s 3-point shot gave his team the lead, 63-61 with one minute left.

Quinn Swanson answered that with one of his patented 3-point plays, and the Bulldogs went ahead 64-63 with 45 seconds left.

Pioneer sophomore, Brady Ackerman, his a free throw to tie it with 33 seconds left. Swanson then hit two more free throws to give the Bulldogs a two-point lead with 14 seconds to go.

After a timeout, the Pioneers inbounded from the sideline with ten seconds left. Wayne Silves inbounded to Ackerman, then stepped in and took a return pass. His long 3-point attempt would not fall, and Swanson was fouled on the rebound.

Swanson hit two more free throws for a four-point lead. Then to add to the excitement, Colton Lentz drilled a shot from just beyond half-court at the buzzer, to close the final margin to a single point.

Another battle between two of the top teams happened at Lynden on Friday, which was Coaches versus Cancer night. It was a double-header with boys and girls games between Sehome and Lynden.

The Lynden girls won the opener, 62-32, as some 2500 fans (or more) packed Jake Maberry Gymnasium.

In the boys contest, Sehome had the hot hand all night, and won 72-50.

Early on, it was the Grant Kepley Show for the Mariners, as the senior point-guard poured in 15 of his teams 20 first-quarter points. I bet, if you gave Kepley a high-five during that time, you would come away with a second degree burn on your palm.

Kepley, repeatedly, worked his way into the middle of the Lions defense for several lay-ins or short jumpers. If not that, then he was dishing off to others for the same result.

Mariners shot so well as a team in the first half that, even if they called “no rim,” before every shot, they would have still had the lead.

Kepley added two more buckets to his total in the second quarter, but gave way to 6-6 senior forward, Grey Garrison, as he scored consistently over the final three quarters, many of which were set up by Kepley.

Anthony Canales was the only Lion able to do offensive damage in the firs half, as he used a variety of shots to come up with 15 points by halftime, but the Mariners led 41-29.

The Lions cut the lead to under ten early in the third quarter, but the Mariners always had the answer. They were up by 16 by the end of the third quarter, and led by as much as 22 late in the fourth.

Canales was the only Lion in double-figures with 23. Sehome got 22 from Kepley and 20 from Garrison. The Sehome support staff had big plays in this game, with senior Isaac Lawrence hitting three 3-pointers. Senior Matt Storms went 7-8 at the free throw line in the second half. Senior Dane Dominguez, junior Braddock Duckworth, and freshman Nolan Wright all had key scores along the way for the Mariners.

The Mariners also broke some streaks on this night. The Lions had won 11 straight games on the season, and took their first league loss. The Lions had also won eight straight in the series with the Mariners, and 15 of the last 16 contests, dating back to the 2011-12 season. The Mariners also snapped the Lions 23-game home win streak, much like their win at Lynden Christian the week before.

The Mariners played the best 32 minutes of basketball I have seen all season.

On Saturday, the Lions had to put all that behind them and travel to Lakewood to take on the Cougars in an afternoon matinee. After a groggy first quarter, the Lions turned it on over the final three-quarters, beating Lakewood 69-50.

Trailing by five after eight minutes, the Lions found the hot hand of 6-6 sophomore, Brant Heppner. Heppner score 17 points in the first half, on his way to 24 for the game. He hit three straight 3-pointers during his 13-point second period. Canales finished with 20, and Parcher added 12.

The Cougars got 14 from junior guard, Dominic Smith, and 13 from junior guard, Ben Rucker. The Cougars are currently in fifth position in the 2A District RPI.

Saturday night, Blaine finished their difficult week with their third straight loss, 84-70, to Anacortes.

The Seahawks offensive balance was on display in the first half, as three starters were at double-figures by halftime, and nearly a fourth. Mathew Russ was doing his thing, hitting floating bankers in the key, and netting 13 points in the first half, but the Seahawks led, 46-30.

The Borderites kept the pressure on, cutting the lead to under ten points on a couple occasions, but the Seahawks kept the Borderites at a safe distance, despite 20 second half points by Lucas Smith, who finished with 27. Russ had 20, all in the first three quarters, and Carson Lehnert added 10.

The Seahawks were led by Fogle’s 25. Hayes added 17, sophomore Brady Beaner added 14 hustle points, and Von Hagel had 12.

So, what now?

In seeding for the 3A District Tournament, Mount Vernon is currently 7^th. The Bulldogs have Sedro-Woolley, Mount Baker and Bellingham left on the schedule. Oak Harbor is currently 12^th in what will be a 12-team field. The Wildcats have Mount Baker and Burlington-Edison on their schedule.

In 1A, Lynden Christian has two games left, as does Blaine, but the Lyncs have the head-to-head tiebreaker, so have secured the top seed. LC would play the winner of the #4 vs #5 matchup in the semifinals.

Meridian (#3) leads Nooksack (#4) by one game but owns the tiebreaker. The Trojans play Lakewood and Squalicum, while the Pioneers have Anacortes and Sehome. The #3 team would play Blaine in the semifinals, while the #4 would play Mount Baker in a first round, loser out game.

Remember, none of this is final, until it is. Especially what’s next.

In 2A…there are still important games to be played to determine the top seeds to the District Tournament. Lynden holds a slight edge for the top spot in the RPI standings. Nothing is final until all games are complete on Saturday night.

Lynden finishes with Ferndale and Lynden Christian; Anacortes has Nooksack Valley, Sedro-Woolley and Oak Harbor; Sehome plays Blaine and Nooksack Valley.

In the Wesco Conference, 2A Cedarcrest is 7-6 in the conference with games left against 3A teams Lynnwood and Meadowdale, both of which are below the Red Wolves in the standings. They are currently 4^th in the district RPI.

Archbishop Murphy (4-9) is currently 9^th in the district RPI, and has games left with Marysville-Getchell (8-5) and Marysville-Pilchuck (2-11). The top six seeds avoid the play-in round.

If these teams don’t all wear each other out just getting there, we have several from this conference that can play deep-deep, into the post-season.

Any boss or coach, who is really in tune to the development of a business or team, knows the value of a support staff. While others may get the big money, or their name in the list of top ten scorers, it can be the support staff that really pushes that business or team to the top.

Any boss or coach, who is really in tune to the development of a business or team, knows the value of a support staff. While others may get the big money, or their name in the list of top ten scorers, it can be the support staff that really pushes that business or team to the top.

As it pertains to basketball, this is the time of year when those “role players” are most important. The regular season schedule is roughly 80 percent complete, so everyone knows who your “go to” players are. And their opponents scheme to limit their influence on game outcomes. But now, if you have players who can fill in the gaps, they can win games for you down the stretch, and keep your team ahead of the rest of the field.

That’s why, in basketball, the team that wins the regular season, doesn’t necessarily take home the Gold Ball.

There are many examples of that support staff coming through in the clutch. One State Hall of Fame Coach I once worked for used to say that those guys will win at least one game at the state tournament. Every year. It happens. You will see evidence of this sort of thing, the rest of the season.

On Monday, two of the heavy’s in the league got together at Sehome, as the Mariners hosted Anacortes. The Mariners had a single league loss, while the Seahawks came in without a league loss. The Seahawks remained undefeated, leaving the gym with a 78-71 win, in overtime.

The offenses got off to a slow start with Sehome leading 5-0 after three minutes of play. But the pace soon picked up. Sehome senior guard, Grant Kepley, worked the low post for a couple buckets late in the quarter. But Seahawk sophomore guard, Davis Fogle, hit a long 3-pointer in the final minute, then a deeper three as the quarter ended. The Seahawks led 17-13 after eight minutes.

Another three by Fogle extended the Seahawks lead to 29-18 in the middle of the second quarter, but the Mariners fought back behind Kepley’s five quick points and a bucket by senior, Grey Garrison. A 3-pointer by Mariner senior, Isaac Lawrence, brought the Mariners to within one, 31-30, at halftime.

Mariner senior guard, Dane Dominguez, hit a 3-pointer which ignited a quick 7-0 run by the Mariners to start the third quarter. The Mariners eventually led 41-33 with 5:37 left in the third period.

Seahawk senior post, Jacob Hayes, then went on a personal 8-0 run with a bucket, and two consecutive 3-point plays, bringing Anacortes to within 43-41. Then it was Kepley’s turn to take over for Sehome, first setting up teammate Lawrence for an open 3-pointer, then hit 5 of 6 free thrown in the final minutes of the quarter. Sehome’s lead was six, with eight minutes to play.

Fogle scored a two, and a three, early in the fourth to tighten things up, and that’s how things went, all the way to the final seconds.

For the Seahawks, Fogle had scored 18 points through the first three quarters, and added 12 more in the fourth. Also, for Anacortes, senior guard, John-Fritz Von Hagel, came through for his team by scoring nine fourth quarter points.

Mariner senior, Mathew Storms, scored two quick buckets inside to pull his team to within one, 62-61, with 2:10 left.

With the Seahawks leading 66-65, Garrison got a steal after a blocked shot, and the Mariners had the ball, down one, with 54 seconds left.

Kepley scored on a drive to the rim with 45 seconds to go, and the Mariners led 67-66. Fogle was fouled with 30 seconds to play, but could only sink one of two free throws, and the game was tied at 67-67.

The final sequence for Sehome did not go as planned, as against the Anacortes zone defense, Garrison did not have time to set himself for a winning 3-point shot, as it fell well short, sending the game to overtime.

For the Seahawks in the overtime period, it was more of the Fogle & Von Hagel show, as they combined for 10 of the Seahawks 11 points. They 37 and 16 points respectively. Von Hagel scored 13 points after the third quarter. Hayes added 16 more for Anacortes.

Sehome got 27 points from Kepley, 15 from Garrison, and 12 from Storms.

On Wednesday, the sticky Burlington-Edison Tigers traveled to Lynden. They got down early, and could not claw their way all the way back, but played very well against the Lions after halftime. The Lions won, 61-51, but the Tigers came within six in the fourth quarter.

Lion junior, Anthony Canales, scored 18 of his 30 points in the second half. Coston Parcher added 13 for the Lions. Senior Bennett Howe led the Tigers with 17, while fellow senior, Blaine Granberg, added 16.

What was noticeable about this game, was the play around the rim. Both teams have decent size, but some exceptional leapers. Several times the rim rattled, and not always from dunks, though there were a couple. Canales had the best one, driving along the right baseline, and slammed a two-hander, with a foul.

There were also several times on what were supposed to be break-away lay-ins, where a defender caught up and challenged the offensive player at the rim. Most of the time, successfully coming away with a blocked shot.

The Tigers were nipped later in the week in the final seconds at Blaine, 74-72. While just 3-8 / 4-10, they are playing well, and have several winnable games to close out the season. Watch out for these guys in February.

I guess what goes around, comes around. I would rather use that cliché than to admit that I may have jinxed some teams when it comes to their home court win streaks.

Two weeks ago, I mentioned the three longest home winning streaks in the league. Well, two of those are starting over.

Sehome’s streak was up to nine games until that overtime loss to Anacortes. The longest streak was Lynden Christian’s, which had since, grown to 26 games. On Thursday, Sehome took care of that, beating the Lyncs 76-64.

This one started out like teens lighting firecrackers on a 4^th of July afternoon.

The teams combined for five 3-pointers before the game was two minutes old. That streak was broken, slightly, by a 3-point play by LC senior, Jeremiah Wright, giving the Lyncs an 11-9 lead.

By the end of the quarter, the teams had combined for seven 3-pointers. Two of those came from Grey Garrison, who scored 14 points in the first quarter, leading the Mariners to a 24-20 lead.

The game was tight throughout, with Sehome holding one-point leads at half and after three quarters. Sehome held a slight lead until opening up a 66-57 advantage with 3:45 left.

The top scorers for both teams, did their thing. LC got 21 from Wright, 18 from Griffin Dykstra, and 16 from Tyler Sipma.

On the Sehome side, Garrison scored in two big bunches, netting 28 for the game. Kepley added 14, but the difference in the game came from the support staff.

With Garrison on the bench in the second quarter, 6-6 junior Braddock Duckworth, scored five points, and finished the game with eight. Dane Dominguez hit two 3-pointers, and later went 4-4 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and finished with 12 points. Freshman Nolan Wright also scored 12 points, with seven of those in the fourth quarter. That’s strong support.

The longest home winning streak now belongs to Lynden at 23 straight. And fittingly, their next home game is on Friday, against Sehome.

Friday was my third trip this season (with more to come) to that place I like to call, “The Palace,” with Mount Vernon hosting Lynden.

The Bulldogs were a hot team having won eight straight, to Lynden’s nine. The matchup here was the 28.8 scoring average of Bulldog junior, Quinn Swanson, against the Lions defense, specifically, senior Kobe Baar.

The Lions own the best scoring defense in the league, and I would say, the best defender in the league, in Baar. Coming in to this contest, the Bulldogs lowest offensive output in their last seven games (all wins) was 66 points. On the other side, the most points the Lions had given up in their last nine games was 53. Early on, it was evident that the Lions had the edge, and it played out to a 72-52 Lynden win.

However, in the first minutes, the Bulldogs held a quick 4-0 lead. Then in one possession, had three chances to extend that lead by gobbling up offensive rebounds or loose balls, but could not finish it with a score.

The Lions then got control of their defensive glass and pulled out to a 13-7 lead after one quarter. Canales scored 7 for the Lions in that time. And while Swanson got five quick points early on, that was all he would score in the first half.

There was no gimmick to Lynden’s and Baar’s defense. He did a good job of keeping the ball out of Swanson’s hands, or not allowing him to get it exactly where he wanted to. Once he did, Baar kept good position, and got a bunch of help from his teammates.

Through the first half, offensively, it was all Canales, who had 17 points by halftime. Bulldog sophomore, Xavier Neyens, hit a 3-pointer to draw the Bulldogs to within 18-16 with 4:13 left in the half, but Canales had the answer.

After a bucket by Coston Parcher, Canales scored the next seven points for the Lions, as they led 27-18 at halftime.

The third quarter was more of the same, as Canales leaped, twisted, and turned as he hit shot after shot in the key area, adding ten more points to his total in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by sophomore Brant Heppner made the score 46-31 in the last minute of the third period.

The Bulldogs kept things interesting into the fourth quarter, trailing by 11 with five minutes left, but the Lions eventually grew the lead to more than 20 points.

Canales scored 33, for his second 30-plus game of the week. Parcher battled foul trouble through the first three quarters, and scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, to finish with 21. The Lions also got ten points from Heppner, all in the second half.

Swanson scored 14 in the second half, finishing with 19. He is also the King of the 3-point Play, as he scored five buckets with an “and-one” situation. Michael Johnson scored 14 for the Bulldogs, while Neyens added 10.

The win kept Lynden in step with Anacortes. With the Seahawks win over Ferndale on Friday, both teams are 10-0 / 14-1, and will face off in Anacortes on Wednesday. That’s the game of the year, and will give the winner the inside track to the top seed in the 2A District Tournament.

Lakewood has won four of their last five games, and is in a battle with Cedarcrest for the fourth seed to the District Tournament.

Mount Vernon is currently the 8-seed to the 3A District Tournament, and Oak Harbor is #11 of the 12 team tourney.

In the 1A group, Meridian got wins over Nooksack Valley and Sedro-Woolley this week, and sit as the #3 team in 1A. 1A teams will be seeded by final standings, so there is still work to be done for all.

The big 1A game this week was one that was postponed from prior to Christmas. Lynden Christian (8-2) visits Blaine (9-1) on Thursday.

However, backing up to Monday, Blaine goes to The Palace to take on the Bulldogs (4^th trip?). Wednesday is Lions at Seahawks. Friday has Sehome at Lynden and Saturday, it’s Anacortes at Blaine. It’s like I put the schedule together myself! But I really didn’t.

And the award for “Best Supporting Actor in a Basketball Drama” goes to…

~ Ted House

From what I can remember, I’ve talked about free throws, jump shots, and outlet passes. With all the big games now happening between teams at the top of the league, I don’t have time to help you with more fundamentals this week. But, if you want to practice some entry passes, that would be nice.

Make sure the post player gets position with his defender having to pick a side to play defense on. Then as he holds out the hand, opposite of said defender, hit that hand with a nice lob pass, leading him right to the rim. Two every time!

From what I can remember, I’ve talked about free throws, jump shots, and outlet passes. With all the big games now happening between teams at the top of the league, I don’t have time to help you with more fundamentals this week. But, if you want to practice some entry passes, that would be nice.

Make sure the post player gets position with his defender having to pick a side to play defense on. Then as he holds out the hand, opposite of said defender, hit that hand with a nice lob pass, leading him right to the rim. Two every time!

In the first week of matchups between undefeated teams, three of them were handed their first league loss. Anacortes and Lynden remain unbeaten at 8-0, each winning a game over another undefeated team this week.

That’s just the way the schedule worked out, plus the fact that the Lynden Christian-Blaine game from before Christmas was postponed due to weather.

There were two games where both teams were undefeated in the conference. On Monday, Anacortes got a home win over Lynden Christian, 72-56. Then, on Thursday, Lynden won at Blaine, 75-47, giving the Lyncs and the Borderites their first conference loss of the season.

A third game had undefeated Sehome going to Mount Vernon to take on the 2-3 Bulldogs. Certainly not a perfect NWC record for the Bulldogs, but before the season, I thought they would be somewhere in the top five at the end. They had won four in a row, and have the league’s leading scorer, and some good overall talent. I considered this game on the same level as the other two. The Bulldogs lead throughout, and gave the Mariners their first NWC loss, 76-52.

Those three games each had a surprise ending. Not who the winner was, but because none of those games went down to the final minutes, or seconds, like I would have thought. Two of them had separations of 18 and 19 points by halftime.

Monday’s Lyncs-Seahawks game was an intense, nail-biter into the second half. Lyncs senior guard, Tyler Sipma, coming off a 35-point night against Nooksack Valley, hit a couple early shots. However, Seahawks sophomore Davis Fogle, scored nine of his team’s 13 first quarter points, as the Seahawks held a one-point lead after eight minutes.

The Seahawks were hindered by two early fouls on 6-5 senior shortstop, Jacob Hayes. Hayes left after four minutes, then picked up his third foul early in the second quarter. Wanting to take advantage of that, the Lyncs tried to go inside to their 6-6 big man, junior Jeremiah Wright. Wright scored ten first half points, but the Seahawks still held their own.

The teams exchanged blows through the second quarter, with several ties and lead changes. Fogle hit two 3’s in the quarter and had 17 points in the first half. Lyncs sophomore, Gannon Dykstra, beat the buzzer for a lay-in, and the Lyncs led 30-28 at halftime.

Nothing changed over the first four minutes of the third quarter, as the Lyncs still led 39-37. But that’s when everything changed.

A steal and a bucket by Seahawk sophomore Brady Beaner, tied the score at 39-39 with 2:40 left in the third. That was the first two of 21 consecutive points by the Seahawks, until Sipma got an uncontested lay-in at the four-minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Lyncs went eight minutes without a point.

The Lyncs went ice-cold from the field, assisted by a string of bad bounces. Nothing wanted to find the net, and the Seahawks pulled away to a lead as much as 19, 58-39, before Sipma’s lay-in.

Fogle scored ten more points in the second half to finish with 27, but several other Seahawks were factors on offense. Hayes scored ten of his 14 in the second half, and senior Gabe Eilertsen came off the bench to drill a 3-pointer in each of the last three quarters. Each seemed to be a huge shot of momentum for the Seahawks.

Sipma led the Lyncs with 14, half of those in the fourth quarter. Wright finished with 14, and 12 for senior Griffin Dykstra.

The Seahawks got a win over Bellingham on Thursday, improving their record to 8-0/12-1. The Lyncs rebounded to beat Meridian on Thursday and notched a non-league win over Seattle Academy on Saturday, to improve to 7-1/13-1. Seattle Academy is from the 1A Emerald Sound Conference, the District 2 nemesis of the NWC.

Also on Monday, Nooksack Valley sophomore, Brady Ackerman, scored the final four points of the game in his team’s 51-50 win over Squalicum.

Ackerman hit two free-throws with 1:19 left to bring the Pioneers to within one. Then he got loose in the key and scored the winner with 40 seconds left. The Storm had one final opportunity for an inbounds play with three seconds left, but a lob pass into the key did not result in a clean shot attempt.

On Wednesday, Sehome (7-0/10-1) traveled to Mount Vernon, where the Bulldogs had won four in a row (6-4) and stood at 2-3 in the conference. This game, to me, was just as big as any that had undefeated’s playing each other. As I said earlier, I thought a lot of the Bulldogs before the season started, but they won only two of their first six games.

An early 3-pointer by Bulldog junior, Quinn Swanson, got them going. All five starters scored for the Bulldogs in the first quarter, as they rode their early momentum, and three 3-pointers, to a 17-10 lead.

The Mariners endured some early foul trouble, as 6-6 senior Grey Garrison, picked up his second foul before the game was two minutes old. He played sparingly after that, until getting tagged for his third in the middle of the second quarter.

The Bulldogs lead grew to as much at 19 points late in the second quarter behind 19 first-half points from Swanson, the league’s leading scorer at 28 points per game. Senior Notah Edwards added 10 first-half points, hitting three 3-pointers.

The Mariners had trouble getting any sort of consistency going at the offensive end, and they had no answer for Swanson, but they aren’t alone. No one else has either. Swanson scored in a variety of ways, using a variety of shots. The most eloquent of which may have been his four hard drives down the left side of the lane, resulting in scoop-shot lay-ins off the glass.

The Bulldogs 42-24 halftime lead grew to as many as 27, late in the third quarter. Swanson added nine more points in the third, and the Bulldogs got help from sophomore Xavier Neyens, who swished a pair of 3’s from the corner.

The Bulldog starting five scored their first 74 points. Their only other score came from junior, Lucas Johnson, in the final minutes.

Senior, Isaac Lawrence, was a bright spot on offense for the Mariners, scoring 16 points, hitting four 3-pointers. Garrison finished with 11.

Swanson’s 33 points was followed by 13 by Michael Johnson, and 12 for Edwards. Neyens added 11. The Bulldogs hit 10 3-pointers on the night.

The Lions and Borderites took identical records (7-0/10-1) into their matchup on Thursday in Blaine. The Borderites had not lost since the first game of the season to Kings and broke an 0-21 streak in a 46-41 win over the Lions last year.

The Borderites have a very athletic group and go 6-3 to 6-5 with all five starters. They played a solid zone defense as those five used their length, especially out front, to make interior passes difficult for the Lions.

The Lions had to use most of the shot clock in each possession, rotating the ball around the perimeter, as the Borderites length kept the ball out of the middle of their defense. But the Lions never panicked. They played ball-rotation around the outside until it was time to use their ace in the hole. That ace was senior guard, Coston Parcher.

When the shot clock went from 30 seconds down to five, the Lions would find Parcher, and he would hit a three. Then again, and again. Parcher hit three in the first quarter and five in the first half. The only one he missed on the night was a desperation heave that had no chance.

But in the middle of all that, to prove the effectiveness of the Borderites defense, the Lions committed two consecutive shot clock violations, late in the first quarter.

The Lions don’t panic on offense because, they too have a defense they can rely on, as they have for many years.

While Parcher kept hitting shots in the second quarter, on his way to a 21-point first half, the Lions defense grew very stingy, holding the Borderites to just four points in the second quarter. Blaine senior Carson Lehnert, their best outside threat, was held to two points in the first half, and took only two shots from the field. The Lions led 32-13 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Lion 6-3 junior Anthony Canales took over the offense, scoring 15 of his 22 points on the night. He hit six field goals in the quarter, with a few high arching fade-away’s over the high reach of Blaine 6-5 senior, Mathew Russ.

Parcher finished with 31 points, as the Lions lead grew to a surprising 35 points in the fourth quarter. He hit seven of eight 3-point attempts. Blaine 6-4 junior, Noah Tavis, led the Borderites with 14 points.

I wasn’t surprised with the wins by Anacortes, Mount Vernon, or Lynden. But there were three surprises on how they got there.

This week, the schedule cranks up another notch, as five of the top six teams in the league go against each other, just by rotating opponents.

Anacortes goes to Sehome on Monday. Then the Mariners go to Lynden Christian on Thursday. That’s followed by Lynden traveling to Mount Vernon on Friday.

Nooksack Valley, 4-5 after a win over Ferndale on Saturday, goes to Meridian (3-6) on Tuesday in an important positioning game between for the 1A’s.

With the balance throughout the Northwest Conference, every team still has their goals within reach. I have never seen this much overall balance, especially in the top six teams in the current standings.

There are only three weeks left in the regular season, but the fun has just begun.

~ Ted House

In an unprecedented display, on January 8, 2023, five Northwest Conference teams remain undefeated in league play. Obviously, none of those five (Sehome, Anacortes, Blaine, Lynden, Lynden Christian) have played each other, but that changes this week.

Only one team has a perfect record on the season, and that’s the Lynden Christian Lyncs (11-0). On Monday, they will take that record to Anacortes, in the first battle of the unbeatens. The Seahawks are 6-0 in the NWC and 10-1 overall.

As long as Lynden and Blaine win their respective games early this week, they will also meet as undefeated NWC teams on Thursday in Blaine. Those teams can’t look ahead to things like that, be we can.

In an unprecedented display, on January 8, 2023, five Northwest Conference teams remain undefeated in league play. Obviously, none of those five (Sehome, Anacortes, Blaine, Lynden, Lynden Christian) have played each other, but that changes this week.

Only one team has a perfect record on the season, and that’s the Lynden Christian Lyncs (11-0). On Monday, they will take that record to Anacortes, in the first battle of the unbeatens. The Seahawks are 6-0 in the NWC and 10-1 overall.

As long as Lynden and Blaine win their respective games early this week, they will also meet as undefeated NWC teams on Thursday in Blaine. Those teams can’t look ahead to things like that, be we can.

Not only are there five unbeatens, but there is a three-loss gap to the next in line, Mount Vernon. And don’t sleep in the Bulldogs. After a four-game losing streak and a 2-4 start, they have won four straight and host Sehome on Wednesday.

Jumping through the past week of games to Saturday, the Burlington-Edison Tigers took their ski poles to Mt. Baker to take on the Mountaineers. I go straight to that game because something went on that linked my basketball memory to the past.

Tiger senior Bennett Howe had quite a game. Howe was a scoring machine in the first half, tossing in 15 points, but it was his efforts on the defensive glass that got me thinking about the “old days.”

Though it’s only an estimate, Howe may have had close to as many rebound as he had points in the first half. But it was what he did with those rebounds that caught my eye.

His 6-5 height and leaping ability enabled him to soar above the crowd, and the ball was finding his hands first. On his way back to earth, he was already turning and looking to outlet the ball to teammates, starting multiple Tiger fastbreaks. Though it’s not exactly the same (stick with me here), it reminded me of the best “outlet passer” I can remember in high school basketball: Steve Johnson, of the Kalama Chinooks, class of 1979.

For three years, the muscular 6-5 Johnson led the Chinooks to three top five finishes in the 1A State Tournament, including a second-place finish in 1977. When he secured a defensive rebound, he would turn with the ball in two hands, above his head, and would fire those overhead outlets to center court, where his teammates would begin their attack on opponent’s transition defense.

Howe’s outlets were not the same as Johnson’s, but the end result was similar. Howe was finding teammates quickly, and the Tiger’s running game was a big part of a 21-0 run in the second quarter, that broke open a 17-15 score, early in the quarter.

I bring up the subject of outlet passes because teams don’t normally fastbreak in this manner anymore. The usual plan that you see is to find your best ball-handler, and he pushes it up the floor on the dribble. And when teams used to outlet, fill the lanes, and go with hopes of creating a lay-in off of a three-on-two, now the defense has to concern themselves with that first wing down the floor spotting up at the 3-point line. I still love to see that old style outlet pass, but they are rare.

Back to the game, Howe finished with 19 points. Fellow senior, Blaine Granberg scored 20 for the Tigers, many the result of the Howe outlets. Senior Evan Ruiz scored 13, and 12 for Rex Wilson.

The Mountaineers, of course, got the late start to the season because of their championship appearance in the 1A football title game. The inside strength of senior Ethan Larson and junior Jesse Harward came through in the second half against the Tigers. Larson scored nine of his 14 after halftime, while Harward scored all of his 13 in that time. The Mounties also start two freshmen in the backcourt, Joe Harward and Carter Hill. That, along with first year coach, Tony Clark, should give them the stability they are looking for, going forward.

Let’s rewind to Monday, where Nooksack Valley began what was to be a brutal week on their schedule. They played Blaine, Lynden and Lynden Christian over a five-day span. All three of those teams are in the group of the undefeated.

The Pioneers had the Borderties at home, and played very well in the first half, as they led 19-18 after one quarter, despite Carson Lehnert’s ten points for the Borderites.

Blaine nosed their way into the lead early in the second quarter on 3-pointers by Lucas Smith and Noah Tavis, sandwiched around a dunk by Mathew Russ.

The Borderites continued to lead by as much as five points through the second quarter. Late in the period, someone put the lit on the Pioneer’s hoop as they missed three straight “chippies” until sophomore, Caden Heutink’s 3-pointer pulled his team to within one. The Borderites led 36-33 at halftime. Lehnert had 16 points in the first 16 minutes.

As is many times the case, the first few minutes of the third quarter tends to be a critical point in big games. This is where the Borderites took full advantage.

Blaine got two quick transition lay-ins by Lehnert and Tavis, then another easy bucket by Russ, and in less than a minute, the Borderites had bulged the lead to nine. Bennett DeLange stopped the run with a jumper, but the momentum had shifted, and the Borderites continued to surge.

Lehnert scored nine points in the quarter, as the Borderite lead grew to as much as 19 points. Smith hit two 3’s in the fourth quarter as the lead grew to 25 before the Pioneers cut it to 15 with 1:15 to play.

Russ put the exclamation point on the Borderites effort in the middle of the quarter, getting the ball at the foul line and going airborne for a dunk through the Pioneers defense.

The best medicine for the Pionieers, after a loss, is not to go play Lynden, but this was a rescheduled game from the pre-Christmas snowstorm. The Lions took this one, 64-40, behind the 17 points from Coston Parcher, 15 from Anthony Canales, and 10 from Kobe Baar.

Also on Tuesday, Meridian won their fourth in their last five games, with a road win over Burlington, 68-59. The Trojans were led by the 25 points of Talon Jenkins. Mount Vernon got 29 from Quinn Swanson (right on his average) in a 72-26 win over Squalicum. Anacortes beat Lakewood 69-55, getting 21 points from Davis Fogle, 16 from Brady Beaner, and 15 from Jacob Hayes.

Bellingham junior, Ian O’Roarty, had a strong game against Lynden on Thursday. The Bayhawks led the Lions 6-4 until Lion junior Brady Elsner came off the bench to hit his first of four 3-pointers in the game, giving the Lions the lead for good. But O’Roarty scored eight of his teams first ten points, on his way to 18 for the night.

Despite the Bayhawks 69-44 loss, they play a tough zone defense with a roster that lists only one senior.

That same night, Meridian won their fifth in six games, with a 77-55 win over Mount Baker. Blaine stayed perfect in NWC games with a road win at Sedro-Woolley.

On Friday, Nooksack traveled to Lynden Christian, and got a lot too much of one guy.

The Pioneers took a 16-12 lead into the second quarter, as they spread their scoring out between six players. Lyncs senior, Tyler Sipma, did his best to keep the Lyncs close, as he scored ten of his team’s 12 first-quarter points.

A shot-clock beating 3-pointer by Pioneer senior, Ayden Roper, gave his team a 23-21 lead with 4:20 left in the half. Sipma’s fourth 3 of the half gave the Lyncs a 26-23 lead with 3:05 left. At that point, Sipma had scored 20 of the Lyncs 26. Sipma was scoring from everywhere. He hit 3’s, free-throws, mid-range, and even post-ups.

The Pioneers were still within four of the Lyncs with three minutes to go in the third quarter, before a run by the Lyncs pushed the lead to 11 by the end of the quarter. The Lyncs built on the lead from there and won 73-52.

Sipma scored 35 and was the only Lync in double-figures. The Pioneers had 11 each from DeLange, Roper, and Colton Lentz.

This week, the Kitsap Sun reported that the North Kitsap Vikings won their 48 straight home game, dating back to 2017. They added one to that on Saturday, with a non-league win over Seattle Academy. That got me thinking…

The streak by the Vikings is to be noted as an amazing accomplishment. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that it would be a lot more difficult to win 49 straight at home if you are a member of the Northwest Conference. Given the depth of a 16-team league, versus the eight of the Olympic League, all the same classification. But I will say it again: 49 is A LOT, no matter where you are. I don’t want to downplay that number in any way. The Vikings have been state champions and have been a perennial power in 2A for some time.

That got me researching active home win streaks in our conference, and there are three of note:

Sehome has won eight straight going back to a loss to Mount Vernon, last season. They have won 13 of their last 14 home games.

Lynden’s home court winning streak is up to 21 games. Their last loss at home was to Kings in the spring of 2021. Going back to a home loss to Gig Harbor in their first game of 2019, the Lions have won 34 of 35 at “The Jake.”

The longest current home win streak goes to Lynden Christian. That number now sits at 25 straight, going back to a loss to Lynden in January of 2020. Going back further in that season, the Lyncs have won 30 of their last 31 home games.

Is there any other league with the depth in coaching that we have in the Northwest Conference?

This is the 17^th year of this massive league that spans into four counties. I now give you the ten coaches with the most wins in the 16 seasons of the Northwest Conference:

1. Brian Roper, Lynden 167

2. Brett Senff, Anacortes 133

3. Dave Dickson, Squalicum 129

4. Roger DeBoer, Lynden Christian 102

5. Shane Stacey, Meridian 78

6. A.J. LaBree, Sehome 65

7. Brett Farrar, Sedro-Woolley / Blaine 59

8. Rob Gray, Mt. Baker 56

9. Rick Skeen, Burlington 52

10. Jason Owens, Ferndale 48

Lock of the week prediction: The list of undefeated teams gets shorter this week.

~ Ted House

The holiday break started earlier than expected for Northwest Conference teams when last week’s deep freeze cancelled ten games in the days before Christmas. There was a break in the game schedule, but certainly not in team practice schedules, as teams pressed on to prepare for holiday events. This past week, three NWC programs got two games each at Mountlake Terrace High School, while five more got a dry run of their hopeful future state tournament arena, the Yakima SunDome.

The holiday break started earlier than expected for Northwest Conference teams when last week’s deep freeze cancelled ten games in the days before Christmas. There was a break in the game schedule, but certainly not in team practice schedules, as teams pressed on to prepare for holiday events. This past week, three NWC programs got two games each at Mountlake Terrace High School, while five more got a dry run of their hopeful future state tournament arena, the Yakima SunDome.

These holiday tournaments, or showcases, give teams a chance to go off script from the normal school week routine. They practice at different times than usual, and play games on back-to-back days, and face top level competition, much like they would have to do in a state tournament.

Mountlake Terrace has held their event for many years, and they include play for C-Team and Junior Varsity as well. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Anacortes, Ferndale, and Lynden Christian all got games in, as I attended day one.

Undefeated Anacortes (6-0) went up against Lake Stevens (3-3) of the 4A Wesco Conference. The Vikings used a hot second quarter, which included four 3-pointers, to take a 36-31 lead at halftime. The Seahawks kept the game within reach but trailed by ten points early in the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks chipped away, and their full-court defense added to that, as Viking turnovers led to Seahawk scores. Sophomore Brady Beaner’s bucket got the Seahawks to within one, 59-58, with about three minutes to play.

Davis Fogle, another Seahawk sophomore, scored inside to give the Seahawks a 60-59 lead, which would be the first of four lead changes in the final two minutes.

After a score by the Vikings, Fogle scored again to put the Seahawks back up by one, only to have the Vikings retake the lead with 53 seconds left. A missed shot by the Seahawks led to a transition basket by the Vikings, giving them a 65-62 lead with 30 seconds left.

Over the final possession, the Vikings zone defense was up to the challenge, as the Seahawks could not get a good look at a 3-pointer. Jacob Hayes scored on a put back just before the buzzer to make the final score 65-64.

Fogle led everyone with 29 points, which included ten in the fourth quarter, and 18 in the second half. Hayes added 16 for the Seahawks.

Anacortes came back to take care of 4A Kentlake the next day, 78-49.

Also, on Tuesday at Mountlake Terrace, Ferndale absorbed a 62-54 loss to Kentlake. If it wasn’t for a slow start by the Golden Eagles, the outcome may have been different. They trailed by seven after the first quarter and played about even the rest of the way.

Senior guard Mathias Johnson helped keep the Golden Eagles close by scoring seven of his 16 points in the first quarter. Senior Damian Toney also scored 16 points for Ferndale, as they trimmed a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to just four points with 49 seconds left, but the Golden Eagles could get no closer.

In the final game of the day, the Lynden Christian Lyncs spoiled the day for the Mountlake Terrace Hawks. The Lyncs took a 21-10 lead after eight minutes and won 59-46 over the hosts from the 3A Wesco.

After taking a 9-8 lead, the Lyncs went on a 12-2 run to end the quarter. The Lyncs went on to lead 28-12 with 5:10 left in the half, but would score just two more points before halftime, where they led 30-22.

In the first minute of the third quarter, the Hawks had a chance to put some pressure on the Lyncs, but two break-away lay-ins went unfinished. The Hawks missed two more chippies later in the quarter and managed only seven points over the eight minutes. The Lyncs then led by 16.

Offensively, Lyncs senior shooter, Griffin Dykstra did his thing, by scoring 23 points, using the 3-point line and a variety of floating jumpers. Kids: Don’t try this at home, he is a seasoned professional!

Truth be told, as I wrote last time, those jumpers are what you need to be a consistently solid scorer. The “floating-J’s” are extra credit. You have to master that in the gym, or barn, or driveway.

On day two, the Lyncs handled Wesco 4A, Glacier Peak, 55-44, to take their record to 9-0.

After a day of weather watching, Thursday morning was a trip over the hill to Yakima, for the Wilbur-Ellis SunDome Shootout. This is another event that has been going on for many years. Two days of basketball with 28 teams in town. This year, there were 24 boys and four girls’ teams. Some of the best in the state at the 1A and 2A level.

The backdrops at the SunDome can be a difficult adjustment for many teams. And being familiar with that can be an advantage, come state tournament time.

I had not been to this event since 2018, and that year, even with the local teams, there wasn’t much as far as fan support. Mostly just a few parents in the stands. Last year’s event got trimmed down at the last minute due to weather and virus. No teams from the NWC made that trip.

This time, five NWC teams competed. Lynden, Lakewood, and Meridian are yearly participants. They were joined this year by Nooksack Valley and Sehome. All five hoping this is a dry run for a return in March.

On day one, Nooksack played very well in a 55-42 win over Ridgefield, from the 2A Greater St. Helens League.

The Pioneers played like they use the SunDome on a daily basis, leading 20-10 after one quarter, and 35-18 by halftime. The offense slowed down some in the second half, but the cushion was enough to secure a win. Senior Bennett DeLange scored 16 points and sophomore Colton Lentz added 12.

The Pioneers could muster only 38 points the next day in a 49-38 loss to Ellensburg of the 2A CWAC. And the Bulldogs are very familiar with the SunDome surroundings.

The Pioneers led 7-6 after the first eight minutes, but the Bulldogs size and strength won out over the next three quarters. Junior Wayne Silves and sophomore Brady Ackerman scored 12 points each for the Pioneers.

Ellensburg’s roster includes two starters who were missing the SunDome games due to injury. They are brothers, 6-11 senior Gavin Marrs, and his little brother, 6-7 sophomore, Garrett.

The game itself, if you are familiar with state tournaments, seemed like a second or third day, morning loser-out game. While the attendance was impressive for the event, (a lot more fans than just a few parents) there are no students or bands, so the atmosphere was a bit on the quiet side.

Again, I was impressed with how many fans attended, compared to previous years.

The Pioneers did themselves very well in Yakima. This still young group, having never played there, now knows the layout, and will have that motivation to go back. And they are a much-improved team over the couple weeks.

Speaking of improving, so are the Meridian Trojans. They went 2-0 to improve their overall record to 5-3, same as the Pioneers.

The Trojans got wins over fellow 1A’s, Royal and Wapato.

Against Royal, it was tight all the way as the Trojans trailed 35-34 after three quarters. They hit only two field goals in the final eight minutes but sank 9-14 free throws to win 48-43. Sophomore (I’ve been using that word a lot) Jaeger Fyfe led the Trojans with 12 points. Senior Hunter Jones and sophomore (there it is again) Talon Jenkins had ten each.

Against Wapato, the game was tied at the first two breaks, and the Trojans led by two points after three quarters.

I couldn’t keep up with team scoring in the second half, as I was splitting attention between this game, and the start of the Sehome-Grandview game on the other side of the curtain. I do know that Jenkins had four 3-pointers in the contest, and the Trojans pulled away late for a 53-43 win.

Again, a very positive, confidence gaining experience for the Trojans.

The Lakewood Cougars are a frequent participant in the Shootout. Their first game was against West Valley-Yakima, of the Big-9 4A Conference.

The game wasn’t decided until a last second 3-pointer by the Cougars swirled out of the rim, giving the Rams a 61-58 win.

The next day, the Cougars had trouble getting going, as they trailed Ridgefield 18-7 after one quarter and 25-7 shortly after that. By halftime, the Cougars trailed 34-23.

The only starter to score for Lakewood in the first half was senior guard, Mason Weller. He was able to hit three of his teams seven first half field goals and score 11 points. But the Cougars were saved by some points off the bench, and just in time.

Juniors Joshua Irvin and Zachary Stoddard scored some important points in the second quarter. Irvin hit two 3-pointers and Stoddard added a 3-point play to help keep the Cougars close.

In the second half, it was the Lakewood defense that saved the day, as Ridgefield was held to just nine points over the final 16 minutes, and the Cougars recovered from that 18-point deficit to win, 46-43.

Weller scored 21 for the Cougars, who improved their overall record to 4-5.

The biggest games of the Shootout, to me, were the matchups between four of the top teams in the state. Sehome and Lynden matched up against Prosser and Grandview on both days. All four are in the top ten in every 2A poll you can find. All four were in the state tournament last year.

Sehome’s first game was against Prosser, and in overtime, the Mustangs outlasted the Mariners 64-59.

At halftime however, behind the 14 points of senior, Grey Garrison, and a 12-0 run by the Mariners, they had a comfortable 28-20 advantage.

Prosser closed the gap by scoring the first six points of the third quarter, but the Mariners responded with a 9-0 run and a 37-26 lead with 4:44 left in the third.

Prosser and Grandview are similar in styles as they both have extremely quick guards who had hit long 3’s, as well has break you down off the dribble. Prosser is bigger and stronger inside than Grandview, however.

Prosser began a long run on Sehome that lasted to the first minutes of the fourth quarter. Sehome senior Grant Kepley hit a bucket to snap an 18-2 Prosser run, and the Mariners trailed by five.

After a 3-pointer by the Mustangs, it looked bleak for the Mariners, as they trailed by nine points with 2:20 to play.

The Mariners cut the lead to three with under a minute to go. Garrison missed a 3-pointer, but seconds later, Kepley was fouled. He hit one of two free throws with 17 seconds left and the Mariners were down 55-53.

On the missed free throw, Prosser ran out on a fast break, and for some reason, when they didn’t have to shoot at all, banked the ball off the backboard as if to have a teammate follow it with a dunk. Well, that didn’t happen.

Instead, it was rebounded by Kepley, who was then fouled with seven seconds left. He hit both free throws to tie it, and after a Prosser miss, the game went to overtime.

Prosser took control of the next four minutes and put the game away, 64-59, giving the Mariners their first loss of the season.

Garrison’s 23 and Kepley’s 20, led the Mariners in scoring.

Lynden then took the floor against Grandview that evening. The Lions built a surprising 20-point halftime lead, 44-24, and cruised to a 67-51 win. The Lions balanced attack had eight players score in the first half. The Greyhounds could not break down Lion defenders one-on-one but did bury some long 3-pointers in the second half.

Coston Parcher, senior point-guard, played well at both ends and scored 19. Junior Anthony Canales added 14.

The teams traded opponents for day 2, with the Lions and the Mustangs taking the floor in the early afternoon. The Lions won a tough battle, 58-53.

Part of this experience is how you play the next day with a short turnaround.

The turnaround was short, and the first quarter showed that. The teams were tied at 5-5 in the first minute, but that was about it for a while. Two free throws by Canales was all the scoring until Lion senior Kobe Baar scored on a lay in with 35 seconds to go in the quarter. Prosser matched that a few seconds later, and the quarter ended with the Lions leading 9-7.

The Lions built the lead to as much as eleven in the second quarter, with key 3’s by junior Brady Elsner and sophomore (!) Brant Heppner. The Lions led 26-16 at halftime.

Prosser got the Lions on their heels by scoring a quick 10-0 run to start the third quarter, then took a 30-28 lead with 4:30 left in the period. That would be all the scoring for Prosser in the quarter, and Canales hit two 3’s to give the Lions a 35-30 lead. To that point, Canales was responsible for all nine Lion points in the quarter. The Mustangs retaliated, however, and trailed only 38-37 after three.

With just over three minutes left, Canales hit a tough jumper in the key, and followed that with a dunk a few seconds later. But with two minutes to go, the Lion lead was just 49-48.

In the final minute, Heppner hit two big shots, a two and a three, to give the Lions an eight-point lead. The Mustangs hit a three at the buzzer for the final score.

Sehome then took on Grandview, and after getting out of an early 4-point deficit, put the Greyhounds away, 67-48.

The Greyhounds had no answer for the 6-6 Garrison, as he tallied 12 points in the first half and 20 for the game. Kepley along with senior Mathew Storms each added 19.

Over the ten games played in the SunDome by the five NWC teams, they won seven. From my seats, it was a positive experience for all, and things they can all look back on, as things get tough in the coming weeks.

Speaking of the coming weeks, when you put the new calendar up on the well, things get serious. And I mean, right away.

On Monday, the New Year’s holiday, there is a big one on the Badger Road. Blaine takes their 8-1 record to Nooksack to take on the Pioneers. The Borderites are 4-0 in the conference, while the Pioneers are 2-2. These two are also battling for seeding to their post-season tournament.

The Pioneers will continue a brutal schedule this week, as they play at Lynden the next day as part of a double-header with girls and boys varsity games. The NV girls are 9-1, and the Lion girls are 8-1. The NV boys also play at Lynden Christian on Friday. That game begins at 5:40pm at LC, so fans have a chance to get to the girls’ game which is at Nooksack at 730pm.

It’s getting serious fast. Fill the gyms and enjoy the ride.

~ Ted House

In that spring season of 2021, I made you all better free throw shooters. Now, let’s tackle the art of jump-shooting. Well, when you’re on defense never tackle (or even foul) a jump-shooter. Coaches hate that. So, when you are on offense, keep that in mind.

Having a reliable jump-shot is the number one offensive weapon to have, in my book. I haven’t seen every team in the league play yet, but I have seen some players with great jump-shots. I’ll list some of them and recap the week in the Northwest Conference.

In that spring season of 2021, I made you all better free throw shooters. Now, let’s tackle the art of jump-shooting. Well, when you’re on defense never tackle (or even foul) a jump-shooter. Coaches hate that. So, when you are on offense, keep that in mind.

Having a reliable jump-shot is the number one offensive weapon to have, in my book. I haven’t seen every team in the league play yet, but I have seen some players with great jump-shots. I’ll list some of them and recap the week in the Northwest Conference.

I bring up jump-shooting at this time because there is a big difference in the finish of a play, whether you can go into your jumper, or get trapped in the middle of the key with no momentum.

Many players make a strong drive into the key, creating offense, while attacking the defense. But when they get to the point of no return, they often get stuck, and even miss the opportunity to make a quick dish to an open teammate.

However, if you use that momentum and make one last hard bounce on the hardwood, you can get up, above the crowd, and nail that easy 8-footer (and not draw a charging foul)!

Of course, if you are reading this and just realizing the opportunity for the first time, it may be too late. This takes some practice and development over several years. I was far from a significant source of offense in high school, but I started working on my jump-shot in middle school, and by ninth grade, I could hit one from fifteen feet, and I was only 5-10 and didn’t weigh much.

You don’t have to be an Olympic high jumper to pull it off, either. Just some good momentum, and a smooth transition at the top from the “jump” to the “shot.” Remember, your defender doesn’t know when you are going to go vertical, and he doesn’t want to foul you.

If you want to see this in action, here are some of the players I’ve seen so far who a good study would be:

Quinn Swanson, Mount Vernon; Connor Cox, Sedro-Woolley; Jaeger Fyfe, Meridian; Bennett DeLange, Nooksack Valley; Carson Lehnert, Blaine; Davis Fogle, Anacortes; Griffin Dykstra and Tyler Sipma, Lynden Christian; Grant Kepley, Sehome; Anthony Canales and Coston Parcher, Lynden.

All these guys can get into the mid-range area and rise above. These are also the players who can create when a buzzer is seconds away. This isn’t, of course, a complete list, so keep your eyes open for those J’s.

The standings are beginning to lengthen, with five teams still undefeated in league play. That number will drop by at least one this week, as two of the five, Lynden Christian and Blaine, will tangle on Wednesday, in Blaine.

The Lyncs kicked off the week with a 63-57 win at Mount Vernon. The Lyncs blew the game open in the second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 25-8, and held a 22-point lead in the opening seconds of the second half.

Though the outcome was never really in jeopardy, the Bulldogs made things interesting by outscoring the Lyncs 35-21 in the second half. The comeback was led by Bulldog junior, Quinn Swanson who scored 17 of his game-high 31 points in the second half. He also scored 11 of the Bulldogs 14 first-quarter points.

The Lyncs were led by senior Tyler Sipma’s 25 points, as he scored from everywhere on the floor. Senior’s Griffin Dykstra and Lane Dykstra added 14 and 10 points respectively.

Swanson scored 31 more on Saturday helping the Bulldogs break a four-game losing streak, as they beat Shorecrest 61-50. Swanson is averaging about 30 points per game.

Part of that four-game losing streak for Mount Vernon was a 92-60 home loss to Anacortes on Thursday. Sophomore Davis Fogle led the Seahawks with 27 points, as they improved their record to 3-0/5-0.

The Lynden Lions made their usual late appearance this week and went 4-0, with three NWC wins, giving up just 36 points per game in the process. While on offense, they have four players in double-figures. Junior Anthony Canales and senior Coston Parcher lead the way, with 6-6 sophomore Brant Heppner able to score inside and out. Then there’s senior Kobe Baar, who by relentless hustle, averages a double-double in points and floor burns.

Sehome improved to 4-0/6-0 with wins over Mount Baker and Burlington-Edison. The Mariners were the first opponent of the season for Mount Baker, who also lost to Ferndale, 68-49, for the Golden Eagles first win of the season.

Lakewood and Blaine had a wild one on Wednesday in Blaine, in a game that included a 26-point swing.

The Cougars got off to a great start with their ability to shoot over Blaine’s zone defense. The Cougars led 16-4 late in the first quarter. But a switch to man-to-man by the Borderites cooled the Cougar shooters, and helped the Borderites take off, offensively.

Trailing by four starting the second quarter, seniors Lucas Smith and Mathew Russ, each scored eight points in a 26-13 Borderite second quarter. The lead reached 14 points in the third and fourth quarters, as the Borderites took a 76-63 win.

Lawrence Creasey Pulphus, a 6-0 senior, may have been the difference for the Borderites. He hit several key shots and logged 15 points off the bench. Russ finished with 23, and Smith 19. Senior Carson Lehnert also added 14 for the Borderites. Zachary Stoddard, a 6-2 junior, attacked the rim all night for the Cougars, and scored 22 points.

All 16 NWC teams will play one league game this week and fill in with some non-league games. The Lyncs-Borderties game is the headliner.

After Christmas, three NWC teams will play in a two-day event at Mountlake Terrace, and five others will be at the SunDome Shootout in Yakima. More on those, next week.

~ Ted House

The 2022 All Northwest Conference Girls Soccer teams have been announced.

The 2A/3A team is led by Offensive Most Valuable Player Evelyn Keay, a senior from state runner-up, Sehome. The Defensive Most Valuable Player is senior, Claire Schnable of Anacortes. The Coach of the Year is Bellngham's Spencer Wolfe.

The 1A All NWC team is led by Offensive Most Valuable Player, Daisy Poag, senior from Lynden Christian, also second place in the state in 2022. The Defensive Most Valuable Player is Larissa Pluschakov, a sophomore from Blaine.

Co-Coaches of the Year are Blaine's Gio Quesada, and Lynden Christian's Brent Deruyter.

For the complete list of 1A and 2A/3A All NWC teams, please see the attachments below.

The 2022 All Northwest Conference Girls Soccer teams have been announced.

The 2A/3A team is led by Offensive Most Valuable Player Evelyn Keay, a senior from state runner-up, Sehome. The Defensive Most Valuable Player is senior, Claire Schnable of Anacortes. The Coach of the Year is Bellngham's Spencer Wolfe.

The 1A All NWC team is led by Offensive Most Valuable Player, Daisy Poag, senior from Lynden Christian, also second place in the state in 2022. The Defensive Most Valuable Player is Larissa Pluschakov, a sophomore from Blaine.

Co-Coaches of the Year are Blaine's Gio Quesada, and Lynden Christian's Brent Deruyter.

For the complete list of 1A and 2A/3A All NWC teams, please see the attachments below.

You better watch out

You better not cry,

Better not be surprised at NWC outcomes,

I’m telling you why.

Tis the first week of the regular season, and the above lyrics seem apropos. An early season wake up call for the rest of the Northwest Conference to be on their toes, always.

You better watch out

You better not cry,

Better not be surprised at NWC outcomes,

I’m telling you why.

Tis the first week of the regular season, and the above lyrics seem apropos. An early season wake up call for the rest of the Northwest Conference to be on their toes, always.

Two teams absorbed lopsided losses early in the week, only to respond like champions in their next game. One got a huge win over one of the league favorites. The other couldn’t quite hang on to a big lead to one of the others.

The Meridian Trojans saw Anacortes at their best on Monday, as the Seahawks beat the Trojans 79-44. Three days later, the Trojans held a 16-point first half lead but lost to Sehome in the final seconds, 68-65.

On Tuesday, the Burlington-Edison Tigers had the same thing done to them by the Lynden Christian Lyncs. The Lyncs ran away with an 81-37 win on the Tigers floor. However, on Friday night, in the “Battle of the Bridge” against rival, Mount Vernon, the Tigers overcame a nine-point first half deficit, and edged the Bulldogs in the final minute, 61-59.

Back to Laurel, where Anacortes 6-5 sophomore guard, Davis Fogle, had the attention of the Trojans defense, as he totaled 60 points in the Seahawks first two games.

By face guarding Fogle at the offensive end limited his opportunities, other Seahawks came to the rescue. Senior guard, John-Fritz Von Hagel, stepped to the forefront. Actually, what he stepped to was the 3-point line. He hit three 3’s in the first quarter and totaled 11 points, as the Seahawks exploded to a 24-5 lead after one quarter.

The Seahawks cruised from there, led by Von Hagel’s 19 points. Fogle and Sam Hough added 13, and Brady Beaner 11.

The excitement came in the third quarter, as Fogle, on his way to a hard right-hand slam on a break-away, was fouled and converted a free throw.

Shortly after that, Meridian’s 6-2 senior, Hunter Jones, took a back-door pass as he cut from the high post. Uncontested, he rattled the rim with a 2-hander.

On Thursday, the Trojans welcomed the Sehome Mariners, undefeated and highly ranked. But the Trojans didn’t seem to care.

By nailing a variety of 3-point shots, one even with the bank open, the Trojans held a surprising 23-10 lead, late in the opening quarter.

From there, the Trojans extended their lead to 16 points on more than one occasion in the second quarter, settling for a 41-27 lead at halftime.

The Mariners found their groove and took a 50-49 lead late in the third quarter. The game was knotted at 52-52 entering the fourth.

The lead seemed to change hands with every possession through the fourth quarter.

The Trojans tied the game at 63-63 with 1:50 to play when Tyrel Brooks fed Hunter Jones who was cutting from the left wing for a lay-in. Sehome senior point guard, Grant Kepley, put the Mariners up by two hitting a runner in the key with 1:30 left.

After a Trojans miss and foul, Kepley added two free throws for a four-point lead.

On the Trojans next possession, Brooks found Jones again on the same play, to cut the lead to two with one minute left.

The Mariners missed a shot with 40 seconds left, opening the door for the Trojans.

Sophomore Jaeger Fyfe’s missed shot was rebounded by Brooks, who was fouled, but could not convert two free throws.

With seven seconds left and the Mariners up by two, Kepley missed two free throws, but in the jump ball scramble, the Mariners kept possession. A Meridian foul put senior Kai Swanson on the line, were he hit one of two.

The Trojans rebounded and called timeout. They had to inbound in back court near the baseline and could not get better than a shot from just inside half court at the buzzer. Sehome escaped with a 68-65 win.

The Mariners had come off of a 3-point win over Mariner the night before and remained undefeated at 4-0.

Let’s do that again.

A similar situation started on Tuesday, as Lynden Christian hung an 81-37 loss on Burlington-Edison. LC led 8-4 with three minutes left in the first, then got on one of their offensive rolls. When they start to hit shots, it’s one after another, and from anyone in an LC jersey. The Lyncs led 19-4 at the end of the first quarter and cruised from there.

LC 6-6 junior Jeremiah Wright scored all of his 22 points in the first three quarters. Senior guard Tyler Sipma added 16. Sophomore Gannon Dykstra scored 13 for the Lyncs and senior Lane Dykstra added 10. The Lyncs hit 13 3-pointers by seven different players.

The Tigers had to chew on that until the Bulldogs arrived Friday night from the other side of the bridge. Both teams under new leadership this season. Brett Farrar, former coach at Sedro-Woolley, and most recently, Blaine, has returned to Skagit County to coach the Bulldogs. The Tigers new head coach is Jeff Dutton, who has been on the Tigers staff.

The Bulldogs took control early, leading 16-10 after one quarter. That lead extended to 26-17 in the middle of the second quarter. But by halftime, the Bulldogs led by only two. The Tigers inched to within a single point by the end of the third.

With the Bulldogs leading 57-56 and 1:30 to play, Tiger senior guard Evan Ruiz was on his way to giving his team the lead, but he missed a one-handed dunk on a breakaway.

A minute later, senior Bennett Howe came to the rescue for the Tigers, as he turned a baseline drive into a 3-point play, and a 59-57 lead.

The Bulldogs missed a tying shot, but still had the ball to inbound with 14 seconds left. After a timeout, Bulldog junior Quinn Swanson received the inbound pass on the right low post but could not score through the Bulldogs double-team. The rebound was pitched out to Tiger senior Blaine Granberg, who put the exclamation point on the night with a breakaway dunk, and a four-point lead. The Bulldogs hit a shot at the buzzer to make the final score 61-59, in favor of the Tigers.

Nooksack Valley finally got their season started as they broke away from Sedro-Woolley in the fourth quarter for a 69-56 win at home. The Pioneers listed one senior on their roster last season and have doubled that this year.

Most teams struggle in their first game of the season with fouls and turnovers, as I pointed out last week. The Pioneers seemed to get all that out of the way in a half.

As the Pioneers struggled early on with those two items, the Cubs took a 17-10 lead after the first quarter. Cubs senior guards Connor Cox and Owen Scheib are tough to handle one-on-one, as each have the ability to hit 3’s, and create off the dribble. Cox’s 17-point scoring average went up a couple points after his 22-point performance against the Pioneers.

Nooksack had three starters with two fouls each in the first quarter. NV coach Rich Skillman subbed his pieces to avoid anyone getting a third before halftime, as the Cubs lead was down to two points at the break.

It would have been a lot more, had it not been for the hot shooting of Nooksack 6-2 junior, Wayne Silves. Silves hit two 3’s and scored ten points in the second quarter, off the bench. A pat on the back should also go to Pioneer JV player, junior Dalton Hickey. Hickey spelled foul-troubled teammates in the second quarter and contributed solid minutes along with a bucket and a free throw.

Pioneers big man, 6-4 sophomore Brady Ackerman, after going scoreless in the first half, put seven points on the board in the third quarter, before fouling out with six minutes to play in the game.

The score was tied 43-43 entering the fourth, when Pioneers 6-2 sophomore Colton Lentz went to work. Lentz used his strength and aggressiveness to score seven fourth-quarter points, as the Pioneers outscored the Cubs 26-13 over the final eight minutes.

Senior Bennett DeLange scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, and senior Ayden Roper scored seven of his nine at the same time. Silves and Lentz led the Pioneers with 15 points each. Cubs 6-3 freshman Ethan DeJong added 10 for the Cubs.

The Cubs made a second trip to Whatcom County, where they fell to Lynden Christian, 84-54 on Friday. The Lyncs had three regulars miss the contest, so what most thought would turn out to be a tight game, well, most were wrong. The top ranked Lyncs seized the opportunity to reveal their depth.

As stated earlier, when the Lyncs get comfy at the offensive end, they are like trying to stop a waterfall with a teaspoon. After a 12-8 lead for the Cubs after four minutes, the dam broke.

Senior guard Dexter Zylstra, in his first start, wasn’t shy in leading the way for the Lyncs, hitting two early 3-pointers, and dishing out (at least) three first quarter assists. LC led 27-16 after one, but that was just the beginning.

Senior guard Griffin Dykstra put on a shooting display, mostly of 2-pointers on the move, scoring 18 points in the first half, and 25 for the game.

The bigger story was the shooting of senior Isaac Paxton, who came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers and score 11 points in the first half. He added two more 3’s in the second half for a 17-point night. Zylstra finished with 16, and senior guard Tyler Sipma knocked in 12. For the Cubs, Cox scored 18 and DeJong added 13. The Lyncs finished the week at 4-0.

Ferndale went to Squalicum on Tuesday, where the Storm pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 61-52 win.

Ferndale 6-4 senior Damien Toney got his team an early lead scoring eight first quarter points, including a pair of 3’s, as the Golden Eagles led 14-7.

Over the next three quarters, however, the Storm found plenty of offense via the outside shooting of senior guards Ashton Englehart and Alex Sledge. The two combined for 39 of the Storms 54 points over the final three quarters. Englehart finished with 27. He scored 19 of those in the second half. Sledge finished with 15. Storm senior Kyle Heaton added 10 points off the bench.

Toney’s 18 was scored over the first three quarters. Junior guard Bishop Ootsey added 12, and 6-3 senior Lucas Mills scored 11 more off the bench for Ferndale.

Saturday’s finishes included Bellingham evening their NWC record at 1-1 with a win over Nooksack Valley. Blaine got a road win over Oak Harbor to go 2-0 in NWC games. In the non-league side, Lakewood got an eight-point win over Archbishop Murphy, while Mt. Vernon lost to Seattle Academy 79-76, and Ferndale dropped one to Marysville-Getchell 62-40.

Lynden’s trip to Coeur d’Alene to play Lapwai, Idaho, was cancelled due to poor weather possibilities. Foss and Rainier Beach also cancelled their trips to the same event. The Lions will play their first two games at home on Monday and Tuesday, as they host Oak Harbor and Squalicum.

Mount Baker will play their first game of the season on Tuesday, at Sehome.

On Monday, Lynden Christian travels to Mount Vernon, while Burlington-Edison goes to Anacortes to play in the “Tiger-Hawk Challenge.”

It’s going to be a crazy year, and it already has been, and there’s proof! The top of the league should end up with a lot of balance, as they may be sharing some losses. Positioning for post-season play at each classification will be intense.

So, you better watch out!

~ Ted House

The 2022 All Northwest Conference football team for the 2A classification has been announced.

Congratulations to the Offensive Most Valuable Player, Brock Beaner, sophomore from Anacortes. And to the Defensive Most Valuable Player, senior Lane Herrings of 2A champion, Lynden.

The Coach of the Year award goes to Justin Portz of Anacortes. Scott Noteboom of Lynden is the Assistant Coach of the Year.

For the complete list of first and second teams for 2A, please see the attached list.

The 2022 All Northwest Conference football team for the 2A classification has been announced.

Congratulations to the Offensive Most Valuable Player, Brock Beaner, sophomore from Anacortes. And to the Defensive Most Valuable Player, senior Lane Herrings of 2A champion, Lynden.

The Coach of the Year award goes to Justin Portz of Anacortes. Scott Noteboom of Lynden is the Assistant Coach of the Year.

For the complete list of first and second teams for 2A, please see the attached list.

Week one of the basketball season is in the books, and we still have three teams absent due to football successes. The rest are cranking it up, and there was a nice 3-team triangle of highly regarded 1A’s that went on amidst the strong northeast winds. Thanks Canada!

Week one of the basketball season is in the books, and we still have three teams absent due to football successes. The rest are cranking it up, and there was a nice 3-team triangle of highly regarded 1A’s that went on amidst the strong northeast winds. Thanks Canada!

On Wednesday, The Meridian Trojans had nine of their ten players in the scoring column with a 76-45 home win over Friday Harbor. Their 5-man line-substitutions worked well and kept constant full court pressure on the Wolverines.

After an even first three minutes, the Trojans went on a 14-4 run for a ten-point lead after one quarter. Then Friday Harbor’s 6-2 junior forward, Chris Gustafson went to work, scoring nine of his game-high 22 points, and closing the gap to 23-20, early in the second quarter. But the Trojans held off the Wolverines and led 35-26 at halftime.

Then it was time for the Trojans catalyst, junior point guard Taran Burks, to stir things up. Burks scored eight points in the first 150 seconds (150 / 60 = 2 ½ minutes) of the third quarter, as he weaved his way to the rim through the Wolverines full court defense. Trojan sophomore Talon Jenkins also scored eight points in the third quarter, which included a pair of 3-pointers.

The Trojans full court defense was too much for the Wolverines, as they converted many turnovers into easy opportunities. In all, the Trojans scored 29 points in the third quarter, and took a 31-point lead.

Sophomore Jaeger Fyfe also added 11 points for the Trojans, who will take Anacortes, at home, on Monday.

There are others around the state that have a high opinion of Northwest Conference teams. A recent pre-season poll put out by ScorebookLive was heavy with NWC.

In 2A, Lynden was ranked number one, with Sehome right behind at #2. Anacortes also received votes outside the top ten.

The 1A poll had Lynden Christian as the top team, with Blaine at number nine. These polls are voted on by selected coaches from around the state in each classification. Of the 1A and 2A boys’ polls, only one voter is from District 1, which shows the reputation of this area.

Both the Borderites and the Lyncs took on #3 Kings on Friday and Saturday. More on that later.

The Sehome Mariners began their season on Thursday, against Arlington in front of a big home crowd. They came away with a 62-49 win, as they were able to pull away from the Eagles in the final minutes.

Early season games will usually have a large number of fouls committed. Feet need to quicken, and defensive fundamentals need to improve. This was certainly the case for Arlington, as the Mariners cashed in on their first half, double-bonus situation. They hit 11 of 14 free throws in the second quarter to help them to a 36-33 lead at halftime.

The Eagles main offense came from the perimeter. They didn’t shoot particularly well (“particularly well” translates to an unknown percentage, thought to be lower than average) from the 3-point line, but made enough to stay close.

Foul trouble hindered the Eagles inside game at both ends of the floor. David Zachman, a 6-6 senior, found himself in foul trouble most of the night, and the Mariners knew how to take advantage of that.

Mariner 6-6 senior, Grey Garrison, became the focus of the offense. Garrison used his size and several effective moves around the hoop to knock down a game-high 20 points.

But the Eagles kept hitting key shots to keep it close. It wasn’t until Isaac Lawrence hit a 3-pointer with 4:40 to play that gave the Mariners a ten-point lead.

Sehome starts five seniors, but the first sub off the bench was freshman guard, Nolan Wright. Wright’s hustle plays got him nine points. Seniors Grant Kepley and Mathew Storms were in double-figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

On Friday, the Kings Knights began a two-day Arctic Express excursion, first stopping in Blaine for a game with the Borderites. It was the first game of the year for both teams. The Knights followed that with a noontime game at Lynden Christian on Saturday.

Much like Sehome and Arlington, the Knights and Borderites were whistled for 21 fouls combined in the first half, and they were legit. (See reasons above).

After the Knights took a 17-11 lead after eight minutes, the Borderites tied the game at 18-18 on a 3-point play by senior guard, Lucas Smith. However, the Knights recovered, and held a 32-26 lead at halftime.

The Knights offensive attack was from the inside. Not to anyone with great size, but just a couple players who know how to post up, and felt they had good matchups. The set was basically the old UCLA 1-3-1. Though there are several ways to get into it, the result is a feed to the low post player who gets solid position, and the entry pass, in the middle of the key, and goes to work.

Those two players were 6-4 sophomore guard, Cam Hiatt, who you may remember from the 1A state tournament last season. The other is 6-4 junior, Nick Linhardt. The two combined 16 field goals in the paint. And when they didn’t score there, the combined to shoot 13-15 from the free throw line.

Even with all that, the Borderites battled and battled but found themselves down 41-28 in the middle of the third quarter. Over the next four minutes, the Borderites scored 11 straight points, capped by a 3-pointer off the hand of 6-5 senior, Mathew Russ. The Knights led 41-39 after three quarters.

With 4:05 left, Blaine senior forward Carson Lehnert nailed a 3-pointer to give the Borderites a 48-47 lead.

The teams went back and forth the rest of the way. Russ hit a three with two minutes left to give his team a 55-53 lead. However, Linhardt and Hiatt continued to rescue the Knights from inside.

It came down to the final seconds with Blaine leading 59-57. Hiatt found an opening and went one-on-one to the hoop. His strong move and layup, with a foul, tied it. And his subsequent free throw gave the Knights a 60-59 lead with 18 seconds left.

After a miss by Blaine, Knights senior guard, Maddox Boyce, was fouled with three seconds left. His free throw, for his only point of the game, gave the Knights a 61-59 lead. His second shot missed.

The Borderites rebounded and Lehnert clipped the rim on a shot from the volleyball line in back court.

It was a good barometer game for both teams.

Russ led the Borderites with 16 points. Next was Smith with 14, and Lehnert added 11. Hiatt led the Knights with 26, and Linhardt added 22.

The Lyncs home opener the next day at noon drew a big crowd to see them play their biggest post-season rival, Kings, who the Lyncs beat 61-58 in last year’s 1A state championship game.

The Lyncs took an early 10-6 lead, but a 16-5 run by the Knights into the second quarter, gave them a 22-15 advantage. Early in that run, the Lyncs had switched from their man-to-man to zone defense, and the Knights were able to find some holes. But the Lyncs switched back to man, and began a huge run of their own.

What worked well for the Knights the night before, did not go well on this day. The combo of Hiatt and Linhardt got collapsed on when they took the dribble inside the LC defense. They drop-stepped right into help defenders, including 6-6 junior wall, Jeremiah Wright. They did score a few buckets inside, but they had to come up with Plan B.

In the second quarter, the Knights also got out of their man-to-man, for a 2-3 zone. LC senior shooter, Griffin Dykstra, found three gaps that led to three quick field goals. By the time the Knights switched their defense back, it was too late.

The Lyncs took their biggest lead of the game, 45-27, late in the third quarter, which concluded a run of 30-5.

The Knights offense began to sync up after that. Hiatt hit two 3’s and two free throws early in the fourth quarter, and the Knights cut the lead down to seven. However, three buckets by LC junior Dawson Bouma kept the Knights at bay, until senior point-guard Tyler Sipma, scored three more hoops on hard drives to the rim. The Lyncs fully recovered, and took the lead back to 20 points.

Wright was a force in the key for the Lyncs, at both ends of the floor. He scored a game-high 21 points, which included a 7-8 day at the free throw line, so no Hack-A-Shaq to be had here. Sipma finished with 16, Griffin Dykstra added 12, and Bouma 11.

Anacortes went 2-0 on the week with wins over 2A Wesco teams, Archbishop Murphy and Cedarcrest. Bellingham won their first game in routing Granite Falls. Mount Vernon took down Lake Stevens and Mariner.

Nooksack Valley will play their first game on Wednesday, at home against Sedro-Woolley.

Congratulations to the Mount Baker Mountaineers on their second-place finish to their football season. Their basketball team will play their first game on Tuesday, December 13, at Sehome.

Another football congratulations to the Lynden Lions on their second straight 2A football championship. The Lions basketball team will squeeze in five practices and play highly regarded Lapwai High School, Idaho, at North Idaho College, on Saturday, December 10.

Conference games begin on Monday. It’s great to see some very well attended games this early in the season. There’s a lot of good stuff out there, and much, much more to come. Don’t miss out!

~ Ted House

Mount Baker and Lynden will play in State Championship football games on Saturday. Both games can be heard on KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

The Mountaineers will take on Royal at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood (South Tacoma) at noon. The Lions will play North Kitsap at 5:00pm at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.

Pregame shows begin 25 minutes before kickoff.

~ Ted House

Mount Baker and Lynden will play in State Championship football games on Saturday. Both games can be heard on KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

The Mountaineers will take on Royal at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood (South Tacoma) at noon. The Lions will play North Kitsap at 5:00pm at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.

Pregame shows begin 25 minutes before kickoff.

~ Ted House

Winning a state basketball championship is at the top of every team’s pyramid. Only twelve will reach that pinnacle. I can’t win a championship from here, so my goals are a bit different. If I am fortunate enough to reach the SunDome in Yakima for my 38 consecutive state tournament appearance, I plan to hoist a Triple-Berry Lemonade. They are proven to be championship caliber. And surely, more than just one.

Winning a state basketball championship is at the top of every team’s pyramid. Only twelve will reach that pinnacle. I can’t win a championship from here, so my goals are a bit different. If I am fortunate enough to reach the SunDome in Yakima for my 38 consecutive state tournament appearance, I plan to hoist a Triple-Berry Lemonade. They are proven to be championship caliber. And surely, more than just one.

Welcome back to the longest running Northwest Conference Basketball blog. This is the 17^th season of the Northwest Conference, and my 16^th following them around. So, let’s get started with my preview of the 2022-23 season.

And here it is: The Northwest Conference of Champions, does just that. The Lynden Christian boys and girls won titles in 2022, as well as the Lynden boys. The Nooksack Valley and Burlington-Edison girls both took home second place trophies. Would you rather have all the NWC teams, or “the field” this year?

There’s your preview.

Back in the conference itself, the LC boys have taken four of the last five NWC titles, piling up an astounding 60-4 record during that span. The Lyncs graduated a championship group which included NWC and State 1A MVP, Andrew Hommes. However, the Lyncs will reload, filling in around senior guards, Tyler Sipma and Griffin Dykstra, along with 6-6 junior, Jeremiah Wright.

The new coach at Sehome is former Western Washington University coach Brad Jackson. Coach Jackson doesn’t exactly enter a kitchen with bare cupboards either. In fact, the cupboard has some spillover.

The Mariners made the state tournament last season and came within one win of a trophy. They lost just one senior from last year’s roster, and will have the heady-steady all-league guard, Grant Kepley running the show.

There are some new faces in the border town, as Christopher Kok has stepped down from coaching at Burlington-Edison to become the Athletic Director at Blaine. His first order of business was to fill the boys basketball head coaching position, as Brett Farrar left to take the head job at Mount Vernon. The Borderites new head coach is Nate Sullivan. Sullivan comes to Blaine after three years as head coach at Oak Harbor, and ten years assisting Brett Senff at Anacortes. Expect some of that “hair-on-fire” play from the Borderites this season.

Mount Vernon will one to watch at, or near the top of the league this season. Coach Farrar took over the coaching job for the Bulldogs following the retirement of Roger Valentine. Junior guard Quinn Swanson will lead the bulldogs on the floor. This will be Swanson’s third year of varsity basketball.

Ferndale would probably like to forget most of last season, as they went through an unprecedented number of injuries, and a 1-7 start. But they will remember how they got things to come together and made the first round of the 3A state tournament. They will also welcome back the talents of senior Isaiah Carlson, who missed all of last season with an injury. They also have a fabulous new home to play in.

Last year, the Nooksack Valley Pioneers were a very young team. This year, they will be a young and experienced team. Their bloodlines include a Heutink, an Ackerman, and a Kamphouse. The Pioneers will make it a tight fit with just two NWC 1A teams again able to move through to state.

The defending 2A champion, Lynden Lions will have a hand in who ends up at the top of the NWC. The Lions have won three of the last four 2A state titles, even though they have not won a league title since 2015-16.

The Lions return NWC first-teamer and state tournament MVP, junior Anthony Canales. But the Lions will be on hold for a while, until the football team finishes their season in the state championship game, this Saturday.

The Pioneers and Mount Baker Mountaineers will also start their seasons late, as they also await their football teammates. The Mountaineers are seeking a state football championship as well.

The 2022-23 season tips off on Tuesday, November 29. However, Mother Nature, who usually has more of an impact at the end of the season, appears to be attempting to throw a wet blanket on the first week of the season. At least there’s not out of control water, or that other thing, in the way.

As I said this is the 17^th season of the Northwest Conference. I wish someone would have kept track of the yearly standings and, maybe, shared that information with everyone. You kidding? This is what I do, and here they are:

The concession stands should be back in full force. Multi-defending champion Meridian is the stand to beat. Hope to see you there on Tuesday.

The 2022 All Northwest Conference Girls Swim & Dive Team has been announced. Please see the attachment below for the full list of All Conferrence athletes.

The 2022 All Northwest Conference Girls Swim & Dive Team has been announced. Please see the attachment below for the full list of All Conferrence athletes.

Two state football semifinal games will be held Saturday, November 26, at Civic Stadium in Bellingham.

The 1A semi between league rivals, Nooksack Valley and Mount Baker will kick off at 1:00pm. In the 2A semifinal, Lynden will host Enumclaw at 5:00pm.

Ticketing for these games can only be purchased online with GoFan.com (see links below). This is advised by the WIAA.

The Valley-Baker game will be aired on KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM. Hornets-Lions can be heard on KGMI 790AM / 96.5FM. Pregame shows begin 25 minutes before kickoff. Gates open at noon.

Further ticketing information:

Mt Baker vs Nooksack ticket link:

https://gofan.co/app/events/803367?schoolId=WIAA

Lynden vs Enumclaw ticket link:

https://gofan.co/app/events/803368?schoolId=WIAA

One ticket will get you entrance to both games. You may reenter with a stamp before exiting.

~ Ted House

Two state football semifinal games will be held Saturday, November 26, at Civic Stadium in Bellingham.

The 1A semi between league rivals, Nooksack Valley and Mount Baker will kick off at 1:00pm. In the 2A semifinal, Lynden will host Enumclaw at 5:00pm.

Ticketing for these games can only be purchased online with GoFan.com (see links below). This is advised by the WIAA.

The Valley-Baker game will be aired on KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM. Hornets-Lions can be heard on KGMI 790AM / 96.5FM. Pregame shows begin 25 minutes before kickoff. Gates open at noon.

Further ticketing information:

Mt Baker vs Nooksack ticket link:

https://gofan.co/app/events/803367?schoolId=WIAA

Lynden vs Enumclaw ticket link:

https://gofan.co/app/events/803368?schoolId=WIAA

One ticket will get you entrance to both games. You may reenter with a stamp before exiting.

~ Ted House

Northwest Conference football teams went 6-0 in the first weekend of the state playoffs. All six are in action this weekend, and here is the broadcast schedule for Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19:

Highline vs Lynden, Friday, 6:00pm at Civic Stadium, KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

Anacortes vs North Kitsap, Friday, 6:30pm at North Kitsap HS, KBRC 1430AM / 102.9FM & KbrcRadio.com

Sedro-Woolley vs WF West, Saturday, 1:00pm at Centralia HS (Tiger Stadium), KAPS 660AM / 102.1FM & KapsRadio.com

Cashmere vs Nooksack Valley, Saturday, 3:00pm at Civic Stadium, KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

Ferndale vs Eastside Catholic, Saturday, 4:00pm at Seattle Memorial Stadium, KGMI 790AM / 96.5FM

Mount Baker vs Lakeside (NMF), Saturday, 4:00pm at Union Stadium, Mead, KBAI 930AM / 98.9FM

~ Ted House

Northwest Conference football teams went 6-0 in the first weekend of the state playoffs. All six are in action this weekend, and here is the broadcast schedule for Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19:

Highline vs Lynden, Friday, 6:00pm at Civic Stadium, KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

Anacortes vs North Kitsap, Friday, 6:30pm at North Kitsap HS, KBRC 1430AM / 102.9FM & KbrcRadio.com

Sedro-Woolley vs WF West, Saturday, 1:00pm at Centralia HS (Tiger Stadium), KAPS 660AM / 102.1FM & KapsRadio.com

Cashmere vs Nooksack Valley, Saturday, 3:00pm at Civic Stadium, KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

Ferndale vs Eastside Catholic, Saturday, 4:00pm at Seattle Memorial Stadium, KGMI 790AM / 96.5FM

Mount Baker vs Lakeside (NMF), Saturday, 4:00pm at Union Stadium, Mead, KBAI 930AM / 98.9FM

~ Ted House

Here is what we know about broadcasts for NWC football teams as they hit the state tournament this weekend.

Friday:

Lynden hosts Black Hills at Civic Stadium, 3:30pm, KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

Ferndale hosts Kelso at Civic Stadium, 7:00pm, KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

Anacortes hosts West Valley, Spokane at AHS, 6:00pm, Can be seen on AHS Live on YouTube. Radio broadcast on KBRC 1430AM / 102.9FM & KbrcRadio.com

Mt. Baker at Tenino, at THS, 7:00pm, KBAI 930AM / 98.9FM

Sedro-Woolley at Tumwater, 7:00pm, KAPS 660am / 102.1FM & KapsRaidio.com

Saturday:

Nooksack Valley hosts Riverside at Civic Stadium, 5:00pm, KGMI 790AM / 96.5FM

~ Ted House

Here is what we know about broadcasts for NWC football teams as they hit the state tournament this weekend.

Friday:

Lynden hosts Black Hills at Civic Stadium, 3:30pm, KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

Ferndale hosts Kelso at Civic Stadium, 7:00pm, KPUG 1170AM / 97.9FM

Anacortes hosts West Valley, Spokane at AHS, 6:00pm, Can be seen on AHS Live on YouTube. Radio broadcast on KBRC 1430AM / 102.9FM & KbrcRadio.com

Mt. Baker at Tenino, at THS, 7:00pm, KBAI 930AM / 98.9FM

Sedro-Woolley at Tumwater, 7:00pm, KAPS 660am / 102.1FM & KapsRaidio.com

Saturday:

Nooksack Valley hosts Riverside at Civic Stadium, 5:00pm, KGMI 790AM / 96.5FM

~ Ted House

Thanks to a three-way tie in the 1A football standings, Lynden Christian, Nooksack Valley, and Mount Baker will face off in a Kansas Tiebreaker to determine the two teams that will advance to the state playoffs.

The Tiebreaker will be held on Thursday, November 3, at Blaine High School. The first mini-game is set for 5pm, between the Pioneers and the Mountaineers.

That winner advances to the state round of 16, which begins on Friday, November 11. The losing team will then play the Lyncs, with that winner also advancing to state.

In this format, teams will get equal possessions. The games could last just a few plays, or for several possessions. Don't be late!

The two winners will be seeded into the round of 16 by the WIAA football seeding committee.

Admission to the event is $2.

~ Ted House

Thanks to a three-way tie in the 1A football standings, Lynden Christian, Nooksack Valley, and Mount Baker will face off in a Kansas Tiebreaker to determine the two teams that will advance to the state playoffs.

The Tiebreaker will be held on Thursday, November 3, at Blaine High School. The first mini-game is set for 5pm, between the Pioneers and the Mountaineers.

That winner advances to the state round of 16, which begins on Friday, November 11. The losing team will then play the Lyncs, with that winner also advancing to state.

In this format, teams will get equal possessions. The games could last just a few plays, or for several possessions. Don't be late!

The two winners will be seeded into the round of 16 by the WIAA football seeding committee.

Admission to the event is $2.

~ Ted House

The 2022 All Northwest Conference Boys Soccer team has been announced, as voted on by league coaches.

Treyson Smiley, a junior from Lynden, and Ryan Johnson, a senior from Squalicum were selected as Co-Defensive Most Valuable Players.

The Offensive Most Valuable Player award goes to Mount Vernon senior, Christopher Soto.

The Coach of the Year award goes to Joe McAuliffe of Squalicum.

For the complete list of first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

The 2022 All Northwest Conference Boys Soccer team has been announced, as voted on by league coaches.

Treyson Smiley, a junior from Lynden, and Ryan Johnson, a senior from Squalicum were selected as Co-Defensive Most Valuable Players.

The Offensive Most Valuable Player award goes to Mount Vernon senior, Christopher Soto.

The Coach of the Year award goes to Joe McAuliffe of Squalicum.

For the complete list of first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

The 2022 All Northwest Conference Fastpitch Softball team has been announced by a vote of league coaches.

There are Co-Offensive Players of the Year. Those honors go to Lynden senior Ash Alexander, and Courtney Locke, a junior from Burlington-Edison.

The Defensive Player of the Year is Jordan Releford, senior pitcher from 1A State Champion, Nooksack Valley.

The Coach of the Year award goes to the Pioneeers' Tom Harmon.

For the complete list of first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

The 2022 All Northwest Conference Fastpitch Softball team has been announced by a vote of league coaches.

There are Co-Offensive Players of the Year. Those honors go to Lynden senior Ash Alexander, and Courtney Locke, a junior from Burlington-Edison.

The Defensive Player of the Year is Jordan Releford, senior pitcher from 1A State Champion, Nooksack Valley.

The Coach of the Year award goes to the Pioneeers' Tom Harmon.

For the complete list of first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

For the first time since the 2019 season, the All Northwest Conference Baseball Team has been announced.

Mount Vernon freshman, Xavier Neyens, was recognized as the league's Most Valuable Player. Pitcher of the Year honors goes to Lynden sophomore, Lane Simonsen. And the Coach of the Year is Lynden's Cory White.

For the complete list of first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

For the first time since the 2019 season, the All Northwest Conference Baseball Team has been announced.

Mount Vernon freshman, Xavier Neyens, was recognized as the league's Most Valuable Player. Pitcher of the Year honors goes to Lynden sophomore, Lane Simonsen. And the Coach of the Year is Lynden's Cory White.

For the complete list of first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

If the Pac-12 Conference ever wants to sell the rights to their slogan, panned exclusively and often by Bill Walton, I may have a buyer for it.

The Pac-12 “Conference of Champions” should rightly be renamed, “The Northwest Conference of Champions.”

If the Pac-12 Conference ever wants to sell the rights to their slogan, panned exclusively and often by Bill Walton, I may have a buyer for it.

The Pac-12 “Conference of Champions” should rightly be renamed, “The Northwest Conference of Champions.”

The Northwest Conference again showed off its prowess on the basketball courts last week in the Yakima SunDome. Nine NWC teams dropped sweat on the SunDome floors. Five were alive on championship Saturday, with their eyes on the prize.

In the four 1A and 2A boys and girls finals, Nooksack Valley and Burlington-Edison girls took home second place. The Pioneers were nipped in overtime by league rival, Lynden Christian for the championship. The Tigers lost to a very powerful team from Ellensburg.

On the boys side of the big black curtain, Lynden and Lynden Christian both won championships. The Lyncs and Lions have won the state championship in the same season three times; 2012, 2018 and 2022.

The Blaine and Lakewood boys were eliminated on day 1. Blaine’s season ended in the hands of the Quincy Jackrabbits, while the Cougars lost to a league rival, Sehome. The Lynden girls were eliminated on the first day by WF West.

The newest “Conference of Champions,” now has won the Gold Ball in the 1A and 2A classification for boys and girls combined, 20 times in the last 16 years, dating back to 2006. They also have finished in second place 18 times during those years.

Those numbers are an accumulation of several different NWC teams but led by the four that share the 98264-zip code. More on those four later.

37 Straight

The 2020 state tournament was my 36^th straight. At the conclusion of my report from “Over & Back, 2020,” I mentioned that I couldn’t wait for number 37. Well, we all had to wait, and it was excruciating.

At 8am Wednesday, the SunDome was a sight for sore eyes. However, me waiting two years to get back to the state tournament was nothing compared to those would-be participants who missed out all together in 2021.

The weather could not have been better, and I don’t think it ever has been better during those four days. Barely a puddle on Snoqualmie. Maybe that was part of the pay-back.

The 27½ hours spent under the cement roof over the first two days was certainly worth it. There were so many good teams in both boys’ tournaments that every game had intrigue. The depth of possible champions in 1A and 2A went beyond the semifinalists.

Attack the Bracket

The 1A boys had the morning shift. My recently adopted Annie Wright team dismissed District 2 runner-up, Seattle Academy. But the Borderites couldn’t keep up with a tough Quincy team in the second half and were eliminated.

The Borderites 14-7 record was very good but didn’t do them justice. Their December win over Lynden set them up for the rest of the season. And wasn’t a bad thing for Lynden either, as it turned out.

By the time the 2A’s took the floor at 345pm, it was only 5 hours-15 minutes until our NWC 2A reps would hit the floor.

Sehome and Lakewood didn’t meet during the regular season due to a covid cancellation, and even missed each other in the district tournament. Unfortunately, their first match-up was on elimination day at state. Sehome won a tight one, 42-40. That advanced the Mariners to a quarterfinal with Lynden, at 9pm on Thursday.

In the 1A quarters on Thursday morning, locals Zillah and Toppenish met for the fourth time this season. Toppenish advanced to the semis, with their third win over the Leopards, 58-54.

The news was not good for Annie Wright on this day, as Kings advanced to the semis with a 61-44 win. The Gators were eliminated the next day with a loss to Zillah. Keep an eye on the Gators in ’23.

Lynden Christian logged a comfy win over Quincy to reach the semis against Life Christian, and Lynden took down Sehome for the third time this season, 72-60, in a game that was about two hot shooting teams. The Lions would take on RA Long in their semifinal.

Earlier on Thursday, Olympic League rivals Port Angeles and North Kitsap met for the third time. The teams split two games, and PA beat NK by 17 on the last day of the regular season. The Vikings were a slight tourney favorite over a very deep 2A field. North Kitsap got their 17 points back in a 75-68 win.

In Friday’s 1A semis, Kings and Lynden Christian both had similar come-from-behind victories. The Knights were down by two starting the fourth quarter and won by seven. The Lyncs trailed the Eagles by four starting the fourth and won by four. That set up a rematch of the 2020 championship (and 2015), won by Kings.

In the 2A tournament, it was Lynden’s sixth straight appearance in the semifinals and their ninth appearance in the last 10 years. They played the #3 seed RA Long, who had not been to state since 2008. The Lions 46-44 lead in the final seconds held up against a potential game-winner by the Lumberjacks from just inside mid-court.

In 2020, the Lions went up against North Kitsap in the semifinals. You may remember that in that game, the Lions led by 14 points at the end of the third quarter, but the Vikings hit every shot they took in the final eight minutes, outscoring the Lions 29-9, and won 62-56. The Vikings beat Clarkston for the 2020 championship the following day.

I told you that story to tell you this story:

In the other 2A semifinal on Friday, North Kitsap went against Pullman, winners of titles in 2013 and 2014. North Kitsap led by seven at halftime and by one after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Greyhounds did everything right, and outscored the Vikings 26-9 and won, going away, 69-53. It was the shocker of the 2A tournament.

Just like North Kitsap went through the boomerang-effect in 2020 and 2022, the same sort of thing happened with the 1A finalists in those years.

In the 2020 championship game, Lynden Christian had a nine-point lead over Kings with less than two minutes to go, but ended up losing in overtime, 70-67.

Fast forward to 2022, where the Knights had a 16-point lead over the Lyncs, early in the third quarter, and by nine starting the fourth. The Lyncs 25-13 fourth quarter rally got their name etched on the Gold Ball for the seventh time, with a 61-58 win.

Championship games begin at 3pm on Saturday and run every two hours, alternating boys and girls courts. Every year, the 2A boys switch times with the 1A girls, and the 2A girls switch times with the 1A boys. That means that the only championship times the 2A boys and 1A girls have had over the years is 3pm or 9pm. The 9pm time is fine if your classification plays in the second half of the day. However, one of those tournaments has to jump from late night semifinals to a 3pm championship the next day.

Semifinals are at 715pm and 9pm. If you play the 9pm game, you will be lucky to get back to your hotel by 11pm. Eat. Relax and come down emotionally. Finally get to sleep, and then get re-charged and play the earliest game that you have played all week, 3pm.

Even the team that won the first semifinal is in basically the same boat because they won’t leave the dome without watching their championship opponent.

The team that can muster more energy will have the advantage, and in the 2A championship, that was Lynden. But not by much.

Pullman missed their first 12 shots from the field in the 2A championship game, finally connecting with 44 seconds left in the first quarter. But the Lions really couldn’t take advantage because of their own missed shots, but they did lead 9-5 after eight minutes.

The shooting improved as the game went on, but both teams finished under 30%.

The Lions 51-34 win over Pullman was their eleventh state championship in basketball. In December of 2021, Lynden also won the football title, giving the school football and basketball titles in the same school year for the fifth time (1980-81, 1991-92, 2006-07, 2012-13, 2021-22).

Individuals

Even in a team sport, you need great individual play to get to this level. And there was. It’s amazing what these athletes can do now. Certainly bigger, faster, and stronger every few years. The instances where you raise your eyebrows and drop your jaw at the play you just saw, are plentiful.

Not only the accuracy of the outside shooters (in most games), but the distance from which they launch is, for some reason, deeper than what you see on their home floors during the season.

There are dunks and lobs for dunks. Amazing ball-handling with stop-and-go maneuvers to get open, which lead to mid-range jump shots! And defenders coming out of nowhere to swat a ball off the square on the backboard from what was a seemingly uncontested lay-in.

What I think was the greatest single-game performance, statistically, belonged to Pullman’s Grayson Hunt. In the Greyhounds semifinal win over North Kitsap, Hunt logged 22 points and 22 rebounds.

As far as individual performances by players from Northwest Conference teams, Lakewood senior Blake Conyers had 25 points in the Cougars loss to Sehome. Blaine senior Cole Thomas had 20 points and 9 rebounds against Quincy.

Lynden Christian junior Tyler Sipma scored 21 points against Quincy and was voted second team, all-state.

Lynden’s Jordan Medcalf was selected to the all-state first team and scored 19 points in the Lions semifinal win over RA Long. Teammate Dawson Adams had 15 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game win over Pullman.

That brings us to the final two players who had outstanding state tournaments, and each was voted as the Most Valuable Player.

Lynden Christian’s Andrew Hommes had three straight double-doubles, leading the Lyncs to the title, and his MVP award.

The senior had 24 points and 14 rebounds against Quincy. He followed that with 16/10 against Life Christian, and a championship game with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Kings.

For Lynden, it was sophomore Anthony Canales who was the 2A Most Valuable Player. He got the Lions going with 29-point, 7-rebound performance against Sehome. In the semifinals against RA Long, Canales had 19 points and 11 rebounds. In the championship game against Pullman, he scored 15 more.

Chalked Full of Seeds

How did the seeds hold up? In the 2A boys and 1A girls tournaments, the top four seeds were in the semifinals. 1A boys semifinals had seeds 1, 2, 3, and 5. That’s more “chalk” than a group of youngsters will use to color a driveway.

The 2A girls tournament was a different story. #2 Ellensburg and #4 WF West were joined by #8 Burlington-Edison and #11 Prosser in the semifinals.

In the 12 total tournaments (boys & girls B through 4A), no seed lower than #2 won a championship. In fact, if you were a #2 seed, you were most likely a big winner. Nine of the 12 championships were won by #2 seeds. Three #1 seeds took the other three.

Back to the Numbers

The Lynden boys now have five championships since 2007 and have won three of the last four. They have been in the semifinals in nine of the last ten tournaments, never finishing lower than third in that stretch. They have a total of 11 state championships.

The Lynden Christian boys have won two of the last four 1A titles and have been in the semifinals in four of the last five years and seven of the last eleven. They have now won seven state championships.

The Lynden girls have two championships in the last five years and have been in the semifinals in three of the last six years. They have won three championships.

The Lynden Christian girls have won four of the last six 1A championships and have been in the semifinals six straight years. They have won 14 championships overall.

Teams from the town of Lynden have won at least one state basketball championships in six consecutive years. They won three this year and two in 2020. They have combined for 11 championships in the last six years. All four played for championships in 2020 and 2012.

The Burlington-Edison girls finished second in 2017 and 2022. The Mount Baker girls won the 1A championship in 2017.

For ten straight seasons, from 2006 through 2015, the NWC had at least one team in the 2A boys championship game. In the last 16 years, since 2006, teams from the NWC have won eight championships and finished second, seven times. In the 24 years of the 2A boys tournament, the NWC has eleven championships and nine second place finishes.

Final Score

The Sehome Mariners will notice that they have a very full cupboard when they walk through the basketball kitchen next November. However, they will have a new varsity coach, as Skyler Gillispie is stepping down after his fourth season leading the Mariners. He announced this at the end of the state tournament. He will be pursuing a different dream with his family. All the best to Coach Gillispie in the future.

The Mariners will be one to watch in ’22-23.

The Ferndale Golden Eagles will start with a clean slate next year, and hopefully, a healthy one. On the positive side, they did get some youngsters very valuable playing time in some important games this season.

Hopefully, next year marks the return of the concession stand! Meridian has a good run of NWC championships going, so everyone needs to take notice and follow along. Let’s see who their top challenger can be.

For me, I saw what appears to be 74 games this season. It’s never a long year, and I could have stayed at the SunDome for several more days, or at least until the Lemonade stand packed up. The triple-berry drinks were awesome!

See you next year.

~ Ted House

The 2021-22 girls All-Northwest Conference basketball teams have been announced.

The Player of the Year in the NWC is Nooksack Valley sophomore, Devin Coppinger.

Coach of the Year honors also goes to Nooksack Valley's Shane Wichers.

The Pioneers finished the NWC schedule undefeated and earned second place at the 2022 state tournament. That equals the Pioneers best state tournament trophy of a second place finish in 1985.

For the complete list first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

The 2021-22 girls All-Northwest Conference basketball teams have been announced.

The Player of the Year in the NWC is Nooksack Valley sophomore, Devin Coppinger.

Coach of the Year honors also goes to Nooksack Valley's Shane Wichers.

The Pioneers finished the NWC schedule undefeated and earned second place at the 2022 state tournament. That equals the Pioneers best state tournament trophy of a second place finish in 1985.

For the complete list first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

The 2021-22 boys basketball All Conference teams have been announced.

The Player of the Year award in the NWC goes to Andrew Hommes, who led the Lyncs to the NWC title on the way to the 2022 1A state championship.

The Coach of the Year is Brett Farrar, who guided the Blaine Borderites to the 1A state tournament.

For the complete list of first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

The 2021-22 boys basketball All Conference teams have been announced.

The Player of the Year award in the NWC goes to Andrew Hommes, who led the Lyncs to the NWC title on the way to the 2022 1A state championship.

The Coach of the Year is Brett Farrar, who guided the Blaine Borderites to the 1A state tournament.

For the complete list of first and second teams, please see the attachment below.

Please see the attachment below for the Boys Swim & Dive All-Northwest Conference team for 2021-22.

Please see the attachment below for the Boys Swim & Dive All-Northwest Conference team for 2021-22.

Blaine 50, Wahluke 48

The Blaine Borderites withstood a furious comeback by the Wahulke Warriors, but hung on in the final seven seconds, for a 50-48 win, in the 1A regionals Saturday, in the Mount Vernon Gym. The win sends the Borderites on a trip to the SunDome in Yakima.

The Borderites will take on the Quincy Jackrabbits, who lost to Kings, 81-57 on Saturday. That game will be an elimination game at 2pm on Wednesday.

Blaine 50, Wahluke 48

The Blaine Borderites withstood a furious comeback by the Wahulke Warriors, but hung on in the final seven seconds, for a 50-48 win, in the 1A regionals Saturday, in the Mount Vernon Gym. The win sends the Borderites on a trip to the SunDome in Yakima.

The Borderites will take on the Quincy Jackrabbits, who lost to Kings, 81-57 on Saturday. That game will be an elimination game at 2pm on Wednesday.

Trailing 17-13 in the middle of the second quarter, the Borderites went on a 23-0 run that went to the four-minute mark of the third quarter, and a lead of 36-17.

Leading 43-32 early in the fourth quarter, Borderite junior Carson Lehnert hit his third 3-pointer of the game, and the Borderites built the lead back up to 16 with six minutes left.

The Warriors trimmed the lead to ten with 3:35 left, and then really put the pressure on the Borderites.

Consecutive steals and lay-ins accounted for five Warrior points, and suddenly the wild Warrior crowd was re-energized, with their team back in the game, trailing 48-43 with less than two minutes to play.

After a Borderite turnover, Wahluke 5-11 junior Orlando Nunez scored inside to cut the lead to three with 1:45 left. Then, after a Borderite miss, sophomore Andrew Yorgesen nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner that tied the game at 48-48 with :45 seconds to play.

With 15 seconds to shoot, and 19 seconds on the game clock, the Borderites worked the ball to senior Scott Baldwin, who took advantage of an open lane on the right wing. He drove to the basket, jumped, hung in the air, brought the ball around a defender, and cleared himself for the game winning score with seven seconds left.

Wahluke could not get in position for a game winner as the Borderites extended zone effectively covered the perimeter. A 30-foot shot did not come close, and the Borderites celebrated.

Lehnert, who’s first two 3-pointers were long bombs near the end of the first half, led the Borderites with 14 points. Baldwin added 10 points, and senior Cole Thomas scored 10 and pulled down literally hundreds of rebounds.

The Jackrabbits and the Borderites will both be making their first 2A appearance in Yakima since 2004.

Lakewood 61, Sammamish 53

The Lakewood Cougars defeated the Sammamish Totems 61-53 in a 2A regional game at Everett Community College on Saturday.

The Cougars will be making their second ever, and second consecutive, trip to Yakima, but will be playing a familiar foe, the Sehome Mariners. The #9 Cougars will take on the #8 Mariners at 9pm on Wednesday in the SunDome. It is an elimination game, with the winner advancing to play #2 Lynden, at 9pm on Thursday.

After a quick start, and a 21-7 lead after one quarter, the Cougars lead slowly diminished, but a 4-4 stretch at the free throw line by senior Blake Conyers, helped to keep the Totems at arm’s length.

The Cougars got 23 points from senior Justice Taylor and 12 from senior Andrew Molloy. Conyers finished with seven.

Due to covid cancellations, the Mariners and Cougars have not played yet this season.

~ Ted House

Do you know that person who doesn’t talk much, but when he does, you know better listen? Lynden Lion senior guard Kaleo Jandoc doesn’t shoot much, but when he does, you better watch.

Jandoc scored two points through the first three quarters of the Lions 2A regional basketball game against Port Angeles but nailed two crucial 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter. The second-seeded Lions played from behind all night, but survived the Roughriders, 58-48, in front of a big crowd in the Mount Vernon High School Gym.

Do you know that person who doesn’t talk much, but when he does, you know better listen? Lynden Lion senior guard Kaleo Jandoc doesn’t shoot much, but when he does, you better watch.

Jandoc scored two points through the first three quarters of the Lions 2A regional basketball game against Port Angeles but nailed two crucial 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter. The second-seeded Lions played from behind all night, but survived the Roughriders, 58-48, in front of a big crowd in the Mount Vernon High School Gym.

The Roughriders (18-6) were the #7 seed, but in this extremely balanced tournament, they could easily have been in the top four.

The teams banged on each other through the first four minutes to a 5-5 tie. Then the Roughriders broke through on offense, as 5-11 senior guard Xander Maestas and 6-5 senior forward Wyatt Dunning scored all 16 of their teams’ points in the first quarter.

Maestas used his quickness to get free of the Lion defense for nine points, while Dunning added seven more. The Lions could muster only eight points in the first eight minutes, with senior Dawson Adams hitting two 3-pointers for six of the eight.

Lynden senior forward Jordan Medcalf swung the momentum to his team with a steal and dunk starting the second quarter. After a bucket by Maestas, Medcalf pick up another theft, and with a sizzling 360 spin move down the key, scored on a lay-in. Adams added his third 3-pointer of the half, the Lions trailed just 18-15 with 5:30 left in the half.

But every time the Lions got close, the Roughriders had an answer.

Leading by three, Port Angeles went on a 6-0 run to close the half. They got two buckets in the low post by 6-9 senior John Vaara. Dunning and Maestas had 14 and 11 points, respectively, by halftime.

It was a physical but clean first half, as the Roughriders led 31-22. Only three fouls were whistled in the first half, resulting in only two free throws by the Lions.

The third quarter was more of the same, as far as the Roughriders control of the game, consistently holding a 7 to 11 point lead. The difference was in the fouls, as 14 were called in the third quarter alone, as both teams attacked the basket on a regular basis.

A buzzer-beating jump-shot by Lion junior Coston Parcher brought the Lions to within 41-34 at the end of the third quarter.

Early in the fourth, Adams scored on a tip-in, and after a Port Angeles turnover, Medcalf scored on a drive to cut the lead to three with 6:50 to play.

Vaara scored inside for the Roughriders, but sophomore Anthony Canales got a bucket back for the Lions

A steal by Jandoc and a pass up the floor to a driving Medcalf led to two free throws that tied the game at 44-44 with 4:53 left.

A few possessions later, and the same score, Jandoc found himself open against the Roughrider zone. His 3-point shot gave the Lions their first lead of the game, 47-44, with 2:45 left.

Vaara scored at the other end to cut the Lynden lead to one. Then after misses by each team, there was Jandoc again with space to shoot. His second 3-pointer gave the Lions a four-point cushion with 1:33 left.

At that point, the Lions had outscored the Roughriders 16-5 in the fourth quarter. After a Roughrider miss, the lead went to six on an Adams hoop inside. After that, the Lions put the game away, hitting a perfect 10-10 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter. They were 18-21 for the game, and outscored the Roughriders 24-7 in the fourth quarter. All that, while shooting a cool 17-60 from the field for the game (28%).

Maestas finished with a team-high 17 for the Roughriders. Dunning did not score in the second half and took only a couple shots against the Lion defense, mostly against Medcalf.

The 6-1 Adams was assigned the front side of the 6-9 Vaara on defense. Vaara finished with 11.

Medcalf led the Lions offense with 17 points. Adams added 13. Parcher’s 11 was followed by Jandoc’s 10, eight of which came in the last 2:45 of the game.

The win skips the Lions to the quarterfinal round on Thursday. They will play at 9pm in the Yakima SunDome. Their opponent won’t be known until late Wednesday night. Sehome who lost to North Kitsap on Friday at Foss High School, 73-42, is one possibility. The Mariners will play the Sammamish-Lakewood winner at 9pm on Wednesday, in the SunDome. Sammamish and Lakewood play at Everett Community College, Saturday at 4pm.

~ Ted House

Blaine, Lynden Christian, Lakewood, Lynden, and Sehome will represent the Northwest Conference in this weekend’s regional round, on the boys side. Here is a quick scouting report of their opponents.

Blaine, Lynden Christian, Lakewood, Lynden, and Sehome will represent the Northwest Conference in this weekend’s regional round, on the boys side. Here is a quick scouting report of their opponents.

Friday, February 25, 6pm at Foss High School

#8 Sehome (15-6) vs #1 North Kitsap (21-3)

About the Vikings:

North Kitsap won the 2020 2A state championship after a regional loss to Tumwater.

This year, they have been the team most would consider the 2022 favorite. They tied for the league title with Olympic League rival, Port Angeles, with 13-1 records. The Vikings won a 2-pointer at home in January, then the Roughriders took a 17-point win on the last day of the regular season.

The Vikings two other losses were to Mount Spokane by two, and Jackson by one point. They defeated Enumclaw in the District 2/3 semifinals, and White River in the final, 49-38. The Vikings average 81 points per game. Their previous low was 63.

North Kitsap defeated visiting Sehome on January 17, 81-58.

The Vikings are making their sixth straight state tournament appearance.

Probable starters:

#0 Johny Olmsted, 6-3 senior

#3 Aiden Olmstead, 6-4 senior

#4 Jonas La Tour, 6-4 senior (Scored 57 points in a game this year).

#10 Cade Orness, 6-4 sophomore

#11 Noah Sorensen, 6-2 sophomore

The Sehome-North Kitsap winner advances to a quarterfinal game on Thursday, at 530pm. The loser plays in an elimination game in the SunDome on Wednesday, at 9pm. The opponent in that game will be the Sammamish-Lakewood winner.

Friday, February 25, 8pm at Mount Vernon High School

#7 Port Angeles (18-5) vs #2 Lynden (19-2)

About the Roughriders:

Port Angeles tied North Kitsap with 13-1 Olympic League records, beating the Vikings on the last day of the regular season. They lost three games in a row in a three-day adventure before Christmas, in Tacoma. Their losses were to three 4A schools, Jackson, Kentwood, and Tahoma. The last of which is the #5 seed in the 4A state tournament.

Their fifth loss was in the district semis to White River, 57-54. A strong case could be made that the Roughriders are closer to a #4 seed, than a #7.

The Roughriders average 70 points per game. Their last state tournament appearance was in 2011. They had a win and a loss in a two-game regional format.

Probable starters:

#3 Quanah Wheeler, 6-3 senior

#11 Xander Maestas, 5-11 senior

#23 Michael Soule, 6-1 senior

#30 Wyatt Dunning, 6-5 senior, *Their most versatile offensive player, from the 3-point line and in.

#40 John Vaara, 6-9 senior, *Big body takes up room in the key defensively, and scores around the hoop. Keeping him from offensive rebounds will be a big key for the smaller Lions.

Winner to the quarterfinals, Thursday, at 9pm. The loser plays Wednesday, in the SunDome at 530pm in an elimination game against the WF West-Franklin Pierce winner.

Saturday, February 26, 4pm at Everett Community College

#16 Sammamish (14-10) vs #9 Lakewood (14-6)

About the Redhawks:

Tied for second in the KingCo 2A League with Highline, behind first place Renton. They won three straight elimination games to qualify. They knocked off Renton in the final game, 64-54, after losing to them three times during the regular season.

Sammamish has won six of their last seven games. They are very balanced and play good team basketball. Their best win was their last one. Their win over Renton and two wins over Highline were their only wins over teams with a winning record.

The Redhawks last state appearance was in the 2015 regionals.

Probable starters:

#0 Adi Suskic, 6-3 junior

#3 Nate Alessi, 5-11 senior

#5 Zakarie Abudulkadir, 6-0 junior

#11 Rehan Luthra, 6-3 senior

#40 Reuben Kizer, 6-4 senior

The winner plays the loser between Sehome and North Kitsap, Wednesday, at 9pm in the SunDome.

Saturday, February 26, 4pm at Mount Vernon High School

#16 Wahluke (12-9) vs #9 Blaine (13-6)

About the Warriors:

Finished second in the SCAC East to Royal. Went 3-1 in their district tournament to claim the second and final spot. Won seven of their last eight games. The Warriors have made one state appearance, in the 2018 regionals.

They remind me of Anacortes in the way they play offense. They do something with the ball when they get it. Shoot, pass, or attack the defense with the dribble. Small in verticality, but quick with the hands and feet. Four players between 6-0 and 6-3.

Probable starters:

#2 Arnoldo Ramos, 5-6 senior

#11 Maximilaiano Urrutia, 6-0 senior

#22 River Buck, 5-11 freshman

#23 Orlando Nunez, 5-11 junior

#32 Andrew Yorgesen, 6-1 sophomore

The winner goes to the SunDome for a Wednesday 2pm elimination game against the Quincy-Kings loser.

Saturday, February 26, 8pm at Mount Vernon High School

#7 Annie Wright (18-4) vs #2 Lynden Christian (18-1)

About the Gators:

Finished second in the Nisqually 1A behind Life Christian. This seems to be the second year of the boys program for the Gators. Their roster is filled with six freshmen, four sophomores, and two juniors. Yet, they averaged 77 points a game. They scored 94 points or more in four of their first five games of the season, with a high of 104. They had a 2-7 record during the 2021 spring season.

Certainly, a team of the future, who’s goal should be to be a team of the present. They have plenty of size for a 1A team. They are young but seem very disciplined. They just need to play and finishing in the top eight is a good start, as they are not in an elimination situation.

Probable starters:

#1 Reggie Lester, 6-2 freshman

#2 Jeremiah Harshman, 6-1 freshman

#11 Hunter Carter, 6-5 sophomore

#21 Martin Kaupanger, 6-4 freshman

#23 TJ Marshall, 6-3 sophomore

The winner heads to the quarterfinals, Thursday at 2pm. The loser moves to a Wednesday, 10am game in the SunDome against the Eatonville-Seattle Academy winner.

All the best to our Northwest Conference representatives. Hopefully all nine boys and girls teams still remaining can play deep into next week, and add to their trophy cases.

Friday at Mount Vernon High School

(G) Sequim vs Lynden (6pm)

(B) Port Angeles vs Lynden (8pm)

Saturday at Everett Community College

(B) Sammamish vs Lakewood (4pm)

Saturday at Foss High School

(B) Sehome vs North Kitsap (6pm)

Saturday at WF West High School

(G) Burlington-Edison vs Tumwater (6pm)

Saturday at Mount Vernon High School

(G) Colville vs Nooksack Valley (2pm)

(B) Wahluke vs Blaine (4pm)

(G) Seattle Academy vs Lynden Christian (6pm)

(B) Annie Wright vs Lynden Christian (8pm)

~ Ted House

The Ferndale Golden Eagles traveled to Kennewick High School for a “regional play-in” game with the hometown Lions. The teams literally traded 3-point shots through the first 16 minutes, but the Lions prevailed in the second half, ending Ferndale’s season, 80-62.

The Ferndale Golden Eagles traveled to Kennewick High School for a “regional play-in” game with the hometown Lions. The teams literally traded 3-point shots through the first 16 minutes, but the Lions prevailed in the second half, ending Ferndale’s season, 80-62.

Kennewick advances to a regional game at Bellevue College on Friday, against Lake Washington. The play-in round for 3A is due to that classification having more teams than the other classifications, allowing a 20-team tournament.

The Lions hit seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, and ten for the half. The Golden Eagles kept things close, hitting nine of their own in the first half. Kennewick led 41-37 at intermission. The Golden Eagles trailed by ten at the end of the first quarter, but tied the score at 29-29, though could never pull ahead.

Senior Mark Schlicting hit four threes in the first half, five for the game, and had a team high 17 points. Junior Damian Toney worked well around the hoop and scored 14. Seniors Luke Wells and Jazen Guillory netted 11 and nine points, respectively. Junior Jewelz Terry added eight points off the bench. And Sophomore Conner Walcker finished with three.

Kennewick senior Daniel Dickinson, who averages 14 points per game on the season, nailed seven 3-pointers, and scored 27 points.

The Golden Eagles finish the season with a record of 11-12.

~ Ted House

Told ya I had nothing clever for that yet.

The Lynden Christian Lyncs and the Blaine Borderites completed the crossover portion of their Bi-District tournament with victories, sending both to the regional round of the state tournament.

Told ya I had nothing clever for that yet.

The Lynden Christian Lyncs and the Blaine Borderites completed the crossover portion of their Bi-District tournament with victories, sending both to the regional round of the state tournament.

The Lyncs crushed the Sultan Turks 82-53, while the Borderites pulled away in the second half and hung on to eliminate the Overlake Owls, 51-44. Both games were played at Kings High School on Saturday.

The Lyncs, who should end up as the top seed in 1A (though tournament brackets have not been released as of this writing), were never in jeopardy in their elimination contest with the Turks.

The highlights began when junior guard Tyler Sipma, launched a long lob pass from beyond the top of the key to 6-6 senior Andrew Hommes, who was headed toward the rim from the right baseline. Hommes went airborne and slammed it through for an 8-4 LC lead.

Shortly thereafter, Hommes tipped a pass at midcourt, and went uncontested to the rim for another dunk, and an 18-4 lead.

The Lyncs led 38-24 at halftime, but the feisty Turks played hard and stayed competitive.

The Turks even nailed four 3-pointers in the third quarter, but Hommes went on his own 13-0 run, and scored the Lyncs first 14 points of the period. The Lyncs had a 20-point lead at the end of three.

Hommes led the Lyncs with 26 points, all coming in the first 24 minutes. Senior Crew Bosman added 20 of his own, with ten more coming off the bench from 6-6 sophomore Jeremiah Wright.

If the Lyncs (18-1) end up as the top seed in 1A, they will be the host team and play the eighth seed, somewhere close to home (hopefully MVHS) on Friday or Saturday.

The Borderites (13-6) had a much more difficult time getting past the Owls.

After a 14-11 lead for Blaine after one quarter, the offensive pace slowed to a crawl over the next eight minutes. The Borderites zone defense made the Owls spend most of the shot clock working the perimeter, but the Blaine offense was also kept in check.

The game was tied at 17-17 at the six-minute mark of the second quarter and was 19-19 at halftime.

The action picked up in the third quarter, as Borderite junior forward Carson Lehnert nailed three 3-pointers. The third of which gave his team a 34-27 lead with 2:30 left in the period. Blaine led by eight as the fourth quarter started.

Starting the fourth quarter on defense, Blaine senior Scott Baldwin scored on a tremendous steal and a bucket. He stole a pass near the centerline. With a much bigger defender in his back pocket as he drove down floor on the right side, he went in the air and crossed over to the left side of the rim to avoid the defender and scored.

Shortly after that, senior Avery Dohner penetrated from the top of the key, drawing the defense in, and hit Baldwin on the right wing. He nailed a 3-pointer, giving the Borderites a 12-point lead with 6:20 to play.

However,

With 1:05 left, Lehnert split a pair of free throws to give the Borderites a 47-39 lead. The missed free throw was rebounded by the Borderties’ senior forward Cole Thomas. As Thomas attempted to rise up and score near the hoop, he was fouled, which knocked him to the floor. An intentional foul was called on the Owls.

Thomas missed both free throws, but the Borderites would still have possession with 1:00 left due to the intentional foul rule.

The Borderites missed a shot attempt off an inbounds play, and Overlake freshman Brandon Douvia knocked in a 3-pointer with :48 seconds left, cutting the Blaine lead to five.

After a Blaine turnover in back court, the Owls scored again, and it was 47-44 with :38 left.

Next, nearing a ten second violation in back court, the Borderites called timeout with :28 on the clock.

The Borderites did end up turning the ball over again, and after a Blaine foul, Douvia was on the free throw line for the Owls. However, he missed the front end of a one-plus-one, and the Borderites secured the rebound.

In the final possessions, junior guard Lucas Smith hit two free throws, and Dohner added two more for the final score of 51-44.

This will be the first state tournament appearance for the Borderites since 2004. The intensity and the will to win and to get to state that this Borderite team has shown, is as visible as a full moon rising over a snow-filled field on a clear winter night. It’s certainly the whole team that is involved, but special recognition has to go to the Blaine coaching staff, led by Brett Farrar, and seniors, Jaxon Kortlever, Cole Thomas, Scott Baldwin, Avery Dohner, and Anden Holley.

The Borderites look to be the 10-seed on the 1A list. Again, nothing is official yet. The #10 would host the #15 in a loser out, regional game. Site to be determined (see above). A win there puts the Borderites in Yakima, for a Wednesday loser out game.

Next on the list: 1230pm BRACKET CHECK.

~ Ted House

This time of year, only the really good teams are still around, and in order to prevail, you have to be playing your best. On Friday night at Mount Vernon High School, Lakewood and Lynden may have put together their best all-around efforts of the year.

This time of year, only the really good teams are still around, and in order to prevail, you have to be playing your best. On Friday night at Mount Vernon High School, Lakewood and Lynden may have put together their best all-around efforts of the year.

The Cougars got past the Burlington-Edison Tigers, 71-58, in an elimination game for third place, and a spot in next weekend’s regional round. The Lions cruised past a very good Sehome Mariner team, 76-49, to win their third straight district championship.

A winner-to-state, loser-out game, may be the most exciting and intriguing events to watch. That is, if you have no skin in the game. If you are a coach, or have someone special to you in uniform, it can be an ulcer-fest from the time the teams hit the bracket.

The Tigers and Cougars both came off victories in the elimination round on Wednesday and had not played each other during the regular season.

Both teams were on the attack throughout. It was fast paced, with lot of great individual action. The Tigers had a quick start and took a 13-7 lead in the first five minutes.

At that point, however, the tables turned, as the Cougars began to get shots to fall. Two free-throws by Cougar sophomore Ben Rucker, gave his team a 17-16 lead with a minute left in the quarter. Then he hit a 3-point shot, and the Cougars had a 20-18 lead at the end of the quarter.

When teams play Lakewood, they center their defense around limiting the shots by the Cougars senior 3-point-ace, Blake Conyers. When that happens, the powerful 6-1 senior guard, Justice Taylor, takes over with his strong game around the rim. Conyers did get loose for three bombs in the first half, and Taylor scored 13 points, all around the hoop.

On the other side, Tiger senior guard duo of Zach Watson and Connor Anderson, are two handfuls for any team with their ability to get into the paint and use their springs to score above the crowd. Watson scored 12 first half points, and dished out two amazing assists to junior post, Bennett Howe, for lay-ins along the way. Howe scored nine points in the first half, but the Cougars led, 36-34.

This game tipped in the direction of the Cougars in the middle of the third quarter. In a wild, and I mean wild, scramble for the ball near the center line, the Cougars finally got possession. With players still on the floor, Conyers was in the right place at the right time. He received a quick pass and was all too ready to catch and fire. That 3-point shot gave the Cougars their biggest lead, to that point, 45-38.

A few seconds later, Taylor splashed another three for a ten-point Cougar lead.

In the fourth quarter, a five-point run by the Tigers cut the lead to 54-49 with six minutes to go. But Conyers and Taylor nailed back-to-back threes to push the lead quickly to 11.

With just under four minutes to play, Anderson hurt an ankle, and did not return until the final minute. By that time the Cougars had pushed their lead to as much as 16 points.

Anderson is a 5-10 guard, who plays like he’s 6-foot-six. He is one of the most gifted all-around athletes in the league. His leaping ability on a basketball floor is amazing to watch. When he returned to the floor in the last minute, hobbling, he still went airborne for an offensive rebound, and finished it with a score on a high jump-shot from short range. When the play was over, he was hobbled even more.

Speaking of players who play much above their listed height, let’s talk about Justice Taylor again. He had 13 points at halftime, then added eight more in the third quarter, which included two 3-pointers. But that was nothing, compared to the 15 more he scored in the final eight minutes. He stroked three more 3-pointers, to give him five for the second half, and finished with 36 points.

Conyers hit five treys of his own in the game and finished with 19.

For the Tigers, who finish the year with a record of 13-8, Howe led them in scoring with 20, with Watson adding 12. He did not score in the second half. Anderson was only able to hit for nine points.

The Cougars have reached the regional round, which will be their second consecutive state tournament appearance. Their first ever state tourney appearance was in 2020.

The district championship game between Sehome and Lynden was a rematch. The Lions took the regular season game 62-44 in early January.

As stated after the Mariners beat Burlington in the semi’s, it was their first district championship appearance since the 30-0 Mariners won the 4A state title in 1996. It was the fourth straight district championship game for the Lions, and the win was their third title in a row.

The way things went for the Mariners in the first few possessions, I wonder if this was a case of tradition winning out. There was no district championship game last year, so only the Lion seniors, who got time as sophomores, know firsthand what this game is about. But they do have the long tradition and history of post-season success to fall back on.

The Mariners missed several very short shot attempts in their early possessions. They may have been 0-5 from the field, the first time they had the ball. That could have been a little tightness, but that is something you can’t measure with a statistic.

It took nearly two minutes for the Lions to get on the board, and that was a 3-pointer by senior marksman Dawson Adams. Lion senior Jordan Medcalf scored three times near the rim, and by the time the first eight minutes were up, the Lions held a 16-7 lead.

The Mariners scored much better in the second quarter, as their gunner off the bench, junior Isaac Lawrence, hit two 3-pointers. The Mariners trailed 22-10 early in the period but scored nine straight over a three-minute span. From there, the Lions had an 11-3 run and held a 37-24 lead at halftime.

Any thoughts of a come-back by the Mariners were erased early in the third quarter, as Lion slithery sophomore, Anthony Canales, scored at the rim, squeaking through two Mariner defenders. On the next possession, Medcalf banked in a three from the top, and you know things are going well. The Lions led by 22 at the end of the third quarter and ballooned the lead to as much as 30 in the fourth.

The Lions played free and easy. Shooting, running, and especially defending. Sehome averages 65 points a game on the season. They have been held under 50 points twice, both times in losses to the Lions.

Junior Mathew Storms scored 15 of his team high 16 points in the second half for the Mariners. He was their only player in double-figures.

Medcalf led the Lions with 21. Adams, Canales, and junior guard Coston Parcher all scored 15.

Now, the wait begins.

Regional matchups will be announced on Sunday by the WIAA. They will use the state RPI rankings to seed all 16 teams (20 in 3A) who qualify in each classification. There will also be a committee that will give final approval. It is my understanding that, if possible, the committee will keep teams from the same league in having to play each other in the regional round. They will also make sure that the RPI list is accurate.

My guess on the landing spots of Lynden, Sehome and Lakewood:

Traditionally, Mount Vernon has been a host for a regional site. Lynden, being the top team from District 1, could have a regional game there, if that gym is again being used. The Lions have been rotating between first and third in the RPI rankings with White River and North Kitsap. Those two teams play each other, Saturday night, for the District 2/3 championship. As of this writing, White River is first in RPI by the slimmest of margins over Lynden. That championship winner from tonight will probably be the top seed.

Right now, Sehome is #9. If they stay at that number, they would host the #16 seed. That could be at MVHS as well (if they host), or it could be at another reginal site, probably in District 1. That game for Sehome would be a loser out contest. If the Mariners were to crack the top 8, meaning a team or two in front of them would have to lose, then they would travel to play a higher seed in their regional game, but it would not be a loser out.

Lakewood is currently #13. If they stay at that number, they would play on the road at #12, which is currently Grandview. However, the Greyhounds have an elimination game with Ellensburg tonight. Lots of things can change for the #9 through #16 teams today. Nothing is for sure, for anyone, as far as seed, travel, or where they may play.

Stay tuned, come Sunday.

As for today, I think a trip to Shoreline is in need.

~ Ted House

This time of year, there is a popular phrase, or cliché, that is used for teams that are fortunate enough to advance to the state tournament. This channel does not “punch tickets,” but I haven’t found a clever way to use a “scan” or “QR” code to do the trick.

This time of year, there is a popular phrase, or cliché, that is used for teams that are fortunate enough to advance to the state tournament. This channel does not “punch tickets,” but I haven’t found a clever way to use a “scan” or “QR” code to do the trick.

On Monday, Sehome and Lynden qualified for regionals with their wins in the 2A District 1 Tournament. The Mariners and the Lions will face off for the second time this season, Friday, at Mount Vernon High School. Anyone who, like me, thinks of the MVHS gym as, “The Palace,” most likely also thinks that the actual state tournament is when you play in the Spokane Arena, the Yakima SunDome, or the Tacoma Dome. However, let’s not split hairs. Getting to regionals alone, gives your team an official state tournament appearance.

With that said, Sehome has made 15 state tournament appearances since 1983, but this is their first time in a district championship game since the 30-0 Mariners of 1996, who won the 4A state championship that year.

The Mariners cleared that hurdle with a convincing 72-56 win over Burlington-Edison on Monday.

Sehome shot out to a 15-2 lead, thanks for the most part, to the play of junior Grant Kepley. He is certainly the straw that stirs this drink and does whatever is necessary to get his team going early. Kepley may have the most intangible skills in the league, not to mention the tangible ones.

Late in the first quarter, Kepley was directly responsible for eight consecutive points for the Mariners, starting with back-to-back, no-look short dishes to Gavin Ortega for open lay-ins, then a couple buckets of his own after that.

The Tigers clawed back a little bit in the second quarter and trailed by ten at halftime. It could have been much closer had it not been for the Mariners 6-6 forward, Grey Garrison scoring nine of his teams eleven second quarter points.

A steal and a lay-up by Tiger senior Zach Watson cut the Sehome lead to 44-37 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, but then the Mariners scored eight straight points to go up by 15.

The trigger was junior Isaac Lawrence. He hit two 3-pointers in that stretch, as one of those was part of a five-point possession. Lawrence went on to hit two more bombs in the quarter, where he scored 14 of his team high 20 points.

Mathew Storms, another junior, scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half. Ortega added 11, and Kepley kept stirring, and also scored 15. With Garrison’s nine points, five Mariners scored, with four in double-figures.

The Tigers also had five players score, with four in double-figures. Senior guard Connor Anderson scored 11 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter. Watson and 6-5 junior Bennett Howe added 11 each, with junior Blaine Granberg scoring ten.

The loss sent the Tigers to an elimination contest with Squalicum on Wednesday, while the Mariners awaited their district championship opponent. The Storm eliminated Anacortes, 70-68 in overtime, on Monday.

Sehome’s next opponent would be Lynden. The Lions 57-41 win over Lakewood sends the Lions to the district championship game for the fourth straight year. They have won the last two.

The Lions also got out to a big early lead and had a 21-10 advantage at the end of the quarter.

The Lions offense was on fire, hitting their first five 3-point shots, three of those by senior, Dawson Adams. Their defense was also stellar, except for some fouls, which the Cougars turned into a 7-7 showing at the free throw line. The Cougars hit only a single field goal over the first 10:20 of play.

The Lions mustered only 21 more points over the next two quarters, and the Cougars used that time to make things interesting. Trailing by eight at halftime, the Cougars got as close as four, 32-28, over the first three minutes of the third quarter.

Lion senior Kaleo Jandoc hit a big 3-pointer to stretch the lead to seven. That was followed by a three by Adams, who had gone cold since the since his hot first quarter.

Adams started the fourth quarter by hitting his fifth 3-pointer of the game, then hit another one at the 5:32 mark, and the Lions led by 15.

Lakewood seniors Justice Taylor (16) and Blake Conyers (21) combined for 37 of the Cougars 41 points. They scored all of their teams’ 23 over the middle two quarters. Adams led the Lions with 18. Sophomore Anthony Canales added 14.

Continuing with the 2A tournament, we come to Wednesday’s elimination games which were switched from Mount Vernon to Lynden due to the Bulldogs having a 3A district tournament game on their home floor that night.

Archbishop Murphy took the floor against Lakewood, with the winner advancing to the consolation final on Friday. The Cougars nipped the Wildcats by a point in a non-league game in January, and came away with 57-50 win on this day, ending the Wildcats’ season.

The Wildcats have a very young squad, who had been bitten by the injury bug, but still managed to be ahead 42-40 starting the final quarter.

With Conyers unable to get loose against the Wildcats tight man-to-man defense, it was Taylor who was able to use his strength and ability to drive inside, who carried the Cougars in the first half.

Taylor drove to the rim time and time again, scoring 16 points in the first half, but the Wildcats led 28-27 at halftime.

Down by two, the Cougars scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and never gave up the lead. Although the Wildcats fought back to trail 49-48 with three minutes left.

The shot of the game was a quick catch-and-shoot by Conyers, deep on the left wing, near the end of the shot clock. That gave the Cougars a 52-48 lead with 1:48 left.

Taylor finished with 25 points. Conyers scored all 11 of his in the second half. Andrew Molloy, a 6-3 senior post, scored eight of his ten points in the first half.

Lakewood will play Burlington-Edison for the final spot to regionals, Friday at 530pm, at Mount Vernon. The two teams were not able to play each other during the regular season.

The Tigers were too much for Squalicum on Wednesday, eliminating the Storm, 56-41.

Zach Watson had a big night for the Tigers, scoring 21 points. Connor Anderson and Bennett Howe each scored 11. Storm junior, Ashton Englehart was the only player in double-figures, with 11.

The only game in the 1A tournament this week happened on Tuesday at Nooksack. The “visiting” Pioneers took on the Blaine Borderites. Blaine came away with a 3-point win in their matchup on February 1.

The Borderites ability to dominate the early minutes of each half led them to a 58-37 win.

Blaine had a 12-0 lead before NV junior Bennett DeLange scored for the Pioneers with 1:10 left in the opening quarter. The Borderites led 20-9 with 2:44 left in the half, when freshman Brady Ackerman hit two free-throws, followed by five quick points from sophomore Joey Brown.

In the third quarter, the Borderites had another run of 11 straight points, opening a 35-18 lead. Then it was Joey Brown time again, as he hit two quick 3-pointers in the last minute of the quarter to spark the Pioneer crowd.

The Borderites still led by 13 entering the fourth quarter. The reason I haven’t singled out any Borderties yet, is because they were all involved in this one. Their defense held the Pioneers to single digit scoring in three of the four quarters. Their transition offense was effective, and they shot 15-18 at the free throw line.

In the end, senior Scott Baldwin scored in every quarter, and led the Borderites with 13 points. Fellow seniors Cole Thomas and Avery Dohner each scored 11. Junior Matthew Russ added nine.

While the future is bright for the young Pioneers, the Borderites in the present need one more win to go to get to regionals. Then probably another must win game to get to Yakima.

On Saturday, the Borderites will play Overlake, who was the #4 team from the District 2 tournament. That game will be at 6pm at Kings High School. At 4pm, the Lynden Christian Lyncs will take on Sultan (14-8), with a regional spot on the line. The #9 seed Turks took fifth in their district tournament by beating #5 Bear Creek 56-47.

Overlake is 15-7 and was the #2 seed to their district tournament. They are coming off of a 54-24 loss to Cedar Park Christian.

When Ferndale started the season at 1-7, didn’t I say they would recover and play for a district championship? Well, no. I didn’t. But I could also see that record was not indicative of their talent. And I hope no team ever has to endure what that team has gone through this season. So decimated with injuries that only five players saw the floor in their 72-65 semifinal win over Stanwood on Wednesday.

That’s one less club in the bag than Lynden Christian’s Six-Iron Lyncs had to win the 1976 1A State Championship. Damian Toney, a 6-2 junior, has been steadily improving throughout the year, and now, with additional playing time, has scored 35 points in Ferndale’s last two tournament games.

The #7 seed Golden Eagles will take on #4 Mountlake Terrace in the 3A district championship game, Saturday at 6pm at Everett Community College. Both teams will have a spot in the regional round.

The news was not as good for Mount Vernon. The Bulldogs lost all three games in the district tournament. They were eliminated with a 68-56 loss to Cascade on Wednesday.

In a nutshell, 2A championship and consolation games at MVHS on Friday. 1A crossovers at Kings on Saturday, along with the 3A championship at Everett CC.

~ Ted House

The first week of the post-season for Northwest Conference teams has flown by, with just about everything following according to seeding. Top 1A seed, Lynden Christian, won the 1A district title. The top four seeds have advanced to the semifinals in the 2A tournament. The only real “bracket-buster” was in 3A, where #7 Ferndale handled #2 Shorecrest on Tuesday, giving the Golden Eagles to the quarterfinals.

The first week of the post-season for Northwest Conference teams has flown by, with just about everything following according to seeding. Top 1A seed, Lynden Christian, won the 1A district title. The top four seeds have advanced to the semifinals in the 2A tournament. The only real “bracket-buster” was in 3A, where #7 Ferndale handled #2 Shorecrest on Tuesday, giving the Golden Eagles to the quarterfinals.

Also, in the 3A tournament, Oak Harbor was eliminated by Monroe, 71-62 on Tuesday. Mount Vernon was knocked off by Mountlake Terrace 61-55, but recovered to win an elimination game over Monroe on Thursday, 58-51. The Bulldogs are now in the quarterfinals, at Stanwood on Saturday.

Ferndale hosts Cascade at 7pm on Saturday. If the Golden Eagles and the Bulldogs both win or lose, they will play each other in the next round.

In the Ferndale win over Shorecrest, Golden Eagle senior, Mark Schlicting nailed a shot from foul line-extended, yes, in back court, at the end of the first half. That gave his team a three-point lead. Even at 70 feet, you still better get a hand up!

The 1A’s began the week with #4 Meridian’s 66-46 win over Mount Baker, which eliminated the Mountaineers. That set up a #4 versus #3 game, as the Trojans were the visitors on their home floor against Nooksack Valley on Thursday.

I have not counted up how many games I have seen this season, but this one was one of my very favorites to watch.

It even made me feel somewhat nostalgic, knowing that the Trojans and Pioneers have played dozens of district tournament games against each other over the decades. The only thing missing was, of course, the filled wooden seats in the Mount Vernon gym.

Due to seeding and home court rules on the girl’s side of the tournament, this game was in the Meridian gym, but the Pioneers, being the higher seed, were the home team. Only three seniors were on the floor at the start of the game, so both teams are on the youthful side, and gaining experience.

For basically the entire 32 minutes, the Trojans used a zone press and a zone half-court defense, while the Pioneers went end-to-end, man-to-man style. I also felt that, even though it was an elimination game, that both teams were comfortable playing each other. No more playing up a classification or two against other NWC teams.

Even though the Pioneers finally crept out to a ten-point lead by the end of the third quarter, this was a very hard fought, competitive game. The Pioneers 58-36 win certainly was not relative of the fight and intensity displayed on the floor.

NV junior Bennett DeLange was Mr. Offense, early for the Pioneers, scoring nine points in the first quarter. But the Trojans kept it close, trailing by only a point after eight minutes.

The Trojans three guard perimeter defense was effective in the Pioneer passing lanes, keeping the ball out of the hands of freshman post, Brady Ackerman, holding him to just three points in the first half.

The offense slowed in the second quarter for both teams, with only two points scored in the first three minutes by the Trojans. The Pioneers first points of the quarter came on a 3-pointer by freshman Caden Heutink, with 4:40 left in the half. Heutink then broke a 19-19 tie by hitting a runner in the key. Then DeLange used a beautiful hop-move to free himself along the left baseline for a jumper which turned into a 3-point-play. The Pioneer’s lead was 26-21 at halftime, as the Trojans netted only six points in the second quarter.

Through the first half, and beyond, the players on the floor had plenty of help from their student sections, when it came to the time left on the shot clock. There were many times when the defenses were making the offenses work the entire 30 seconds, and the crowd would help the countdown. However, sometimes, when the opposing student section tried to help, I don’t think they were being very truthful!

In the first 50 seconds of the third quarter, DeLange scored on another 3-point-play, then got a steal on the press. Heutink then scored, giving the Pioneers a ten-point lead.

Not to be “out-freshmaned,” the Trojans own ninth grader, Jaeger Fyfe, scored five straight points over the next minute, to cut the Pioneer lead in half.

Yes, there were several, “He’s-a-freshman” chants, in between shot clock countdowns.

When Ackerman scored inside in the final seconds of the quarter on an inbounds play, the Pioneers had a 41-31 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Nooksack 6-3 sophomore Joey Brown, who came of the bench but had yet to score, single-handedly doubled the Pioneers lead over the next four minutes.

He scored his first bucket on a lay-in on the Pioneers first possession. Ackerman then hit a free-throw, but missed the second, and Brown knocked down a tip-in. Then he hit three more shots in a row, scoring ten of the Pioneers first eleven points of the fourth quarter. The lead went to 52-31, before Fyfe hit a free throw for Meridian, with 3:28 remaining.

Fyfe finished with nine points for the Trojans, and junior Hunter Jones led the team with 13.

Ackerman finished with 15 for the Pioneers, scoring 12 of those in the second half. DeLange scored 12 of his 15 in the first half. Brown’s ten points was followed by Heutink’s nine.

While the season ends for the young Trojans, the even younger Pioneers will play again. They will take on the #2 seed, Blaine Borderites on Tuesday, at 7:30pm. The game will be at Nooksack, but the Borderites will be the home team. That will be an elimination game, with the winner advancing to the Bi-District crossover game against the #4 team from the Emerald Sound tournament.

Blaine is in that game due to their 86-57 loss to Lynden Christian on Friday, a game played at NVHS. The Lyncs take the district title and will play in the crossover next Saturday against the #5 team from the Emerald Sound. The Lyncs will play at 4pm at Kings High School. The Blaine-Nooksack winner will play at 6pm, also at Kings.

The 2A tournament as gone according to seed. The play-in games on Tuesday were down to the wire. #7 Cedarcrest held on to eliminate #10 Sedro-Woolley, 49-46. After a double-digit deficit in the second half, the Cubs had two chances for the lead in the final minute but could not convert. A final attempt for a tying 3-pointer at the buzzer did not fall for the Cubs.

The other play-in game was #9 Bellingham at #8 Squalicum. The Storm eliminated their rivals, 39-38, in a real grudge match.

With neither team able to get more than one possession ahead on the scoreboard through the entire game, Storm senior Reed Richardson split a pair of free throws with 1:35 left, to end the scoring. The Bayhawks final chance was with nine-tenths of a second left. On an inbounds pass from the sideline, a 30-foot shot would not fall.

Bayhawk sophomore Wyatt Stephan, scored 13, with 6-8 junior, Henry Sheldrup, adding 11.

For the Storm, senior Leyton Smithson, was the only one in double-figures, with 11. Richardson was held to just three points.

That sent the Storm to the double-elimination, quarterfinal round, and a visit to #1 seed, Lynden, on Friday.

The Lions advanced to the district semifinals with a 64-50 win over the Storm. But it certainly wasn’t easy.

The Storm led 20-17 after eight minutes, and the Lions had just a two-point lead at halftime. With a slim five-point lead going to the fourth, the Lions pulled away. The Lions defense improved as the game went on, but the Storm’s Richardson was still able to toss in a game-high 26 points.

Lion sophomore Anthony Canales was close behind with 24, and senior Jordan Medcalf added 16. The Lions will play #4 Lakewood, who was a 61-50 winner over #5 Anacortes. That game will be at Mount Vernon High School, on Monday at 7:15pm. The Storm will play an elimination game against the Seahawks, at Anacortes, on Monday at 7pm.

With #2 Sehome’s 75-49 win over #7 Cedarcrest, the Mariners will play #3 Burlington-Edison, at MVHS, Monday at 5:30pm. The other elimination game will have Cedarcrest at #6 Archbishop Murphy, Monday at 7pm.

Lakewood defeated Anacortes 70-37 on December 7. The Seahawks were on a five-game win streak when they hit the floor at Lakewood, Friday night. But they had a much different game plan for the rematch.

The Seahawks defense on this night was centered around stopping Cougar senior sharp-shooter, Blake Conyers. Conyers is 6-3, and has the quickest, and one of the most accurate shots in the league. He starts his shot nice and high, which helps get it quickly above the outstretched arms of defenders.

Anacortes used a “box-and-one” defense against Conyers and the Cougars. They played a four-man zone and used their fifth defender as a face-to-face guardian of Conyers. They did not allow Conyers to touch the ball. In fact, Conyers had only one shot in the first half, which missed. It was the only time the Seahawks went to a regular 2-3 zone in the first half.

However, their ability to eliminate Conyers from the Cougars offense was offset by the strength of senior Justice Taylor. At just 6-1, but with strong and broad shoulders, Taylor was able to manipulate himself into the middle of the Seahawks four-man zone and score inside. He had nine points in the first quarter, and for good measure, added a couple three-pointers to his repertoire in the second quarter. He damaged the Seahawks to the tune of 17 first half points.

Double-however, the Cougars were on the short end of a 27-24 halftime score to the Seahawks. That’s because, not only did Seahawk 6-1 junior John-Fitz Von Hagel do the job chasing Conyers around most of the first half, he also carried the Seahawks offense.

Von Hagel scored eight points in each of the first two quarters, including three 3-pointers. The Seahawks found themselves ahead 25-18 with 2:45 left in the half.

Von Hagel was able to score only three more points in the second half. Meanwhile, the Cougars found some offensive balance in the third quarter and outscored the Seahawks 24-10.

Conyers got open on their first possession of the half against the Anacortes 2-3 zone and hit a 3-pointer from the corner. He didn’t score again until the final shot of the quarter, also a 3-pointer. In between, Taylor hit three more 3’s and eleven points. The Cougars led by eleven starting the final frame.

The Seahawks could get no closer than seven over the final eight minutes. Taylor finished with 29 points. Conyers was next with eight. Von Hagel finished with 19, and 6-4 junior Jacob Hayes added 12 for the Seahawks.

All the local tournaments will be complete by Saturday, February 19. Plenty of Northwest Conference tournament action and intrigue between now and then. Don’t miss it!

~ Ted House

Like the “An-tis-a-pa-shun” of Heinz out of a ketchup bottle, we await the unfolding of the post-season. The final regular season games have been played for the 2021-22 season of the Northwest Conference. Most teams were able to play 13 or 14 games. Ferndale was able to play all 15, but Lakewood only nine. Given the unbalance of the season, all 16 teams will have a post-season.

Like the “An-tis-a-pa-shun” of Heinz out of a ketchup bottle, we await the unfolding of the post-season. The final regular season games have been played for the 2021-22 season of the Northwest Conference. Most teams were able to play 13 or 14 games. Ferndale was able to play all 15, but Lakewood only nine. Given the unbalance of the season, all 16 teams will have a post-season.

The final week of the season did have some intrigue, of course.

On Monday, Nooksack Valley endured yet another three-point loss. This time to the Blaine Borderites, 52-49.

The Pioneers had a strong first quarter, taking a 15-10 lead, but the Borderites recovered, and took a four-point lead at halftime. After falling behind by 11 in the third quarter, the Pioneers made things interesting.

The Borderites zone press and zone defense made the Pioneers use up precious time getting shots up the entire game, but they slowly crept back in it, and after a 3-pointer by Bennett DeLange, the Blaine lead was only two points, with 2:40 left.

The shot of the game came in the next minute, as Blaine’s Avery Dohner nailed a 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock, giving his team a five-point lead.

The Pioneers only senior, Dawson Kimball, answered that shot, with a three of his own with 50 seconds left, to trim the Blaine lead back to just two points.

The Pioneers then had to foul twice to get Blaine to the bonus. A missed free-throw by Scott Baldwin was rebounded by teammate, Cole Thomas, who was also fouled. Thomas split two free-throws, giving the Pioneers one last chance to tie with a 3-pointer. The final shot missed at the buzzer, giving Blaine the win.

The Borderites will be the #2 seed to the five-team 1A District Tournament. They will play the #1 seed, Lynden Christian. That game will be played on Friday, February 11, at Nooksack Valley High School. The 1A district games are being played at the home sites of the girls teams of same seeds.

That means that the #1 girls seed, Nooksack Valley, is hosting #2 Lynden Christian on that same night. The NV boys will be the home team for their district game, on Thursday, February 10, at Meridian High School. They will play the winner of the Mount Baker-Meridian game, which is on Tuesday, February 8, at Blaine High School.

It’s much clearer if you just look at the brackets!

The Blaine-LC winner advances to play the Emerald Sound #5 seed, at Kings High School, on February 19. That winner goes to regionals. The eventual #2 team from the NWC also advances. They will play the Emerald Sound #4 seed, same day, also at Kings, for a regional spot.

Before we leave the Pioneers, it is easy to see the potential coming from that group. All they need is more steak and potatoes. Watch out for Brady Ackerman, from now through the next three years. He is already a solid low-post player, with a go-to move. As a former scout, I will not let you in on what it is, but it’s a good one. He was 4-4 from the field with that move against Sehome on Thursday. But the Mariners were too much, overall, and beat the Pioneers, 62-40. Grey Garrison had a tremendous all-around game for the Mariners, scoring 21 points.

Sehome junior Isaac Lawrence has been coming off the bench, busting zones for his team all season. Against Nooksack, he hit four 3’s in a row in the second quarter, and added another one in the fourth, shooting 5-7.

The next night, the Mariners took another trip to the Peninsula, to play highly rated 2A, Port Angeles. The Roughriders had just suffered a 2-point loss to 2A #1 North Kitsap, a team the Mariners lost to, three weeks ago.

After Lawrence nailed back-to-back 3’s in the second quarter, the Mariners had a 30-18 lead. However, the lead was down to just two by halftime. PA controlled the second half, and even though the Mariners had some chances late, the Roughriders won, 68-64.

After a Tuesday win over Meridian, on Wednesday, Lakewood visited Lynden in a non-league game, which was really more than a non-league game.

This was a covid cancellation from early in January, which the league does not reschedule. The teams still agreed to meet.

It was more than a non-league game because Lakewood missed six league games this season, mainly against the top teams. They did not play Lynden, Mount Vernon, Blaine, Sehome, or Burlington-Edison.

For this game, the Lions were missing starters Kaleo Jandoc and Jordan Medcalf.

Lakewood senior Blake Conyers is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. He showed that, and then some, in the first half.

Conyers stroked a pair of 3’s in the first quarter, and then unleashed three more in the second quarter. At one point, he had scored 11 straight points for the Cougars, as they went from one-point behind to ten points ahead. The lead grew to 13, before the Lions scored the last ten points of the half, to trail 28-25.

Conyers totaled 19 points by halftime, however, he was held to a single free-throw in the second half. The Lions held Lakewood to 23 points in the second half and took a 61-51 win. Sophomore Anthonly Canales scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter.

The Cougars played a third straight day, winning at Squalicum, 57-54, on Thursday. This game was tight throughout, with the Storm leading 44-41 starting the final period.

The lead changed hands several times as the minutes ticked toward zero. Reed Richardson’s bucket gave the Storm a 52-50 lead with 2:40 remaining. But 20 seconds later, Cougar sophomore Ben Rucker hit a 3-pointer to put the Cougars up for good.

Conyers added two free-throws with eight seconds left. The Storm’s final chance was off a well-designed inbounds play, but Richardson could not fully square up for the tying shot, which missed.

It was an eventful Saturday, for the final day of the regular season. The Borderites visited Ferndale for the final game in the Golden Eagles gym, after 47 years. A new gym will debut next year as part of a new Ferndale High School.

There was a large ceremony held and memories shared, which included senior day for the Golden Eagles.

Ferndale will be the #7 seed in the District 1 3A Tournament. They will travel to play #2 Shorecrest on Tuesday, February 8. The Golden Eagles lost to the Scots, 82-58, on December 1. Win or lose, the Golden Eagles will host a district tournament game on either Thursday or Saturday.

Every team has endured their sufferings this season. None more than the Golden Eagles. Junior Isaiah Carlson has missed the entire season. They lost senior Sean Morrison shortly after Christmas. Now, due to an injury, senior Jesse Sapp’s season is in question. Sapp was not available against the Borderites.

So, with all that, you can understand why the Borderites ran out to a 23-5 lead, late in the first quarter, right?

Sapp’s absence had a lot to do with that, as the Borderites press and defense came up with tips and steals that led to easy baskets. Mark Schlicting got the Golden Eagles out of part of the gaping hole, drilling back-to-back 3’s, late in the quarter, to cut the Borderite lead to 12.

Schlicting did not get a shot to fall in the second quarter, and the Borderite lead grew to as much as 19. It was 43-26 at halftime.

In the first half, seniors Cole Thomas and Scott Baldwin did most of the damage for the Borderites, scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively.

The third quarter was a grind, as each team scored only ten points, and the Borderites led 53-36 after three.

In the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter, seniors Luke Wells and Jazen Guillory connected on 3-pointers, and the Golden Eagles found some life, cutting the lead to 11. Junior Carson Lehnert answered with a three for the Borderites, but Schlicting re-answered, twice, for the Golden Eagles. He hit two in a row, cutting the Blaine lead to 56-48 with 5:25 left.

Thirty-seconds later, Guillory competed a 3-point-play, and the lead was down to five. Lucas Smith’s 3-pointer pushed the Blaine lead back up to eight, with 4:27 remaining.

Ferndale junior Damian Toney scored inside to cut the lead to six, then Lehnert hit a big three for the Borderites with 1:20 left, and the lead was back to nine.

A three by Guillory made the score 64-60 with 40 seconds left. A missed free throw by the Borderites was followed by a three by Schlicting with 20 seconds to go, and it was 64-63.

Lehnert was fouled with 16 seconds left. He hit one of two free throws, and the Golden Eagles had a chance.

But the Blaine zone defense held up, and forced a long desperation attempt by Guillory, which fell short at the buzzer, for Blaine’s seventh straight win.

Thomas and Smith had 15 each for the Borderites. Baldwin added 12, and Lehnert 11. Schlicting’s five 3’s and 15 points led the Golden Eagles. Guillory added 14, and Connor Walcker had 12.

Then, it was off to Burlington, where the Tigers hosted Lynden. The only missing starter for either team was Kaleo Jandoc for Lynden, as Jordan Medcalf had returned for the Lions.

The Lions jumped on the back of Canales, in the first eight minutes. The slithery sophomore scored 14 of the Lions 22 first quarter points, as they took a 22-13 lead.

The Tigers chipped away at the Lions lead, thanks to Tiger senior Zach Watson’s 10 second quarter points, and the Tigers trailed 31-29 at halftime. Watson scored 14 in the half, while Canales ended up with 18.

A three by Watson gave the Tigers a 35-33 lead, early in the third. Still trailing 43-40 with two minutes left in the third quarter, the Lions went to work.

Back-to-Back 3-pointers by Dawson Adams gave the Lions a 48-43 lead entering the fourth quarter. The Lions scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, and in all, had a 19-0 run before Watson scored for the Tigers with five minutes left in the game. The Lions won 69-53, securing the #1 seed to the 2A District Tournament.

Canales finished with 30 points for the Lions. Medcalf scored 11, with Adams and Coston Parcher adding ten points each.

The Lions will play a home game on Friday, February 11, against the winner of #9 Bellingham against #8 Squalicum, which will be played Wednesday, at Squalicum.

Burington-Edison is the #3 seed, and will host #6 Archbishop Murphy, on Friday.

Sehome is the #2 seed, and on Friday, will host the winner between #10 Sedro-Woolley and #7 Cedarcrest.

Also on Friday, #5 Anacortes will be at #4 Lakewood.

In the 3A District Tournament, #5 Mount Vernon will play at #4 Mountlake Terrace on Tuesday, February 8. On the same day, #12 Oak Harbor will host #13 Monroe in a loser out game.

~ Ted House

The game of the week was certainly the Lynden Christian-Lynden battle on Friday night at Jake Maberry Gymnasium. The two teams keep that date on the schedule in backs of their minds from the first day of practice in the fall, when they start on 6-foot hoops at age five. The Lions won a typical thriller, 63-60, but other things happened on the way to that night.

The game of the week was certainly the Lynden Christian-Lynden battle on Friday night at Jake Maberry Gymnasium. The two teams keep that date on the schedule in backs of their minds from the first day of practice in the fall, when they start on 6-foot hoops at age five. The Lions won a typical thriller, 63-60, but other things happened on the way to that night.

It seemed as though those two teams were headed for a winner-take-all battle for the Northwest Conference title. They had both beaten the other top contender, Mount Vernon. The Lyncs accomplished that on Monday and were 11-0 in the conference. The Lions had a loss at Blaine, and a 9-1 record, until they let one get away at Ferndale, on Wednesday. So, even with that loss, the Lyncs will still win their third outright conference championship in the last four years if they go 2-0 against Mount Baker and Meridian this week.

On Monday, the Lyncs hosted the 9-1 Bulldogs. After a quick 10-2 start for LC, the Bulldogs fought back to trail 22-21, as junior guard, DaVari Davis had two quick scores early in the second quarter.

With the score tied at 24-24, Lyncs junior Griffin Dykstra started a 12-0 run for his team by draining a long 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of 6-6 Lucas Rodio. Right after that, Lyncs senior William Colwell, also hit a 3-pointer, as the Lyncs found the open man against the Bulldogs trapping defense. The Lyncs had a ten-point halftime lead.

That ballooned to a 19-point lead eight minutes later, but the Bulldogs gave it one more run.

Davis hit back-to-back 3’s for the Bulldogs to close the score to 61-50, with 3:50 left, but committed his fifth personal foul 45 seconds later.

The Bulldogs never got closer than eleven, and a three-point-play by LC senior, Andrew Hommes, closed the door with two minutes left.

Six players scored for the Bulldogs, but five were in double-figures. Freshman Michael Johnson led with 14. Davis, along with sophomore Quinn Swanson, and seniors Rodio and Alex Fast, all scored ten.

Hommes led the Lyncs with 18. Junior guard, Tyler Sipma, scored 12 of his 16 in the second half. At that point, the Lyncs could set their sights on Friday’s rivalry game.

Meanwhile, on the east side of town, the Lions had to deal with a trip to Ferndale on Wednesday, which is a rivalry of its own. Of course, this rivalry is centered around football, but it trickles down from there. Have you ever seen a third-grade volleyball match between these two? Okay, that’s an exaggeration for effect, but not by much!

Remember when the Golden Eagles were 1-7? I do, but I knew that wasn’t them. In their next six games, they won five, with a nine-point loss to Mount Vernon. When the Lions came to town, the Golden Eagles were 6-8 on the season, and up to 6-5 in the conference, and they came from behind in the fourth quarter to win 55-52.

Through a tight first quarter, the offenses struggled to a 10-9 lead for the Lions. From there, the Lions were able to stretch the lead to 30-21 at halftime, but there were subtle signs that the Golden Eagles were going to hang around. While they still trailed by nine, they were able to drive the ball inside at times and pick up a few second chance opportunities on the offensive glass.

On the scoreboard, the Lions defense was on pace, giving up only 21 first-half points, and limiting Ferndale shooting ace, Mark Schlicting, to no points, and only one shot in the first half (by my memory).

The Lions were playing without senior starter, Dawson Adams, but 6-3 junior, Trey Smiley, helped fill the scoring gap. Smiley scored ten points, hitting two 3-pointers. One of which beat the halftime buzzer.

In the third quarter, things went along about the same way, but Ferndale slowly began to create some momentum in front of a big home crowd. Senior guard, Jesse Sapp, nailed two 3-pointers, and Schlicting got loose in transition for his first three of the game, and Lynden’s lead was 42-35, after three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter, Ferndale senior, Jazen Guillory, scored inside to bring his team to within 46-43. Smiley drained a 3-pointer for the Lions, but that was answered by Golden Eagle senior guard, Luke Wells, and it was 49-46 with four minutes left.

From there, the Lynden offense went dry with four straight turnovers and a miss at the end of the shot clock. Meanwhile, a Guillory putback gave Ferndale their first lead since the first quarter, 50-49 with 1:44 left.

Sapp added to that with a 2-pointer with a minute to go. Lion senior, Jordan Medcalf, then tied the game with a long 3-pointer from the top with 40 seconds left.

On the Golden Eagles next possession, Schlicting, who got very few open looks, or looks at all, finally got one, and cashed in. He drained a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left, which turned out to be the game winner. The Lions had two more possessions, but could not score, and managed only three points over the games last four minutes.

The Golden Eagles and their fans celebrated on the court, their team’s first win over the Lions after 14 straight losses, going back to 2009.

Unfortunately, for Ferndale, their trip to Burlington didn’t go well the next night. They lost to the Tigers, 55-43. With that win, and their overtime win over Nooksack Valley, Burlington is now 9-2 in the conference, tied with Lynden, who they host on Saturday, the last day of the season.

In Burlington’s win over the Pioneers, Tiger senior, Zach Watson, scored 33 points, with 27 of those coming after halftime.

And, speaking of the Pioneers, they’ve been getting closer and closer to that big win. After their OT loss at Burlington, they beat Bellingham 50-39, in the only league game played on Saturday.

With wins over Squalicum and Oak Harbor last week, the Blaine Borderites have won five in a row, and seven of their last eight.

Since returning to the hard wood last Friday, Lakewood went 3-0 this week with two conference wins. They are up to 6-1 in the NWC.

Okay, we are now back to the Friday night festivities. The Lions hosting the Lyncs, in the 3000 seat Jake Maberry Gymnasium, and a game won by the Lions, 63-60. It was decided that attendance would be limited to 2250 fans, and presale of tickets only. Even 2250 made the Jake look plenty full, on Coaches Vs. Cancer night.

The Lyncs, who were a perfect 15-0 on the season, had beaten the Lions in three of their last four meetings. Prior to that, the Lions had won 13 of 14 over the Lyncs.

Tyler Sipma got the Lyncs going by scoring their first six points, on a 3-pointer and a 3-point-play.

Down 10-9, the Lions Trey Smiley came of the bench and contributed two quick baskets to give the Lions a 13-10 lead. Andrew Hommes scored the last seven points of the quarter on a long 3-pointer and four free throws, to give the Lyncs an 18-13 lead after eight minutes.

Both teams shot nine free throws in the first quarter, and combined for 29 attempts in the first half.

Lyncs senior, Crew Bosman, exploded to the rim for two lay-ins, and Sipma added another, as the Lyncs lead grew to 24-15.

Lion Sophomore, Anthony Canales, scored inside, but Bosman, again, returned the favor at the other end. Then Jordan Medcalf scored twice, inside for the Lions, to cut the lead to 26-23, with 3:50 left in the half.

Lion junior guard, Coston Parcher, hit a jumper, for two of his ten points in the second quarter, go hold the deficit at three. A few possessions later, Hommes nailed one from 28-feet on top, and LC was back to a nine-point lead. The Lyncs held a 38-31 lead at halftime, as they shot 13-17 from the free throw line, compared to Lynden’s 6-12.

Dawson Adams, who was back in the lineup for the Lions, did not score in the first half, but got the second half going with a 3-pointer. Bosman got that back with a three of his own, showing he could do more than finish at the rim.

Medcalf got a bucket inside as he maneuvered around the 6-6 Hommes, but there was Bosman again, at the other end, with another finish at the rim. After a 3-point-play by Sipma, the Lyncs had their nine-point lead back, at 46-37, with 4:40 left in the third quarter.

Medcalf went to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 2:52 left I the quarter. A 3-pointer by Adams brought the Lions to within 49-45, and the quarter finished with a whirlwind.

Lyncs senior, Jamison Hintz, nailed a 3-pointer out of the deep corner for the Lyncs at the end of the shot clock, with ten seconds left in the quarter. That bought the LC faithful to a frenzy, but while celebrating that, Canales nailed one at the other end at the buzzer for the Lions, and both fan bases were on their feet. The Lyncs led 54-50 with eight minutes of regulation play to go.

As the clock ticked, the Lions, ever so slowly, chipped away. It was a wonder, through three quarters, if the Lions defense, as good as it is, could come up with enough stops to give their offense a chance.

With four minutes left, the Lyncs had only scored two points in the quarter, but the Lions had managed only five, and still trailed by three.

Two free throws by Medcalf cut the lead to one, 58-57, with 3:04 to play.

On a baseline inbounds play, LC junior guard, Griffin Dykstra, got loose for an uncontested lay-in, giving the Lyncs a 60-57 lead with 2:55 remaining.

As the heat in the building continued to increase, Parcher found himself open, 23-feet out on the right wing. Well, it seems that most are open when they are that far out. Without hesitation on a quick catch-and-shoot, he netted a game-tying 3-pointer from that spot, and the game was knotted at 60-60, with still 2:39 left on the clock.

With the score still tied, Hommes missed on a 3-point shot from the top of the key, and the long rebound was ran down by Dykstra, to give the Lyncs another possession, with under a minute to go.

After a timeout, the Lyncs set up a play to get the ball to Hommes in the left low post. Guarded by Lion junior, Kobe Baar, Hommes went to work toward the baseline, but defensive help came from Medcalf, who blocked Hommes’ shot, and came away with the ball for the Lions, with 42 seconds left.

After a Lion timeout with 34 seconds left, and 23 to shoot, the Lions faced the Lyncs zone defense, one more time.

Parcher held the dribble until there were 12 seconds on the shot clock, then after a pass to Jandoc on the left wing, got a return pass and split the gap at the top of the Lyncs zone. Inside the free throw line, he slipped a pass to the right wing to Medcalf.

Seeing he had two Lyncs defenders running at him, Medcalf immediately rotated the ball to the right corner, where Adams had slid out from the low post. Before Lyncs defenders could recover to Adams, he had the ball in the air. The shot swished with 18 seconds left, giving the Lions a 63-60 lead, their first lead of the game.

After a timeout, the Lyncs had 14.7 seconds to work for a tying 3-pointer. The Lions were also under the team foul limit of seven, so that could also come into play.

With the clock ticking, Sipma started a hard dribble from high on the left side. He got a screen from Hommes, who then followed Sipma’s dribble to the right wing. Parcher shut Sipma off at the 3-point line, and Sipma dropped a pass off to the trailing Hommes. His 22-footer from the right wing fell short, but the ball went out of bounds, still in possession of the Lyncs.

After a defensive timeout by the Lions, they Lyncs would inbound on the right-side baseline.

On the final play, it was again Medcalf, getting his hands on the inbounds pass, and he tossed the ball toward the other end of the floor as the final horn sounded.

Parcher’s 17 points was tops for the Lions. Adams added 16, all of which came in the second half. Anthony Canales added another 12, and Medcalf finished with eight.

Bosman led the Lyncs with 19. Hommes was next with 17, and Sipma finished with 12.

It was the first loss in 16 games on the season for the Lyncs, who still have an NWC title in their sights. Both teams should be grateful to have each other, as both will prosper from the event.

As of the weekend, Lynden Christian dropped from #1 to #2 in the 1A state RPI, behind Zillah. That RPI only comes into play once qualified for state. The Lions remained #3 in the 2A state RPI. In the District 1 RPI, they regained the top seed. The District RPI will not be the only tool used for seeding teams to district tournaments, due to the uneven league schedules teams have played this year.

The Lions finish the regular season with league games at home against Sedro-Woolley on Monday, and at Burlington-Edison on Saturday. In between, they will play a non-league game, at home, on Wednesday, against Lakewood. That game was originally postponed due to covid reasons, and the league is not rescheduling those games. That is why this one in a non-league game. Though, it may be used as another eye-test for both teams.

Burlington plays Mount Vernon on Monday. Both teams have only two league losses. The Bulldogs are currently the #4 seed in the 3A District 1 RPI. Ferndale is #9, and Oak Harbor is #12. All three will qualify for the district tournament.

Sehome is also among the league leaders and will finish conference play with games against Oak Harbor and Nooksack Valley. Then, on Friday, they will take another trip to the peninsula, and take on Port Angeles. The Roughriders lost a 2-pointer at North Kitsap on Thursday.

One week to go, and still, plenty to sort out.

~ Ted House

The biggest story of the week has to be the return of the Lakewood Cougars. On Friday, their trip to Lynden Christian was their first game since December 29. The virus positives, plus quarantine time rolled through their team over that span of 23 days. Though their first game back was an 83-51 loss to the Lyncs, I think they would take that situation as a “win.”

The biggest story of the week has to be the return of the Lakewood Cougars. On Friday, their trip to Lynden Christian was their first game since December 29. The virus positives, plus quarantine time rolled through their team over that span of 23 days. Though their first game back was an 83-51 loss to the Lyncs, I think they would take that situation as a “win.”

Frankly, the way they played, they didn’t look like a team that had been off for over three weeks. The lapses were few, but the Lyncs don’t need many to cash in. I think any coach would agree that it’s tough to run your press-break via a virtual meeting.

Seniors, Blake Conyers and Justice Taylor, led the Cougars with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Conyers’ quick release from the outside connected on four three-pointers.

However, they did play the undefeated Lyncs on their home floor, and the Lyncs did what the Lyncs normally do. Four players in double-figures, this time led by senior “post,” William Colwell, who hit six 3-pointers, and scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the third quarter.

A Conyers 3-pointer with 5:28 left in the half, brought the Cougars to within seven, but that is as close as the Cougars could get. The last three minutes of the half, the Lyncs got hot, and Cougars seemed to lose their legs for a short period of time as the play seemed to continue without a whistle. The Lyncs lead was 14 points at halftime.

The next night, the Cougars eked out a 66-65 win over Archbishop Murphy.

Hopefully, and this is a big “hope,” that the teams all around the state have been though the bad stuff and can get their legs under them for the final two weeks of the regular season and be at 100 percent for the post-season.

Going back to Monday, Sehome took a trip to the peninsula to take on the defending 2A champions from 2020, the North Kitsap Vikings. The Vikings came away with an 81-58 win. The Vikings went 3-0 on the week and have a record of 13-2. They had last minute losses to 3A Mount Spokane and 4A Jackson.

The day after their game with Sehome, they beat league rival, Bainbridge, 97-56. In that game, 6-5 senior, Jonas La Tour, broke the school record by scoring 57 points. He was 23-27 from the field, and 4-4 from the free throw line.

The Vikings are no stranger to offense, averaging 81.9 points per game. La Tour was on their championship team in 2020 as an up-and-coming sophomore wing shooter. He certainly can do more than that now. He will play collegiately at Seattle Pacific University.

Also on Monday, Lynden got a win at home over Lake Stevens, 72-50. The Vikings were available as just about every team in the state is below the 20 game maximum at this point. Lakewood was supposed to be in Lynden that night, but were not done with their quarantine.

Senior Jordan Medcalf led the Lions with 22 points, while sophomore Anthonly Canales, twisted and turned is way around the rim for 20 more.

Ferndale’s 57-46 win over Oak Harbor was the Golden Eagles fifth win their last six games. After a loss to Mount Vernon, and a win over Mount Baker to finish off the week, Ferndale is one game ahead of the Wildcats, 6-5 in the NWC, and 6-8 overall. They started the season 1-7. The Golden Eagles will host Lynden on Wednesday.

Mount Vernon was 8-0 in the NWC when they went to Lynden on Wednesday. The Lions were 7-1. Leading 12-8 in the first quarter, the Lions scored 12 straight points, on their way to a 25-5 second quarter. A buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Dawson Adams gave the Lions a 42-13 lead at halftime.

In their 82-40 win over the Bulldogs, Adams led the Lions with 18 points. Jordan Medcalf added 17, Anthony Canales 16, and Coston Parcher 15. Bulldog sophomore, Quinn Swanson, led his team in scoring with 17. He scored 15 of those in the second half.

Blaine defeated fellow 1A Mount Baker, 67-32. The Borderites led by 14 points at halftime, and have won five of six games, and are now 6-4 in the NWC. They are well positioned to grab the number two seed to the 1A, five-team district tournament.

The Bellingham Bayhawks have won three in a row, with the last being over rival, Squalicum, 57-50 on Saturday. The Bayhawks are now 3-6 in the NWC, one game behind the Storm.

Also on Saturday, Lynden hosted Arlington in a game that postponed from late December. The Lions were supposed to play at Nooksack Valley that night, but the Pioneers had to cancel. Due to a wrestling tournament at Lynden High School, the game with Arlington was played at the 3-year-old Lynden Middle School, or the “first born” of Jake Maberry Gymnasium. It is a beautiful facility, which holds about 800 fans.

The Lions won easily, 75-45, but the Eagles had their moments. Arlington, which leads the 3A Wesco with a 7-1 league record, took a brief lead, 21-20, at the 5:40 mark of the second quarter. Then the Lions went on an 11-0 run, and the lead was never challenged again, although they led by only eight at halftime.

Canales and Medcalf were again, both at 20 or more points. Canales had 24, and Medcalf finished with 20. The two combined to make 17-21 free throws on the night.

There are some huge games this week, beginning with Mount Vernon (9-1), at Lynden Christian (10-0) on Monday. Tuesday, Nooksack Valley is back on the schedule at Burlington-Edison. Wednesday gives us Lynden at Ferndale. And watch out for Friday. We have Squalicum at Sehome, and Lynden Christian at Lynden.

Here’s a stat for you, and remember that this is coming from the Elk’s Lodge 1972 Hoop Shoot, sixth in the state finalist in 1972. Yes, the free-throw line was 15-feet away in those days.

Ellensburg, as a team, is shooting 71.1% from the free-throw line, in games played through January 18. That’s pretty good.

JT Fenz, a 6-2 senior who averages 14 points per game, is hitting a robust 92.6% from the free-throw line. He has made 25 of 27 on the season.

However, his is being outshot by 6-5 senior, Emmett Fenz. Emmett averages 15 points a game, and has made all 30 of his free-throw attempts this season. If in fact they are brothers, their driveway hoop must have been very busy as they were growing up. Coahces: find someone else to foul in the final seconds.

There are two full weeks remaining in the regular season. Due to the cancellations so far, and unbalanced schedules, several tools will be used to make sure teams are seeded as true as possible for their respective district tournaments.

The 1A’s will have a five-team tournament, with the top two playing off. That winner goes straight to a crossover game with the #5 seed from District 2. The loser will have another chance for a win to also get to a crossover game with the #4 team from District 2. Crossover winners advance to Regionals.

The 2A’s and 3A’s will have all-inclusive tournaments. Ten teams in 2A and 16 in 3A. District RPI, standings, coaches and Athletic Directors will help determine the seeding order of teams.

~ Ted House

We’ve been through a lot this winter. Some, more than others. But no group has dealt with more in our area than those in the Northeast part of Whatcom County. From 100+ temps in the summer of 2021, to the depths of floods in the fall, to the freeze of the winter. From all of that, maybe something beautiful has began to grow. More on that later.

We’ve been through a lot this winter. Some, more than others. But no group has dealt with more in our area than those in the Northeast part of Whatcom County. From 100+ temps in the summer of 2021, to the depths of floods in the fall, to the freeze of the winter. From all of that, maybe something beautiful has began to grow. More on that later.

First, to finish up on last week’s conversation about defense.

I said that there were 15 times that teams in the NWC had defensive scoring averages under 50 points per game for the season. Lynden did it nine times. Next in line in defense over the years has been Anacortes. They had two seasons of under 50 points per game in 2016-17, and 2017-18 seasons.

The Seahawks have generally been in the top three in defensive scoring on a yearly basis, at about a bucket or less above 50 points. They were in the top three for four straight years, from 2017-17, through 2019-20.

Lynden Christian has been in the top three, four times. Several other teams have rotated near the top of the league on occasion.

Transitioning to offense, 70 points per game is my benchmark for elite status. Lynden Christian has won the offensive title each of the last four seasons, over 70 each year. So far this season, they are scoring at 73.6. Lynden is next at 68.4.

Squalicum has won the NWC scoring title five times, scoring over 70 a game twice. They scored 74.1 a game in 2009-10, and 71.5 in 2015-16. Those were the only times that 70 points a game was reached, until LC’s run began in 2017-18.

The 1A teams will be following the post-season plan that was laid out in fall sports. They will have their own five-team league tournament, and the top two from that will advance to take on the fourth and fifth place teams from the Emerald Sound League. Winners there will advance to regionals.

On Monday, in a battle of the top two 1A teams, Lynden Christian won at Blaine, 64-51. The Lyncs built a 19-point lead in the third quarter and continues to have very balanced scoring from their top six players.

The Lyncs stayed undefeated on the season by narrowly escaping Sehome, 63-60, foiling the Mariners attempt to tie the game in their final possession. They finished the week with a home win over 3A Stanwood, 76-55 on Saturday, and are now 12-0 on the season.

The Lyncs go to Anacortes on Tuesday, then hopefully, host the return of the Lakewood Cougars on Friday. Lakewood has not played a game since December 29.

Blaine’s 60-38 win at Sedro-Woolley on Saturday, was their third win in four games since their win over Lynden. Their league games this week are against 1A’s Mount Baker and Meridian.

After wins over Oak Harbor and Anacortes last week, Lynden (7-1/9-1) will host Mount Vernon on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are 7-0 in the NWC, and 8-1 on the season.

Remember, back at the top of the show, I mentioned some good things are beginning to grow where there’s been a long run of bad lately? You don’t have to look any farther than the Nooksack Valley basketball teams. The Lady Pioneers have one of the top teams in the state in 1A, and are 8-0 in the NWC, and have a 10-2 season record. The boys team can’t match that, but there is still plenty of good.

Due to the reasons listed at the top, they began their season a week late, and struggled to even be able to get to their gym. By Christmas break, they were 1-5 with a roster that included only a single senior.

After that, the Pioneers won three straight games, all by double-digits. Two of those were over 1A rivals Mount Baker and Meridian. After a pair of 3-point losses to Squalicum and Oak Harbor last week, which can be labeled as “moral” victories at this point, Nooksack Valley is now a “player” as we head toward the 1A post-season.

Let us remember that moral victories have a place, but a short shelf-life. From my view, that’s what I would label those two losses. The Pioneers are building, and certainly getting better. Grabbing a win in a similar game would be the next step in the process.

On Monday, the Pioneers hosted Squalicum. The Storm had a 7-to-10-point lead for most of the game, but the lead was down to 40-37 after three quarters.

Leading 40-37, a missed free throw by the Storm gave the Pioneers a chance to tie the game with ten seconds to play.

After a timeout with six seconds left, the Pioneers went for the tying shot, but a fall-away 3-point attempt from the right corner by Bennett DeLange went long. Defensive credit goes to Squalicum’s Reed Richardson, who came off of his man to get a hand up on DeLange at the last second.

Two days later, the Pioneers found themselves in another sticky situation, at Oak Harbor.

However, instead of trailing by just three points with eight minutes left, the Pioneers were down to the Wildcats 48-33, after three quarters.

The lead was 18 for the Wildcats, before NV 6-3 freshman, Brady Ackerman, scored on an inbounds play, and knocked down a free-throw to cut the lead to 15 with 6:40 left. That started a 7-0 run by the Pioneers, until the Wildcats 6-4 senior, Will Rankin scored on a put-back with four minutes left.

With the Pioneers still down by ten with just over two minutes left, the game could have quickly been put out of reach.

While applying back court pressure, the Pioneers came away with a steal, and a bucket there could have cut the lead to eight. However, the Wildcats came up with a steal, seconds later, and found Rankin ahead of the pack, for a 2-hand dunk, and a twelve-point lead.

But that wasn’t the final nail.

The Pioneers went on another 7-0 run over the next minute. Two more free-throws by Ackerman, another two by senior, Dawson Kimball, and a steal and a lay-in by DeLange off of a steal, brought the Pioneers to within six with 50-seconds left.

A second later, Oak Harbor’s Brock Boyer hit a free-throw, and the Wildcats led 56-49. Then Kimball hit two free-throws and scored on a lay-in from a Pioneer steal, and the lead was down to three points with 21-seconds left. Then Boyer hit two free-throws to push the Wildcat lead back to five with 14-seconds remaining.

A Kimball 3-pointer with a second left cut the lead to 58-56. After a timeout, the Pioneers were able to commit a foul, and only run a half-second off the clock. Kaito White hit the second of two free throws, for the final margin.

Gage McLeod, a senior, shared scoring honors for Oak Harbor with junior, Brock Boyer, with 15 points each.

DeLange, a junior, led the Pioneers with 18. Kimball, the only senior for the Pioneers, finished with 15. He had seven of those in the last 1:30 of the game.

Ackerman also scored 15. He was 9-11 from the foul line, including 6-7 in the fourth quarter.

The schedule doesn’t do the Pioneers any favors, as their next three games are against Mount Vernon, Lynden, and Burlington-Edison, who are three of the top five teams in the conference.

With a team that young, the conference will toughen them up, and any experience they can gain in the post-season, will carry into the future.

It’s still winter everywhere else. But maybe, the sun is beginning to shine in The Valley.

Monday, January 17, in Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. There is a variety of basketball action. The headliner is Sehome’s trip to North Kitsap, which has a start time of 2pm. The Vikings are the defending 2A champions from 2020.

~ Ted House

For the past two weeks, Northwest Conference basketball teams have been dodging snowflakes and covid. Though there were cancellations, it seems like the schedule is starting to come together again.

Ferndale’s 76-56 win over Sedro-Woolley on Saturday, was the Golden Eagles first game since December 21. Bellingham was on the floor Saturday for the first time since December 16, in a 74-40 loss at Lynden Christian. Lakewood is still waiting. The Cougars last game was in the Yakima SunDome on December 29, in a loss to Brewster. They are scheduled to play Mount Vernon this Friday.

For the past two weeks, Northwest Conference basketball teams have been dodging snowflakes and covid. Though there were cancellations, it seems like the schedule is starting to come together again.

Ferndale’s 76-56 win over Sedro-Woolley on Saturday, was the Golden Eagles first game since December 21. Bellingham was on the floor Saturday for the first time since December 16, in a 74-40 loss at Lynden Christian. Lakewood is still waiting. The Cougars last game was in the Yakima SunDome on December 29, in a loss to Brewster. They are scheduled to play Mount Vernon this Friday.

There are still individual players missing games, here and there. So, as a fan, you never know if your roster will be a full strength. It reminds me of summer tournaments. Hopefully, every team will be good to go, very soon. Contingency plans are being created by the league to give every team a fair shot at the post-season if games are not able to be rescheduled.

Basketball, like all sports, has its ebbs and flows. It evolves and it changes. Back in the late 1980’s, when the three-point line was introduced, few used it as s tool. Most used it as a last resort. But as time has gone by, it has grown to be a major part of every team’s offense. Players now grow up with the arc painted to the floor. To see a basketball floor without a 3P line would be like us older folks when we look at the way the key looked, pre–Wilt Chamberlain.

The three-point line has changed offenses. It has also changed defenses. Now, you need a hand up on everyone who is toeing the line. But the outside shot has taken its toll on low post play. For the most part, you don’t have to guard both with the same tenacity.

Defenses in high school have gone from heavy for zones, to more and more man-to-man. There are still several “zone” teams, but you see a lot more man-to-man defense being played today, than in previous years.

No team, since the formation of the Northwest Conference has been better at man-to-man defense, and defense in general, than Lynden. They play man-to-man almost exclusively.

If you want numbers, there have been 15 teams in the history of the NWC, who have had a defensive scoring average below 50 points per game for a season. Lynden has nine of those teams, including the lowest ever of 40.5 points per game in the 2012-13 season.

Many factors go into a teams’ defensive scoring average, from defensive rebounding to how deliberate your own offense is, which helps to limit your opponents’ possessions. Everything in between those items are your team defensive fundamentals and schemes.

Sehome is a team that has done very well on offense this season, as they have a plethora of 3-point shooters, and a very sturdy, 6-5 lineman in the low post. They have diced up opponents with that combination.

Staying out on their shooters, opens up the inside for their big guy, Gavin Ortega. When they dump the ball into the low post, Ortega has the ability to hit a teammate cutting to the hoop, or he can spot an open 3-point shooter, as the defense collapses. And, by using dribble penetration, the Mariners create easy opportunities for Ortega on a drive and dish.

On Monday, in a big game between two of the top 2A teams in the league, Sehome visited Lynden, a team that likes to take away the things you like to do.

Lynden’s long armed, quick, and athletic defenders, limited Ortega’s touches in the low post and, at the same time, did not allow dribble penetration. The only thing the Mariners had left was outside shooting, which they did not have an eye for on this night. The Mariners hit only three 3-pointers, which all came in the fourth quarter. The Lions used an 18-4 second quarter for breathing room, on their way to a 62-44 win.

Never an easy thing to do is to win at Anacortes unless you are Anacortes. However, the Blaine Borderites continued to be a 2A wrecking ball. On Monday, they overcame a nine-point deficit after three quarters, and edged the Seahawks, 44-43.

With 4:25 left, Jacob Hayes scored the last points of the game for Anacortes, as they led 43-40. The Borderites cut the lead to one with 4:05 left on a lay in by Avery Dohner. Then Cole Thomas scored the game winner on an inbounds play with 1:20 left. The Seahawks had a couple good looks at the hoop in the final seconds, but nothing would fall.

There was another tight one in Burlington that night, as the Tigers upset attempt against Lynden Christian was foiled by a buzzer beater.

Burlington’s Bennett Howe got the shooters bounce on a 3-pointer with ten seconds left to tie the game at 66-66. However, LC’s Will Colwell came to the rescue for the Lyncs.

LC guard, Tyler Sipma created the opportunity as he dribbled down the floor, and penetrated the left wing, drawing a double-team. Colwell spotted up, took a pitch from Sipma, and nailed the game winner, for a 69-66 Lyncs win, and to stay undefeated.

Saturday was a catch-up day for the conference, as three league games were on the schedule. Sehome held off Anacortes 62-58 in the early game, at Sehome.

Gavin Ortega logged 25 points on 11 field goals. You can notch an assist on each of those field goals, whether he scored on the end of the press break, or off a dish from a driving teammate, usually Grant Kepley.

Kepley is becoming an amazing all-around player. His ability to see the floor and hit the open teammate is exceptional. Add that to his body control on the way to the hoop, as evident by a couple inside scores he created for himself, that took a considerable amount of twisting body, and, seemingly, double-jointed elbows.

The Mariners held an eight-to-ten-point lead through most of the second half. Isaac Lawrence was a spark in the first half, hitting three 3-pointers for the Mariners. Ortega scored 19 of his points in the second half. Jacob Hayes had a strong second half for the Seahawks, scoring 12 of his team-high 16.

Ferndale had not seen the floor in a while and got a 76-56 win at home over Sedro-Woolley. Jesse Sapp scored 15 of his 20 in the first half. Jazon Guillory scored 11 of his 19 in the third quarter. Mark Schlicting hit a 3-pointer in each quarter and scored 14 points. Hayden Birkle came off the bench with a solid game for the Cubs, scoring 16 points. Jerome Mathias added 12 for the Cubs.

The Golden Eagles led 19-5 after eight minutes, but the Cubs scored the first nine points of the second quarter to cut the lead to five. Ferndale answered with an 11-2 run and opened the game up from there.

Mount Vernon got a 67-54 win over Squalicum on Monday, with sophomore guard, Quinn Swanson tossing in 19 points. The Bulldogs are tied with Lynden Christian with 6-0 league records. The Bulldogs also beat Mariner on Wednesday, for their fifth straight win.

If there is little to dodge this week, it should be a good one. Four weeks left in the regular season. Positioning begins now for the post-season. I positioned myself at three games on Saturday. That’s a long way from “state endurance,” but it’s a good start.

~ Ted House

It was a shortened script in the Northwest Conference basketball race last week. But that doesn’t mean it was short on intrigue. There are now three teams that remain undefeated in league play, Mount Vernon, Lynden Christian, and Lakewood. We had an upset that was years in the making, and you can hand out the league’s Most Inspirational Player award, right now.

It was a shortened script in the Northwest Conference basketball race last week. But that doesn’t mean it was short on intrigue. There are now three teams that remain undefeated in league play, Mount Vernon, Lynden Christian, and Lakewood. We had an upset that was years in the making, and you can hand out the league’s Most Inspirational Player award, right now.

The short week began with a bang, as Blaine knocked off Lynden, 46-41. That score ignited the history buffs to go back in time. Way back in time.

The Lions had beaten the Borderites 21 consecutive times, over the past 17 seasons, from 2004-05 through the spring of 2021. The teams did not play for 11 seasons, from 1993-94 through 2003-04, as Lynden had gone up a classification to 2A. The teams did not play during the Luke Ridnour seasons.

That takes us back to the 1992-93 season in the Whatcom County League. League Champion, Blaine (11-1), defeated the Lions twice that year, on their way to an eighth-place finish in the 1993 1A State Tournament. The Lions finished fourth in the WCL (6-6). They also qualified for state that year and were eliminated on the third day of the tournament.

The award for “Most Inspirational” goes to Ferndale senior, Sean Morrison, who played the final game of his high school career, Tuesday night, at Lynden Christian. In the coming days, Morrison will undergo major surgery to relieve a serious condition in his brain. But, instead of me telling the story, I encourage everyone to go to Jim Carberry’s article at WhatcomHoops.com.

There, you will find a very informative and inspiring review of what Morrison and his family, and team, has gone through so far. And, what the future holds.

On Tuesday, Lynden Christian stayed undefeated (4-0/7-0), with a 73-65 win at home over Ferndale (1-4/1-7). Two things here: Ferndale’s record is not indicative of how good they are; and the score does not begin to indicate how close this game really was.

Before this night, I had seen Ferndale play three times. Except for a loss at Sehome, they had played very well in losses to Arlington and Lakewood. But, it seemed like they were missing something. That “something” appeared in this game, and it’s the shooting of senior, Mark Schlicting.

Late in the first quarter, trailing LC 14-9, Schlicting got a “shooter’s bounce” on a long 3-pointer. That’s the kind of thing that can get a shooter on a roll. H then swished one seconds later, giving the Golden Eagles a 17-16 lead. His shooting eye could be what gets Ferndale going in the games to come.

The Golden Eagles went on to forge a 23-18 lead with two minutes gone in the second quarter. Then Sean Morrison, who at 6-1, normally does his work near the hoop, connected on a 3-pointer for a 26-18 lead for Ferndale.

The Lyncs then proceeded to go on a 12-2 run over the next three minutes, sparked by ten points from the LC bench.

Senior Jamison Hintz connected on a 3-pointer, then a steal and a dunk by sophomore, Jeremiah Wright, cut the lead to 26-23. Wright scored again, inside, then Hintz nailed another 3-pointer to tie it. Senior, Andrew Hommes added another bucket, and the Lyncs took a 30-28 lead.

Schlicting ended the LC run by hitting his third 3-pointer of the half and gave the lead back to the Golden Eagles. After the Lyncs went back up by four, the half ended tied at 35-35 when Ferndale senior, Luke Wells, beat the clock on a 3-point shot.

At 6-1, Morrison does quite well for his team providing inside offense and defense. He picked up his fourth foul of the game, just 1:30 into the third quarter. That was followed by Schlicting’s third personal, a few seconds later. Both players went to the bench.

Three-pointers by LC junior guards, Tyler Sipma and Griffin Dykstra, were a key part of a Lyncs run that created a 49-40 lead.

However, Golden Eagle senior, Jazen Guillory, started a 10-0 run with a couple scores inside, along with another inside bucket by 6-2 junior, Damian Toney. Two free throws by Guillory brought the Golden Eagles within a point with 2:20 left in the quarter. Schlicting came off the bench with 1:34 left and promptly hit a 15-footer for a 50-49 Ferndale lead. Senior Jesse Sapp arced in lay-in off the glass, at the buzzer, and Ferndale led 54-53.

The score stayed close through the fourth quarter, until Hommes scored on a drive, then Sipma added two free throws, and LC led 64-58 with 2:14 left.

Morrison scored inside for Ferndale, then Wells hit a 3-pointer, and the LC lead was down to one, with 1:34 left.

At 1:14, Schlicting picked up his fifth foul on a rebound, and Lyncs senior Will Colwell hit two free throws. Guillory cut the lead back down to one with a score in the post with one minute left.

With the Lyncs leading 66-65, senior Crew Bosman hit the shot of the game. It was a three from the top of the key, that gave the Lyncs a four-point lead. Ferndale could not connect after that, and free throws by LC added up to the 73-65 final.

Bosman led five Lyncs in double-figures with 15 points. Schlicting had 18 for the Golden Eagles. Morrison finished with nine.

The Lyncs stayed undefeated with the win, something that Sehome tried to do on Wednesday, in a matinee game against Mount Vernon. But it was the Bulldogs that kept their zero in the “L” column, as they took a 70-59 win on the Mariners floor.

Lakewood is 4-0 in the NWC and had games with Burlington-Edison and Archbishop Murphy cancelled during the week.

Lynden rebounded from the Blaine loss by defeating Mariner (4A Wesco), 73-61. The Lions built a halftime lead by outscoring the Marauders 18-3 in the second quarter.

After a 21 point third-quarter lead, the Lions had to withstand a 30-point fourth quarter by Mariner, but the game was never in jeopardy.

Jailin Johnson, a 5-11 junior, led Mariner with 26 points. Lion sophomore, Anthony Canales led the Lions with 24.

This week there are lots of good non-league match ups, starting with Sehome traveling to North Kitsap to take on the defending 2A champs from 2020.

Blaine will host a Holiday Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday. On the same days, the Yakima SunDome will again host the Wilbur-Ellis SunDome Shootout. Teams attending from the NWC include Burlington-Edison, Oak Harbor, Meridian, Lynden, Anacortes, and Lakewood.

The state RPI for boys and girls basketball has been released, and can be found on the WIAA website. Remember, it only comes into play to seed teams that have qualified for state through their district tournaments. But, fun to talk about all season.

On Monday, the RPI for District 1, 2A and 3A will be released. They are a combination of teams from the NWC and Wesco, which will be used for seeding into their respective district tournaments.

~ Ted House

Headlining the week for me, was the Tiger-Hawk Challenge. Wednesday’s event between Burlington-Edison and Anacortes was a double-header for the girls and boys teams, and the third one that I have attended.

I love it because the gym is packed for both games. Student sections are large, loud, and proud. And along with the events on the floor, there are also competitions between student sections and drumlines.

Headlining the week for me, was the Tiger-Hawk Challenge. Wednesday’s event between Burlington-Edison and Anacortes was a double-header for the girls and boys teams, and the third one that I have attended.

I love it because the gym is packed for both games. Student sections are large, loud, and proud. And along with the events on the floor, there are also competitions between student sections and drumlines.

The Tigers 42-39, come-from-behind win over the Seahawks, not only gave the Tigers an important NWC victory, but also crowned them as champs of the Tiger-Hawk Challenge.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Seahawks got a big 64-51 win over Ferndale, on Monday, to improve their NWC record to 2-1. The Tigers were coming off of an 80-63 loss, at home to Sehome, on Tuesday.

Even though the scoring was low, the intensity was especially high, as both teams drew immeasurable amounts of energy from their crowds. The best plays of this game were made on defense.

Early on, the action centered around post players, Anacortes 6-4 junior, Jacob Hayes, and Tigers 6-5 junior, Bennett Howe. They were both extremely active early on, though they go about it in slightly different ways.

Hayes scored nine points in the first half with strong and aggressive play. While Howe played at a little higher elevation and finesse, scored ten first half points.

A 3-pointer by Tiger senior, Connor Anderson, late in the first quarter, gave his team a 14-7 lead. The Tigers led 14-9 after eight minutes. That’s when things got very defensive.

A put-back by Seahawks senior, Eli Hankey, tied the score at 14-14 with 2:30 left in the half. The Seahawks won the second quarter 9-3, as both defenses caused several turnovers by tipping passes and disrupting dribblers using quick hands. No hands were quicker than Anderson’s, as he consistently harassed anyone who dared to come near him with the ball. Unfortunately, for both teams, they were unable to capitalize in turning their defense into offense. Because of the other team’s defense!

An 18-17 halftime lead for the Seahawks ballooned to 31-17 by the middle of the third quarter. At that point, the Seahawks had outscored the Tigers 24-3 over the last 12 minutes. What changed? For one, the Seahawks were finally able to drain some outside shots. Two 3-pointers by junior, John-Fritz Von Hagel, and another by junior, Braden Thomas were keys. The Seahawks were also able to keep the Tigers away from the rim during that time. However, before the half ended, the Tigers got a couple sparks off the bench.

A three-point-play by Hayes gave the Seahawks a 34-19 lead with 2:13 left in the half. Then the Tigers closed the half on a 7-0 run, that could have been more.

Tiger senior, Will Corcoran started the run with a 3-pointer. Then, Evan Ruiz, the Tigers 6-3 junior, scored twice from inside in the last 90 seconds of the quarter, and the Tigers trailed 34-26, after three.

Tiger senior, Zach Watson, who averages 13 points per game, did not score through the first three quarters, but scored five quick points early in the fourth, on a 3-pointer and a steal for a layup. Anacortes led 37-31 with 6:43 left.

At this point, both teams continued to play on high emotion. The game was very physical and fast paced. Case in point, was a close to a ten player scrum for a loose ball that started under the B-E basket, and ended near the center line. With 5:34 left in the game, the teams had combined for only five team fouls. The officials did an outstanding job of “letting them play,” while, at the same time, keeping the game under control.

With just under four minutes to go, Anderson connected on a 3-pointer to cut the Seahawks lead to 37-34. Anderson’s 13-point average was also held in check by the Seahawks defense.

Anacortes would not score in the games last three minutes-plus, and with 2:40 left, Tiger junior, Blaine Granberg, hit two free throws, to get the Tigers to within a point, at 39-38.

Possibly the biggest play of the game came via the Tigers defense, specifically, Anderson, with 1:40 to play.

The powerful, 6-4 Hayes attacked the rim for a would-be layin, but the 5-10 Anderson had different ideas. Anderson quickly elevated and blocked the shot of Hayes, spiking it straight into the floor.

Both teams had empty possessions after that, until Howe scored inside, in heavy traffic for the Tigers. He missed on a 3-point-play opportunity, but his bucket gave the Tigers a 40-39 lead with 36 seconds left.

At the other end, Howe then stepped in front of Hayes and intercepted the attempted entry pass. The Seahawks then had to foul twice to put the Tigers on the free throw line. With seven seconds left, Watson sank two free throws, and the Seahawks missed a 30-footer at the buzzer.

Howe was the only Tiger in double-figures, with 14 points. Von Hagel led the Seahawks with 16, and Hayes added 12. The Tigers outscored the Seahawks 16-5 in the fourth quarter.

On Thursday, in Ferndale, the Golden Eagles hosted the Lakewood Cougars. The Cougars were off to a good start, winning four of their first five. While the Golden Eagles have played well, they entered this game with a record of 1-4.

Ferndale scored the first two points of the game. Lakewood scored the next eight, but that run would pale in comparison as to what was to come, in the Cougars 62-58 victory.

Trailing 8-2 with 4:33 left in the first quarter, the Golden Eagles would use that time to complete a 15-0 run, for a 17-8 lead.

That 15-0 run was fueled by the strong inside play of Ferndale senior, Sean Morrison, who scored six in the quarter, as all five starters got on the board.

However, zero Ferndale starters scored in the second quarter, and the hot shooting and scrapy defense of the Cougars sparked a 23-0 run by Lakewood. The Golden Eagles were shut out until sophomore, Connor Walcker scored inside with 1:30 left in the half, breaking the run by the Cougars. Walcker went on to score two more field goals, tallying all six of his teams points in the quarter. The Cougars led 32-23 at halftime.

Cougar seniors, Blake Conyers and Justice Taylor, lead their team on offense. Conyers had three 3-pointers and 14 first half points. Taylor added ten in the first half.

Late in the third quarter, Golden Eagle senior Jazen Guillory, scored six straight for Ferndale, closing the gap to four points. Lakewood led 47-41, entering the final period.

With 3:23 left, the Golden Eagles trailed 53-52 after senior, Jesse Sapp scored inside, and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Sean Morrison battled over and over, and finally scored to give the Golden Eagles a 54-53 lead.

The 6-1 Morrison rebounded the missed free throw and tried to score inside. He missed, but got his own rebound, and missed again, but again, got his own rebound, and scored on the third time-charmer.

Senior Luke Wells connected from beyond the arc to give Ferndale a 57-55 lead. Then Morrison added a free throw for a 58-55 lead with 1:53 left.

Conyers scored with 1:41 left to get the Cougars to within one. Then the teams combined for five empty possessions until Conyers sank three-of-four free throws with :22 seconds left. Those included free throws for a technical foul called on Ferndale, which also gave Lakewood possession of the ball.

With eleven seconds left, Cougar junior Mason Weller added a free throw for a three-point lead. After a missed 3-pointer by Wells, Weller added another free throw, for the 62-58 final.

Conyers scored 29 for the Cougars, hitting on six 3-pointers. Taylor added 15. Wells led Ferndale’s scoring with 16. Morrison added 13, and 12 for Guillory.

The Sehome Mariners are off to a great start, undefeated in six games overall, and 4-0 in the NWC. They have a tendency for hot starts, which is something every coach loves to see. They had a lively rivalry game against Bellingham this week. The Sehome stands were full and the boisterous student sections certainly did their part.

The Mariners scored the first ten points of that game, on the way to a 64-46 win. Against Blaine, in their second game of the season, the Mariners took a 22-9 lead early in the second quarter. Against Ferndale, the Mariners held a 15-0 lead in the first four minutes. And those are just the one’s I know about.

Lynden is up to 3-0 in league play, in which they reached 40-point leads on each opponent. They got a stiff challenge from Eastlake, of the 4A KingCo League on Saturday night. The Lions used a big second quarter to take a double-digit lead, on the way to a 70-52 win.

Lynden Christian stayed undefeated on the season by beating 3A Enumclaw on Saturday, 73-42. Oak Harbor improved to 2-2/4-3 with a home win over Sedro-Woolley. Ferndale lost another close one, at Lake Stevens, 72-69.

The conference goes into a four-corner offense for the next couple weeks as games are spread out for the holidays. There is a mixture of league and non-league games through Wednesday, then they reappear after Christmas for a bunch of great non-league competition. On December 28 and 29, Burlington-Edison, Oak Harbor, Meridian, Lynden, Anacortes and Lakewood, take their talents to the Yakima SunDome for two days of games in the Wilbur-Ellis SunDome Shootout.

~ Ted House

This was the second full week in the 16th season of the Northwest Conference. It was the beginning of conference games, and there were several team and individual highlights in the six games that I was able to take in.

With 15 NWC seasons in the books (yes, including Spring ’21), I thought it was about time to reveal some historical records that our teams have achieved over that period of time.

This was the second full week in the 16th season of the Northwest Conference. It was the beginning of conference games, and there were several team and individual highlights in the six games that I was able to take in.

With 15 NWC seasons in the books (yes, including Spring ’21), I thought it was about time to reveal some historical records that our teams have achieved over that period of time.

First, a little history. For decades, area teams in Whatcom and Skagit Counties participated in the 1A Whatcom County League, or the 2A Northwest League. In the early 2000’s, the North Cascade Conference was created for 1A teams, which was a mix of the WCL and the Cascade League.

After reverting back to the WCL for two years, the five 1A schools joined the Northwest League and created the Northwest Conference, which was 14 teams made up of 1A, 2A, and 3A teams for all sports. The NWC, is currently the home of its now, 16 residents.

Mt. Vernon was a founding member of the NWC as a 3A school but moved to the Wesco Conference for several years in the 4A classification. Now, back in 3A, the Bulldogs rejoined the NWC in the 2020-21 school year. Oak Harbor, also a 3A school, left the Wesco for the NWC at the same time as the Bulldogs.

Lakewood vacated the Cascade Conference five years ago and spent four seasons in the NWC, before temporarily relocating to the Wesco last school year. The Cougars back in the NWC this year.

There are two boys’ basketball coaches who have endured the entire tenure of the NWC with their respective teams. Meridian’s Shane Stacey is in his 17th season with the Trojans, and Lynden’s Brian Roper is also in his 17^th season with the Lions. Head Coach Brett Senff of Anacortes is in his 15^th season leading the Seahawks. Those are the only three in double-figures.

Below is the overall league standings for Northwest Conference Boys Basketball for it’s 15 seasons (2006-2007 through Spring 2021):

I may throw a few more things like this at you as the season goes along.

I spoke of Lakewood’s 2021-22 return to the NWC. When last we saw the Cougars, they had just finished their greatest season in school history. In the 2019-20 season, they finished fourth in the NWC with a 9-4 record. They took second place in the district tournament, which sent them to their first ever state tournament appearance. They got a regional win over Franklin Pierce, but their season ended at 15-10 with a first-round loss in Yakima.

That season, they started four seniors, including NWC MVP, Alex Jensen. The question was, would that be it for the Cougars? Were they just a one-year wonder? The answer to those questions is, “No!”

Last spring, the Cougars went 9-1 in the Wesco, and this year, they are off to a 3-0 start, with wins over Stanwood, Anacortes, and Oak Harbor.

Also undefeated in league play, are the Lynden Christian Lyncs. The Lyncs went 12-0 last spring, and 11-2 in 2019-20. That’s a current NWC run of 25-2.

On Wednesday, the Lyncs beat Squalicum 80-46. Junior guard, Tyler Sipma got the Lyncs rolling early, hitting three 3-pointers in the first quarter, and finished with 22 points. Sipma’s junior running mate, Griffin Dykstra, was also sharp from the outside, hitting three 3’s, and 13 points. Versatile senior, Crew Bosman, also tossed in 13, and senior, Andrew Hommes added ten.

Hommes had the night’s highlight, ramming home a one-handed tip-jam, in the first quarter. I was so amazed because I could not remember seeing such a thing happen around here. The closest thing I could remember, was Casey Bauman shattering that very backboard in the LC gym three seasons ago.

When I complimented Hommes a couple of days later, on what I had thought was an astonishing feat, he mentioned that was the second game in a row that he had done that!

Well, make it three!

On Saturday, the Lyncs were locked in a battle with another 1A power, Seattle Academy. In the second quarter, at the same hoop, Hommes went up and flushed a teammates miss, with two hands this time. So, no big deal, I guess?

Hommes and Sipma combined for all of the Lyncs 19 first quarter points against the Cardinals, but the Lyncs would need more balance than that to get a “W” on this day. And they did, 71-63. But it took a while.

The Cardinals did an excellent job of setting up their 3-point shooters against the Lyncs man-to-man defense. Four different Cardinals hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter, and they hit four more in the second period. That’s when Cardinal 6-5 senior, Logan Britt, started sizzling.

Britt scored 14 points in the second quarter, as Seattle Academy rolled to a 35-29 halftime lead.

The opposite was happening to the Lyncs offense, as shots that would normally go down, spun their way out. I was trying to figure out whether the 3-point shot was as much a part of the normal Cardinal offense as I was witnessing. Or, if they were just having a hot first half.

After the first four minutes of the third quarter, I was a believer. The Cardinals hit three more 3’s and built a 46-32 lead. Britt scored ten more in the quarter but picked up his fourth foul in the last minute of the quarter. By then, however, the Lyncs had gained the momentum from seven quick points from Crew Bosman, and timely 3’s from Griffin Dykstra, Will Colwell, and Jamison Hintz. It was 50-50 after three periods.

In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals had lost their touch. They didn’t hit a three in the last eight minutes, and Britt was limited to just two free throws. With the score tied at 58-58, the Lyncs went on an 11-2 run over the next two and a half minutes, to put the game away. It was Colwell who saved the day for the Lyncs, as he scored ten of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Hommes scored 20, with Sipma also adding 15. Britt poured in 29 for the Cardinals, as they dropped to 3-1 on the season.

Sehome (2-0/4-0) has emerged as an NWC title contender with impressive wins over Blaine and Ferndale this week. Quick starts and balanced scoring were common traits of the Mariners.

Against Blaine, All-NWC lineman, 6-5 senior Gavin Ortega, was a force inside, scoring 17 points. When his mates weren’t driving the lane and dishing to him for layins, he was using his post presence to feed open shooters and cutters for scores.

The Mariners starting lineup includes one senior and four juniors. Grey Garrison scored 18 points in both those games.

Against Ferndale, the Mariners took advantage of several early Golden Eagle turnovers and tough-luck shots, to take a commanding 15-0 lead in the first four minutes. Matthew Storms connected early on a couple corner three’s, as the Mariners shared the ball nicely and finished with five players in double-figures. The lead grew to as much as 32 points early in the fourth quarter, before settling for a 76-56 win.

That was an impressive win for the Mariners due to the fact that Ferndale is a very good team. They didn’t play well on this night, but I expect them to make noise as the season progresses. Their five senior starters will take them a long way, possibly to a rematch with Arlington in the post-season.

The Golden Eagles hosted the Eagles on Tuesday, with Arlington taking an 80-72 victory. Each team drained ten 3-pointers on the night, but the 21 points each from Eagles’ David Zachman and Ethan Martin were too much for the Golden Eagles to overcome. Ferndale did get four players in double-figures, with Jesse Sapp leading the way with 19.

With the scored tied at 34-34 at halftime, the Eagles built a lead that stayed at or near double-digits the rest of the way, thanks mostly to their exceptional passing. On a couple of scores, they could have given assists to two players, as with a goal in hockey! They not only rotated the ball to the open man, but often passed, not to where their teammate was, but where he would be.

Meridian is one of five teams with 2-0 league records. They got a home win over Mt. Baker on Monday, then eked out, well let’s just say it, stole a win at Sedro-Woolley on Thursday.

A close game throughout, the score was tied at 46-46 after three quarters. The Cubs scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to lead 52-46 with 3:35 left.

The Trojans cut the deficit in half on a 3-pointer by freshman, Jaeger Fyfe, with 2:45 to play. The score stayed that way until the final seconds.

With 13 seconds left, the Trojans scored on a put-back to cut the lead to one. Then, an inbounds pass by the Cubs toward half court was intercepted by the Trojans’ Hunter Jones.

With four seconds left, following a missed shot by the Trojans, Tucker Harrison was fouled on the rebound. Harrison nailed two free throws, giving the Trojans a 53-52 lead. But the Cubs had one final chance

The Cubs set up a great final play, as a full court inbounds pass found the Cubs Jerome Mathias alone in the middle of the key. He caught the ball and went for what appeared to be an uncontested and game-winning layin. However, Harrison hustled in from mid court and swatted the would-be winner off the glass to preserve the Trojans victory.

Fresh off their 2A football state title, the Lynden Lions were able to squeeze in the necessary five practices for their gridiron mates, and win their first game of the season, 67-20 over Bellingham.

The Lions are about seven feet shorter than last year, but their length and speed on defense will be trouble for their opponents. The Lions roared to a 49-14 lead by halftime and finished with four players in double-figures.

The most notable games coming up this week include Wednesday’s matchup of Anacortes at Burlington-Edison. I could be wrong, but that sounds a lot like a Tiger-Hawk Challenge! Also watch out for Lakewood at Ferndale on Thursday.

~ Ted House

The 2021 2A All Northwest Conference Football team has been announced. Congratulations to Burlington-Edison senior, Zach Watson, who was voted the league's Most Valuable Player.

The Coach of the Year is Blake VanDalen, of state champion, Lynden.

For the complete list, please see the list below.

The 2021 2A All Northwest Conference Football team has been announced. Congratulations to Burlington-Edison senior, Zach Watson, who was voted the league's Most Valuable Player.

The Coach of the Year is Blake VanDalen, of state champion, Lynden.

For the complete list, please see the list below.

Here is some clarification on advancement into the 3A Girls Soccer and Volleyball District Tournaments, from the Wesco and Northwest Conferences:

Wesco and NWC teams qualify based on position in their own league standings. The top 10 qualify from the Wesco. In the NWC, two of the three 3A teams will qualify, based on their league records.

Once the ten teams from the Wesco, and the two from the NWC are known, they will then be seeded into the district tournament based on their RPI scores. It is also possible, for example, that Team-A finishes higher in the standings than Team-B, but Team-B could have a higher RPI.

The same format will be used for all team sports (other than football) for the rest of the 2021-22 school year.

~ Ted House

Here is some clarification on advancement into the 3A Girls Soccer and Volleyball District Tournaments, from the Wesco and Northwest Conferences:

Wesco and NWC teams qualify based on position in their own league standings. The top 10 qualify from the Wesco. In the NWC, two of the three 3A teams will qualify, based on their league records.

Once the ten teams from the Wesco, and the two from the NWC are known, they will then be seeded into the district tournament based on their RPI scores. It is also possible, for example, that Team-A finishes higher in the standings than Team-B, but Team-B could have a higher RPI.

The same format will be used for all team sports (other than football) for the rest of the 2021-22 school year.

~ Ted House

Many of the video streams that Northwest Conference schools used last year for athletic events are being carried over to the 2021-22 school year. You can find all 16 NWC schools video streams for various sports over three different platforms.

NFHSNetwork.com is home to the following schools: Burlington-Edison, Lynden, Mount Baker, and Sedro-Woolley.

Justagame.com carries: Bellingham, Lynden Christian, Meridian, Sehome, and Squalicum.

YouTube has streams for: Anacortes (AHSLive), Blaine (BorderitesLive), Ferndale (Eagles Nest Network), Nooksack Valley (Nooksack Valley High School or Chris Bartl), Oak Harbor (Wildcats Media), Lakewood (Lakewood High School), Mount Vernon (MVHSTV).

NFHS and Justagame may charge fees by the game, month or year.

The home team handles the stream for various sports.

Many of the video streams that Northwest Conference schools used last year for athletic events are being carried over to the 2021-22 school year. You can find all 16 NWC schools video streams for various sports over three different platforms.

NFHSNetwork.com is home to the following schools: Burlington-Edison, Lynden, Mount Baker, and Sedro-Woolley.

Justagame.com carries: Bellingham, Lynden Christian, Meridian, Sehome, and Squalicum.

YouTube has streams for: Anacortes (AHSLive), Blaine (BorderitesLive), Ferndale (Eagles Nest Network), Nooksack Valley (Nooksack Valley High School or Chris Bartl), Oak Harbor (Wildcats Media), Lakewood (Lakewood High School), Mount Vernon (MVHSTV).

NFHS and Justagame may charge fees by the game, month or year.

The home team handles the stream for various sports.

Could you use some extra income? Because we could use some extra help. Here’s a win-win: Sign up to become a high school official today! You’ll earn a few extra bucks, fill a critical need and have a lot of fun too! #BecomeAnOfficial

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Could you use some extra income? Because we could use some extra help. Here’s a win-win: Sign up to become a high school official today! You’ll earn a few extra bucks, fill a critical need and have a lot of fun too! #BecomeAnOfficial

http://www.washingtonofficials.com/

The All Northwest Conference Boys Basketball Teams have been announced for the 2021 season.

The Coaches have voted Lynden Lion junior, Jordan Medcalf, as the league's Most Valuablel Player.

Co-Coaches of the year are Brett Senff of Anacortes, and Brian Roper of Lynden.

Teams played an unbalanced schedule with a maximum of 14 games, including non-league.

For a complete list of players on First and Second teams, and Honorable Mention, please visit the link below.

The All Northwest Conference Boys Basketball Teams have been announced for the 2021 season.

The Coaches have voted Lynden Lion junior, Jordan Medcalf, as the league's Most Valuablel Player.

Co-Coaches of the year are Brett Senff of Anacortes, and Brian Roper of Lynden.

Teams played an unbalanced schedule with a maximum of 14 games, including non-league.

For a complete list of players on First and Second teams, and Honorable Mention, please visit the link below.

While everything outside the lines was different, in the 2021 Northwest Conference basketball season, as far a I could see, everything inside the lines was as normal as it could be.

Credit first goes to the coaches and parents for keeping their players and kids focused. I did not see any drop in intensity over the final days of the season, despite seniors having graduated, and hosted and attended grad parties. Their only link left to their school colors was on the basketball floor.

Most of all, credit to those seniors, and every player on every school’s roster, at every level of play. The made the best of an impossible situation and remained committed.

While everything outside the lines was different, in the 2021 Northwest Conference basketball season, as far a I could see, everything inside the lines was as normal as it could be.

Credit first goes to the coaches and parents for keeping their players and kids focused. I did not see any drop in intensity over the final days of the season, despite seniors having graduated, and hosted and attended grad parties. Their only link left to their school colors was on the basketball floor.

Most of all, credit to those seniors, and every player on every school’s roster, at every level of play. The made the best of an impossible situation and remained committed.

The game of the week was also the game of the year. Lynden and Lynden Christian met on the Lions floor with perfect 10-0 NWC records. The attendance of about 400 was about 2600 less than what would have been expected in January.

This hard-fought rivalry game was like it always has been. For 32 minutes there was physicality, hard fouls, but always a help-up hand extended. Extreme hustle for every loose, and about to be loose ball. And, exhausted players, often bent over often with hands on knees.

In the end, the Lyncs fourth quarter play was the difference in their 51-48 win, and their eventual perfect 12-0 conference record, after a win over Meridian two days later.

The athleticism at the defensive ends, made it extremely difficult for each team’s offense to function. They both have defenders with fast hands and feet, combined with physical inside play. They also know each other well enough to anticipate the next move.

The Lyncs led 6-3 with 3:40 left in the first quarter, before the offenses came on a little bit. The Lyncs were up 15-11 at the end of eight minutes and extended the lead to 21-11 early in the second quarter on a baseline drive by LC sophomore, Tyler Sipma.

Lion junior Jordan Medcalf turned the momentum toward his team with a nifty steal and dunk that brought the Lions to within six points. He tracked a loose ball to the sidelines in front of the scorer’s bench, and tapped it inbounds and up the sidelines. He reestablished his feet inbounds and took the ball to the rim.

That was answered by the Lyncs, as they regained a ten-point lead at 25-15 when senior Cole Moorlag scored inside. Moorlag does not possess the height of the typical inside player but was able to use his strength to hurt the Lions as he scored 12 points on the night, all within a step or two of the hoop, as he also grabbed several offensive rebounds.

From there, the Lions were able to run off ten straight points and tie the game at 25-25 with a minute left in the half. The dazzling play of that run was set up by Lion sophomore guard, Coston Parcher.

The Lions got an offensive rebound, and the ball was passed to Parcher on the right wing. He saw an opening to drive the ball inside, but it quickly closed as he got inside the key. However, he spotted 6-11 Liam Hanenburg rumbling down the lane, and dished a beautiful drop off pass him which led to another 2-hand dunk.

Lyncs sophomore Griffin Dykstra then scored in the final seconds to give his team a 27-25 lead at halftime.

Both teams play great man-to-man defense. Had I mentioned that? Both teams plan to take away your best offensive threat. On this night, two matchups were the most interesting. Lion 6-0 senior, Kobe Whitman was saddled with the task of slowing down, possibly the most skilled offensive player in the league this year, LC 6-5 junior Andrew Hommes.

Hommes is a 3-point threat, and can also pull up in the middle, and get to the rim. Whitman’s speed and savvy held Hommes to just two field goals on the night, and eight total points, with only a free-throw after halftime.

At the other end, Lyncs 6-5 senior post, Logan Dykstra, had the 6-11 Hanenburg. Dykstra did a great job, doing everything he could do to keep Hanenburg from catching the ball where he wanted to. Hanenburg scored 13 points, as he can also hit 15-footers, but nothing came easy.

Dykstra, who did look winded on occasion, managed to have enough gas left in the tank to score eight crucial points in the fourth quarter, and a game-high 16.

With the Lions leading 36-35 with 1:12 left in the third quarter, Sipma was called for an intentional foul (not flagrant), as he grabbed Lions junior, Dawson Adams around the waist from behind on a drive to the basket.

Adams made one of two free throws, then with the ball again, Clay Kochuten hit a 3-pointer to put the Lions up by five. Medcalf then scored on a lay in with five seconds left to give the Lions their biggest lead of the game, 42-35, at the end of the third quarter.

The Lions outscored the Lyncs 17-8 in the third quarter, but the tide would quickly turn.

That defensive athleticism picked it up a notch over the next few minutes, as there were several empty possessions. Logan Dykstra scored two buckets, sandwiched around a Moorlag score, to bring the Lyncs to within a point. Hanenburg then scored to get the lead back to three, but that would be the only Lynden score for nearly the first six minutes of the final period.

A Hommes free-throw capped a 12-2 Lyncs run, and a 47-44 lead with 2:17 to play. Hanenburg got the Lions to within 47-46 with a baseline jumper. After Moorlag missed the front end of a 1-and-1, the Lions worked the ball from side to side until Hanenburg opened up for a lay in off a feed from Kochuten with 1:17 left. That gave the Lions the lead, 48-47. It also gave Hanenburg six points in the quarter, all the Lions would score in the eight-minute period.

Lyncs senior Shale Whittern scored only two points in the game, but they came with just 55 seconds left, and gave the Lyncs the lead for good, 49-48. He caught a pass in the right corner, but took the ball to the basket, and scored on a tough shot over Hanenburg.

The Lions had multiple chances after that to regain the lead but came up empty. Logan Dykstra hit two free-throws with 3.1 seconds left, to give the Lyncs a 51-48 lead.

Then, all 400 fans held their collective breath, as Medcalf launched a shot from the left corner, just inside half court. The ball caught rim and bounced away, giving the Lyncs a well-deserved victory.

In games like this, whether it be a rivalry, or just two great teams going at it, it is often someone you may not expect, who comes through for the winning team. On this night, it certainly was Cole Moorlag, who’s strength was key to his inside scores and getting the Lyncs extra offensive opportunities.

Another unusual aspect of the 2021 season was the standings. While teams did not play an even league schedule, there was a large gap between the top two teams and the rest of the league. The second place Lions were 11-1, and the next group included Anacortes at 8-3; Ferndale and Sehome at 9-4; and Mount Vernon at 8-4. The Seahawks game against the Lyncs was cancelled, not due to virus reasons, and was not able to be made up.

Right next to that group were the Mount Baker Mountaineers. The Mountaineers had the largest gain in the standings from the 2019-20 season. That year, the finished 2-11, and in 2021, they went 8-6. Their final game was a 20-point win over Squaliucm. They also had one-point losses to Meridian and Anacortes, and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer happened in a loss to Mount Vernon.

There was plenty of strong play from some outstanding seniors this year. The Lyncs Logan Dykstra, and the Lions Liam Hanenburg were two. Hopefully, you also got to see Mount Vernon 6-5 wing, Liam Johnston. A great outside shooter and was the one who nailed the winner at the buzzer to beat Mount Baker.

Braedan Hart was also a shooting specialist for the Mountaineers, racking up several big games. Cody Coppenger was an all-around threat for the Nooksack Valley Pioneers. And last, but not least, Blaine’s 6-3 senior, Josh Russ, should put a patent on that step-back 3-pointer.

But there will be more to come in the 2021-22 season. Some of this year’s top juniors include 5-10 Zach Watson, of Burlngton-Edison, who is a clutch shooter in his own right. Get a hand up if you see Ferndale’s Mark Schlicting catch the ball on the wing. Jordan Medcalf can do everything between the 3-point line and the rim. And Andrew Hommes may be the toughest player in the league to guard next year. He may have been this year.

Two more individuals need some recognition.

Ferndale’s 6-2 junior starting guard, Jazen Guillory, missed the season due to a football injury. While on crutches during the basketball season, Guillory never missed an opportunity to be involved and encourage his teammates. He was always a part of their starting lineup introductions, and always met his team when they came to the bench. Excellent work, Jazen!

Before the last bit of recognition, we need a special round of applause for all the referee’s who worked night after night to make this season work. Many worked almost every night of the week and did both boys and girls games. Thank you, REFEREES!

Speaking of referees, I would like to give the a special, “Golden Shoelaces” award to Kelly Heutink. Heutink has been a referee for many years in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. He was also part of the 1974 Nooksack Valley Pioneers championship team.

On the last night of the year, Heutink was part of the crew who worked the Lynden-Blaine game. The game’s outcome had been decided, and with 1:11 to play, the Lions and Borderites had all their seniors on the floor. There was also a long lineup of players waiting to get in the game at the next dead ball.

Heutink noticed this and did something that I have seen done by officials before, but I would like more people to know about it. As the ball was being walked out of back court, Heutink blew his whistle, and bent down to tie his show, which I am sure, did not need it. With the dead ball, the subs were motioned in, and that’s when the most touching moment of this season happened.

As the seniors for both teams came off the floor, the Borderite and Lion fans gave those players one of the longest ovations I can remember happening at a high school basketball game. It went on well after they had all come off the floor, and for a while after that.

If you made a list of the plusses and minuses that happened this year, the ladder would beat the former by a mile. That moment at Blaine was a plus, and the fact that the teams got a season in at all, would be another.

I saw 79 games in person in the 2019-20 season. I saw 16 this year. My thanks to the NWC athletic directors for allowing that.

To the seniors: Thank you! Your efforts will not be forgotten.

To the underclassmen: Enjoy the short off-season!

~ Ted House

It’s the final week, or “finals week.” As of this writing, 12 of the current 15 teams in the Northwest Conference will have “grad students” on their respective basketball floors this week. Two of the remaining three will have graduation ceremonies during the week.

Also, just in case they throw a last-minute state tournament together in Yakima, there is ZERO chance of snow on Snoqualmie Pass. I’d like to see January, or even February or March do that!

It’s the final week, or “finals week.” As of this writing, 12 of the current 15 teams in the Northwest Conference will have “grad students” on their respective basketball floors this week. Two of the remaining three will have graduation ceremonies during the week.

Also, just in case they throw a last-minute state tournament together in Yakima, there is ZERO chance of snow on Snoqualmie Pass. I’d like to see January, or even February or March do that!

Last week had a great start, as far as exciting games go. Of the two that I saw on Monday and Tuesday, one went down to the final seconds, and the other involved the buzzer.

Monday’s Kings-Lynden game was the best 32 consecutive minutes I’ve seen this season. Solid offensive displays, and spectacular defensive efforts. The Knights came away with a 61-54 win, in a game that was decided in the final minute.

The Knights the defending 1A boys champions, came in with an 8-1 record, which included a 12 point loss to Seattle Academy. The Knights averaged 65 points per game, as they took the floor against the Lions’ defense that gives up less than 40.

Tyler Linhardt, the Knights junior, 6-7 swingman, and state MVP scored six quick points on moves to the hoop against smaller Lion defenders. But really good teams are not about just one player. Defensive adjustments helped on Linhardt but opened up another area.

Knights senior, Will Pohland, got open for two 3-pointers in the first quarter, and three more in the second, for his 15 first half points.

Meanwhile, the Lions kept pace, trailing by three at the quarter, and led 29-28 at halftime with junior, Jordan Medcalf, scoring 11 of his team-high 19 points in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, Linhardt went to work again, scoring eight points. The only other scorer for the Knights over those eight minutes, was junior, Jordan Hanson, who nailed two 3-pointers. The teams were tied at 42-42 after three quarters.

Hanson then scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and that was the Knights lead with 6:57 left.

The margin stayed between four and seven until a pair of free-throws by Medcalf got the Lions to within three points with 1:41 left. After a Linhardt free-throw, Medcalf scored again on a lay-in with 1:10 to play, and the Knights leading 56-54.

The Lions could not score in the final minute, and when the Lions went to a trapping defense, the Knights found junior, Lucas Prendergast, alone for a lay-in and a four-point lead. A few more Knights free-throws in the final seconds produced the final seven-point margin.

The 61 points by Kings was the most given up by the Lions this season, and they were only the second team to reach 50 or more. The very next night, the Lions hosted Mt. Vernon, and held the Bulldogs to only five points in the first half.

The Lions, who are now tied with Lynden Christian with 9-0 league records, have held four of their last five opponents to 38 points or less. That includes holding Anacortes to season low of 30 points in a 73-30 win on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Burlington-Edison beat Blaine 62-60, and featured a real one-of-a-kind ending.

Borderite senior, Josh Russ, got his team going early by hitting a quick 3-pointer and scoring nine points in the first quarter, as Blaine took a 13-10 lead.

Tigers junior guard, Connor Anderson, hit two 3-pointers in the opening minutes. Then found his way through the seams of the Borderites zone defense, scoring eight points in the key in the second quarter. His scoring helped the Tigers go on a 9-0 run to start the second quarter, and the teams were tied 28-28 at halftime.

In the fourth quarter, Tigers junior guard, Zach Watson, hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to tie the score at 52-52 with 3:57 left. The shot was set up by Tigers senior, Hector Ruiz, who had the weak side boxed out and rebounded a missed shot by Anderson. From the middle of the key, Ruiz found Watson open on the wing for the tying shot.

Senior Isaac Donovan broke a 54-54 tie with a nifty left-handed jump hook with 1:50 left. Russ then hit a step-back 3-pointer from the top to give the Borderites a 57-56 lead with 1:35 to play.

In the final minute, and the score tied, and against the Tigers man-to-man defense, Russ dribbled twenty seconds off the clock and then buried another 3-pointer to give the Borderites a 60-56 lead with 38 seconds left.

Watson then answered with a long 3-pointer to pull the Tigers to within a single point, 13 seconds later.

At that point, neither team had reached the limit of team fouls in the half (remember that point). So, the Tigers had to commit three quick ones in a span of three clock seconds. The third, put Russ on the line with 16 seconds left, and his team leading 60-59.

Russ missed the free-throw, and in the scramble, the Tigers were whistled for an offensive foul, which gave the Borderites the ball back with 12 seconds left.

The inbounds pass by the Borderites was knocked loose, and the Tigers dove on it and called timeout with 10 seconds left.

And that’s not the crazy part.

Remember the low amount of team fouls? Well, the Borderites had only two in the half, so they went to work playing “Hack-a-Shaq” on the Tigers. Each time the Tigers inbounded the ball, they would commit a foul on the dribbler, so the Tigers would have trouble getting anything going toward the basket.

The Borderite fouls came with 6.5, 5.2, 3.8, and 2.6 seconds left on the clock. Those four fouls put them at the limit of six, and the Tigers were inbounding at the left sideline, just inside half-court.

Watson tossed the inbounds pass to Anderson, who was coming off of a screen, moving toward the ball along the left sideline. As Anderson caught the pass, he was quickly trapped by Borderite defenders. However, there were probably too many defenders around Anderson at the time, as he was stopped by a triple-team, about 28 feet from the basket. But, aware of his surroundings, Anderson was able to split the defense, and slip a pass to Donovan, who had moved to the open area, near Anderson, on the left wing. Donovan calmly made a pivot and stroked the game winner. Just like you do it in your driveway, growing up. Buzzer goes off when the ball is at its apex, and nothing but net.

The Borderites lost to Mt. Vernon, 75-63, in their next game, and are now 6-4. The Tigers improved to 5-5 with the win.

On Wednesday, Squalicum hosted Oak Harbor, and got a 57-41 win. Juniors, Reed Richardson and Kai Posey, got the Storm off and running. Posey scored seven of his ten points in the first quarter. Richardson scored in every quarter and led the Storm with 19 for the game.

This was my first live look at the Wildcats, and even though they now have a 1-9 NWC record, and 2-9 overall, I see good things with them.

The Wildcats had won only ten games total over the previous three seasons in the Wesco Conference. Former Anacortes assistant, Nate Sullivan, is in his second year with the Wildcats, and building a new culture. You can bet that there will be at least a little bit of the Seahawks style of play mixed in with the Wildcats, as they grow.

The Wildcats list only one senior on their roster. Look for names like Brock Boyer, Will Rankin, Gage Mcleod, and Kaito White, to become more familiar in the NWC next season.

The Storm is playing its best basketball of the season. They have won five straight games, after an 0-5 start.

On Saturday, via video, I watched as Seattle Academy raced passed Lynden Christian, 80-62. That 62 was the lowest point total for the Lyncs this season. But the Cardinals win was more about their offense than their defense. The Cardinals only loss this season, was on a 40-foot shot at the buzzer, to Kings. They had beaten Kings by a dozen earlier in the season.

The teams played an even early on, with the Lyncs trailing 19-18 after one quarter.

In the second quarter, however, the Cardinals offense really got rolling. They raced the ball down the floor, scoring in transition several times, even after made LC baskets. Senior guard, Leo DeBruhl hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter, where he scored 13 of his game-high 25 points.

LC junior, Andrew Hommes, scored 12 of his 18 in the first half for the Lyncs, while senior, Logan Dykstra, scored 14 of his 20 in the second half.

The Lyncs fell behind by 12 at halftime. The Cardinals opened the second half on an 11-2 run, for a 52-31 lead.

A Dykstra 3-pointer brought the Lyncs back to within 13 points, with 3:47 left in the game, but the gas tank was on empty by then.

There will be one big final exam this week, as the Lyncs will visit the Lions on Wednesday, in the battle of NWC undefeated. The Lions will start the week by hosting Ferndale on Monday. The Golden Eagles are 7-3. The Lyncs will host that red-hot Storm team on Monday.

Nearly all the current seniors will be grad students at some point this week. Don’t flip those tassels too soon!

~ Ted House

Much of basketball is about rebounding. Coaches frequently talk about its importance. Being effective at team rebounding means extra possessions on offense, which could mean a better chance for that big win.

Off the subject for a moment, there is something else that is noticeable in Juneuary basketball that you do not see in January basketball. The answer will be at the end. See if you can think what it is along the way.

Much of basketball is about rebounding. Coaches frequently talk about its importance. Being effective at team rebounding means extra possessions on offense, which could mean a better chance for that big win.

Off the subject for a moment, there is something else that is noticeable in Juneuary basketball that you do not see in January basketball. The answer will be at the end. See if you can think what it is along the way.

In getting back to rebounding, there is another type of rebounding in basketball, and other sports, and even in life in general. How you rebound after a setback or a loss, also defines teams, as well as people.

On Saturday of last week, Bellingham notched its first win of the season by beating Sedro-Woolley. The Cubs rebounded and got their first win in their next game with a victory over Oak Harbor. The Wildcats rebounded from that and got their first ever Northwest Conference win by beating Bellingham.

Anacortes rebounded from a 13-point loss to Mt. Vernon with a 17-point win over Sehome. Sehome rebounded on Saturday with a win over Bellingham.

Lynden rebounded from a 41-40 loss to Port Angeles, to defeat Squalicum, in overtime, the next day. They continued that with a 36-point win over Meridian and a 25-point win over Burlington-Edison.

Earlier in the week, the Tigers rebounded from a loss to Sehome by giving Ferndale its first loss of the season. Mt. Vernon did exactly the same thing, losing to Sehome, and then winning at Ferndale.

After four straight wins, Blaine lost at the buzzer at Squalicum, and then bested Meridian on Wednesday, Lummi Nation on Thursday, and Mt. Baker on Friday.

Squalicum’s overtime loss at Lynden led to that win over Blaine, followed by W’s over Nooksack Valley and Sedro-Woolley.

In the Squalicum-Blaine game, the Storm held a ten-point lead at halftime. The Borderites closed to within one at the end of the third and held a 60-57 lead in the final minute.

With ten seconds left, Storm junior, Kai Posey nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner to tie the score. Following that, the Borderites turned the ball over at mid court with four seconds left.

Storm junior and leading scorer, Reed Richardson, took the inbound pass near the center line, on the move to his left. He saw an open lane and stormed hard to the rim and a left-handed lay in at the buzzer for the win.

All of that happened between the last two Saturdays.

One team that has kept its rebounding strictly to the basketball floor so far, is Lynden Christian. The Lyncs are now 8-0 after wins this week over Bellingham, Oak Harbor, and Ferndale. The Lyncs are averaging 84.5 points per game, and a 36-point differential. This week, they averaged 89 points per game. Five of their eight wins have been by more than 40 points. Their closest games were an eight-point win at Mt. Vernon, and by 22 at Burlington.

In LC’s 2020 post-season run to a second-in-state finish, a notable improvement in the Lyncs at that time was the play of Lyncs big-guys, Logan Dykstra and Andrew Hommes. This season, with Dykstra a senior and Hommes a junior, they are certainly one of the toughest duos in the state to deal with. Both have the ability to score from inside or outside. Many of LC’s fast breaks begin with their effective outlet passes. Defensively, they make it difficult for opponents to get to the rim or get second shot opportunities.

Against Ferndale on Saturday, an 88-47 win, their scoring nearly mirrored each other. Both hit 3-pointers in the first three minutes in opening on a 10-4 run. Two minutes later, the Lyncs led 16-4, and then 23-10 at the quarter, as six Lyncs had scored.

Dykstra and Hommes each scored seven in the first quarter and 13 in the first half. Hommes finished with 20, while Dykstra had 19.

The Lyncs defense held down the Golden Eagles top two weapons. Solid defense on top by Cole Moorlag, Shale Whittern, and Tyler Sipma, made it difficult for Isaiah Carlson to drive the middle, where is has been very effective this season.

Meanwhile, Whittern and Crew Bosman clamped down on Ferndale’s 3-point specialist, Mark Schlicting, holding him to just a single 2-pointer in the second quarter.

Junior, Luke Wells, was a bright spot for the Golden Eagles, scoring a team-high 15 points. He hit eight of those in the second quarter. Wells hit their first 3-pointer of the game, early in the third quarter. Conner Walcker hit the only other 3-pointer for Ferndale and scored 11 points off the bench.

There was no let down for the Lyncs in the second half as their 16-point halftime lead grew to 24 by the end of the third and reached 40 in the final minutes.

After four games this week, and three straight losses, the Golden Eagles will try to rebound against Sehome on Thursday.

LC goes to Sehome on Tuesday, and then travels to play Seattle Academy who owns a 9-0 record which includes a 12-point win over Kings. The Lyncs were supposed to play Anacortes on Wednesday of last week, but the game was cancelled, and has not yet been rescheduled.

On Wednesday, Sehome rebounded from a tough first half to defeat Mt. Vernon, 57-53. The Bulldogs held leads of 10-2 and 21-9 in the first quarter. After the Mariners closed to 25-23 in the middle of the second, the Bulldogs scored 12 straight, and led 37-25 at halftime.

The Mariners scored four quick points to start the second half, prompting a Bulldog timeout. Mariner senior, Elliott Tanovan, scored on a lay-in for two of his ten second half points, to further close in on the Bulldogs. Micah Daheim then hit a 3-pointer to finish a 9-0 run. A Tanovan 3-pointer with 2:47 left in the third tied the game a 40-40. Liam Johnston’s 3-point play in the final minute, gave the Bulldogs a three-point lead at the end of the quarter.

With the score tight throughout the fourth quarter, two free-throws by senior, Jake Ortega, gave the Mariners a 54-52 lead with 1:17 left. Down by the same score, the Bulldogs missed tying the game by inches with 22 seconds left, as a well-designed inbounds lob pass to Johnston rolled off the rim. Sophomore Matthew Storms hit three of four free throws in the final seconds to secure the win for the Mariners.

Storms and Gavin Ortega scored 13 points each for the Mariners, and Tanovan and Jake Ortega added ten points each. Liam Johnston scored 28 for the Bulldogs but he was their only player in double-figures.

On Friday, Lynden traveled to Burlington to take on a Tigers team that was fresh off a win at Ferndale. The score was tied at 13-13 after eight minutes before the Lions defense began to assert itself. Some tipped passes by the quick hands of Koby Whitman and Jordan Medcalf led to easier offensive opportunities for the Lions.

Lion junior, Dawson Adams, hit a 3-pointer in transition after a steal to give the Lions a 31-20 lead with 1:17 left in the half.

The lead was seven points at halftime and went to 20 by the end of the third quarter. The quick hands and feet of Whitman led to steals, and at the other end, Whitman drove hard on the baseline for a couple scores, including a 3-point play.

Liam Hanenburg mopped up around the rim for 17 points. Clay Kochuten added 13. The Lions (7-0 / 7-1), host 1A power, and defending champion Kings, on Monday. The Lions lead the NWC in defensive points per game at 38.8.

The Knights are 8-1, with the loss being to undefeated Seattle Academy. They still have state tournament MVP Tyler Linhardt, along with a returning supporting cast that includes Shane McGaughey-Fick, Jordan Hansen, and Will Pohland.

In looking at 1A and 2A teams around the state, I have picked out a few that would be given consideration as Top 10 teams. Here is what I found:

As said earlier, Seattle Academy and Kings are leading the newly formed Emerald Sound League. In the Trico, Kings Way Christian is 10-0. In the SCAC, Zillah is 11-1, with a loss to 2A Prosser. Toppenish is 9-2, with two losses to Zillah.

Cashmere leads the Caribou Trail at 6-0. Freeman is 8-0 in the Northeast 1A.

In the 2A SPSL, Franklin Pierce defeated White River last night to take over first place. The teams were undefeated in conference play prior to the game, and each had only one loss on the season.

In the Olympic League, Port Angeles avenged an early season loss to defending 2A champion, North Kitsap, with a ten-point win at home. That puts PA one game up on NK with one game left.

RA Long went undefeated in the Greater St. Helens 2A League, which included two wins over archrival Mark Morris. I would love to see that rivalry, some day! The Lumberjacks finished the season with a 10-1 record, while the Monarchs went 11-3.

In the Evergreen 2A, WF West is in the lead (9-1 / 9-3), with Tumwater owning a 10-3 record.

In the CWAC, it’s all Selah at 11-0. Viking senior forward, and CWU commit, Noah Pepper, became the team’s all-time rebound leader, gaining his 1000^th rebound in this shortened season. You will remember his older brother, Elijah, who graduated in 2019 as the team’s all-time leading scorer.

In the Greater Spokane League, Shadle Park, Clarkston, and Pullman share the top of the league.

And finally, the answer you have been waiting for, to the question, “What does Juneuary basketball have that January basketball doesn’t?”

Tan lines.

Oh, and by the way…much better job at the free-throw line this week gentlemen. Much better!

~ Ted House

I mentioned last week that it was impressive to watch teams play as hard as they are with no end result to the 2021 season. The sense of urgency has been on display on every basketball floor. That deserves a “Job Well Done” to all players and coaches from the C-Teams, on up.

Offenses are in gear now. Defenses can be stingy. Three-pointers are flowing. But there is one part of their game that, maybe, has not come on strong yet. And, for good reason. That would be free-throw shooting!

I mentioned last week that it was impressive to watch teams play as hard as they are with no end result to the 2021 season. The sense of urgency has been on display on every basketball floor. That deserves a “Job Well Done” to all players and coaches from the C-Teams, on up.

Offenses are in gear now. Defenses can be stingy. Three-pointers are flowing. But there is one part of their game that, maybe, has not come on strong yet. And, for good reason. That would be free-throw shooting!

First, I must say that I think this week’s free-throw shooters were improved from last week. And I must also add that this feeling comes from only the games I have attended (7), and what I have picked up, and scored, on video.

In tallying up that free-throw percentage, it comes to 60.5%, which actually fooled me. I thought it would be lower than that. A percentage in the upper 60’s is pretty good for a high school team. An individual who shoots 80% will shoot technical free throws for me all the time.

So, to all of the free-throw shooters out there, here is some advice from the sixth best in the state of Washington, in the 1973 Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot:

• Take the ball before you step to the line.

• Fingertips only. No palm.

• Settle in with a good bend at the knees.

• It starts with the feet. Push up using the legs.

• Finish high with the shooting hand and reach into the cookie jar.

• Hold that pose until the ball hits the net.

• Finish on your toes, leaning forward.

• Most of all, practice, practice, practice!

Free-throw shooting is contagious. If the first one to shoot goes 0-for-2, it doesn’t guarantee a bad night for the team, but a 2-for-2 start can make things easier for all.

The best example of good free-throw shooting I saw this week came on Saturday. It was a matinee game as Ferndale hosted Meridian.

Trojans’ junior, Daniel Short, who’s minutes have been mostly with the junior varsity this season, got the varsity start against the Golden Eagles. He did not score in the first half, but was the key in their third-quarter comeback.

Short was fouled on a 3-point shot, early in the quarter. He sank all three free-throws, which is a difficult feat, even if you do shoot 80% from the line. Seconds later he hit a 3-pointer, made two more free-throws, and another three. He scored 11 points in less than four minutes, and finished with 16 points, all in the second half, leading the team. Yup, those FT’s add up!

The Trojans lost to Ferndale 75-61. They had trouble dissecting the Golden Eagles defense in the first few minutes, committing five live-ball turnovers in the first three minutes. Ferndale was not able to convert on each of the possessions, but it helped them to a 20-13 lead.

The Golden Eagles led by 16 at the half. Meridian played much better in the third quarter, outscoring Ferndale 23-14. The Trojans could get no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Ferndale junior, Mark Schlicting, continued his deadly 3-point shooting, hitting seven in the game, for 25 points. Three more Golden Eagles hit double-figures, as the ball moved quickly in their offense, always able to find the open man. Junior Jesse Sapp had 17. Senior Andrew Monks added 12, and junior, Luke Wells had 11. The Golden Eagles are now 5-0 on the season. Ferndale played the game without Jazen Guillory (missing the season due to injury), and Isaiah Carlson.

Two teams are moving up quickly in the standings. Blaine has won four straight games after their season opening loss to Lynden Christian. And Mount Baker is now 3-4 on the season, even though they endured two losses this week on the final possession.

On Tuesday, the Mountaineers suffered a buzzer-beater by Mount Vernon’s Liam Johnston, in a 65-62 loss. Baker held leads in the fourth quarter, even inside the final minutes.

Braden Hart scored a 3-point play with 2:01 left to give the Mountaineers a 59-55 lead. Twelve seconds after that, Johnston walked the dribble toward the top of the key and nailed a three-pointer to cut the lead to one.

The Bulldogs took a three-point lead in the final minute on a score inside by Chase Calvin, and a lay in by Suriel Ruizgaytan.

Hunt missed a long 3-pointer, but the ball went out of bounds with possession back to Baker. Garret Smith then tied the game at 62-62 when he hit a closely guarded, 3-pointer from the right wing with nine seconds left.

The Bulldogs continued play without calling a timeout. Notah Edwards took the ball on the run in back court, and as the Mounties back-pedaled on defense, Edwards found Johnston on the left wing. He squared up and swished a 27-footer at the buzzer, for the win.

Two days later, it was heartbreak again for the Mounties, with a one-point loss at home to Anacortes. The Seahawks are still perfect on the season at 5-0.

The Mountaineers rebounded with a 69-61 win on Saturday over previously undefeated, Sehome. Trailing by a bucket with eight minutes to go, Baker pulled away in the final minutes and secured the win with? Yes…free throw shooting!

Mount Vernon and Burlington-Edison continued their yearly “Battle of the Bridge” on Thursday, in the Tigers’ gym. The Tigers led the whole game and earned a 65-51 win.

The Tigers got a quick spark from 5-8 junior, Connor Anderson. He came off the bench early in the game and contributed six momentum-grabbing points. He ended the quarter by hitting a 28-footer at the buzzer, as he scooped up the ball after a loose ball scramble. Anderson finished with 16 points, tying him with Tiger senior, Taylor Sheldon, for game high scoring honors.

The “Battle of the Bridge” normally includes competitions between the student bodies, but that had to be deferred this year. Even so, both schools had large and very supportive student sections.

While Lynden continues to play top-notch defense, giving up on 40 points per game, they have suddenly had trouble scoring in their last two games.

On Friday, they ventured to Port Angeles, where they took on the Roughriders. PA is now 8-2 on the season, as they nipped the Lions 41-40 on a last second shot. The Lions had the ball and a one-point lead with twelve seconds to go, but turned the ball over, setting up the Roughriders for the win. Port Angeles has a four-point loss to defending 2A champion, North Kitsap on their record. The two teams will play again on their last day of the season.

Lion junior, Jordan Medcalf, scored 22 points against the Roughriders, as was the only Lion with more than six. He scored 11 of the Lions 13 fourth quarter points.

On Saturday, the Lions returned home and faced an improving Squalicum Storm team. At halftime, the score was tied at 21-21. The day before, the Lions led Port Angeles 21-20 at the half. (I like to play “fun with numbers” at times).

Early in the fourth quarter, the Lions had opened up a 38-29 lead, thanks to the defensive work of Lion senior, Kobe Whitman. Whitman would easily be “NWC All-Defense” if there was such a thing. His steal and layup have the Lions that nine-point lead.

However, the Storm scored two buckets, and the run continued as 6-8 senior, Leland Zender, stepped out and hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the Storm, as they closed the gap to 40-39 with three minutes left.

Then, Storm junior, Kai Posey, scored on a lay-in to tie the game at 41-41, with 1:49 to play.

Both teams had chances after that, but the game went into overtime with the same score.

Jordan Medcalf scored two quick hoops for the Lions, slicing his way through the key, and getting to the rim. Liam Hanenburg, the Lions 6-11 senior, scored on a put-back to keep the Lions lead at four points with a minute left on overtime.

In the final seconds, the teams exchanged free throws. Whitman made one-of-two with five seconds left to give the Lions a three-point lead. The Storm could not get closer than a half court attempt at the buzzer.

Squalicum’s 0-5 start is not indicative of their abilities. Zender’s twelve points led the Storm, with senior, Mason Binning adding eleven, and junior Reed Richardson with ten.

Hanenburg had 14 for the Lions, and Whitman scored ten of his eleven in the second half.

This week, unbeatens tangle as Lynden Christian goes to Anacortes on Wednesday. Then, the Lyncs go to Ferndale on Saturday. LC had two wins this week over Mount Vernon and Burlington.

Blaine puts their four-game winning streak on the line at Squalicum on Memorial Day. There is a full line-up of games on Monday.

Remember, games are often won and lost at the free-throw line. It all starts in the toes.

~ Ted House

Sixth in State ‘73

Have you ever gone to a game and been busy talking, or paying attention to something else, then look up and say, “Hey, I missed the jump ball!” Well, now, at least for this season, you may have to say, “Hey, I missed the sideline-inbounds!”

Have you ever gone to a game and been busy talking, or paying attention to something else, then look up and say, “Hey, I missed the jump ball!” Well, now, at least for this season, you may have to say, “Hey, I missed the sideline-inbounds!”

For this season, at least, the jump ball that traditionally starts a basketball has been eliminated for Covid-19 restrictions. The same is true in many other states. It was the only time a “jump ball” was administered during a game. The current rule is that the visiting team will now begin the game by inbounding the ball on the sideline at mid-court. If a game goes to overtime, a coin-flip will determine who has the ball first.

I have to wonder if this may be the end of the jump ball at the start of games in the future. Since it’s the only one left, it doesn’t really impact the game. The only real advantage one team had was if there was a clear size difference where they had a high percentage of controlling the tip. Some, with this advantage, would design plays to get a quick score off the tip. I wonder if some really creative coach out there could design a play to score off the opening inbounds, or defend it so as to create a quick turnover?

That aside, I saw some really good basketball played this week. Some teams were rustier than others, but every team plays as hard as ever. You really would not know the difference between this season or any other, in that regard.

However, with a basketball season beginning in May, there are some things that I determined were “unusual.” On my first walk from the car to the gym on opening night, it was still daylight. And after four quarters, and a walk back to the car, same thing. It was also much warmer than a January game, and when I got home, the Mariner game was on.

Again, everything inside the gyms was as normal as it could be. The crowds are down a bit, obviously, but every team now seems to have a video stream. And, those operating cameras, where applicable, did a better job, throughout the week. Just keep those scoreboards in sight as much as possible!

Hopefully, if you are not able to get to a gym, you are taking advantage of these video streams. The NFHS Network hosts several NWC teams, boys and girls. There is also JustAGameLive.com for others, as well as YouTube channels.

The one thing I learned back in the 1990s, and still holds true today, is that there is a big difference between seeing teams live versus video. Back in the day, at the tail end of my assistant coaching, I scouted teams via video. I could get all the particulars I needed that way, but I would often underestimate teams when it came to things like speed, strength, and intensity, that cannot be scored on video. Those are still important characteristics of teams. That said, I got to three gyms this week, and saw several others from my living room.

The first game I saw live was Blaine at Lynden Christian. The Lyncs, under first year head coach, Tim Zylstra, looked to be in state tournament playing form. They took a surprising 96-43 victory over the now 1A, Borderites. That was the best that I saw any team play this week, as the Lyncs went 3-0 and averaged 89 points per game.

The Lyncs have quality talent in the starting lineup, but it appears to be their bench depth that will set them apart. Seven different players hit three-pointers for the Lyncs. Senior Logan Dykstra (13 points) is a solid presence inside. Meanwhile 6-5 junior, Andrew Hommes, is a threat from long range, but is more than a handful when he decides to head for the rim. He scored ten first quarter points, and 19 for the game against the Borderites.

The Lyncs got a spark in the first half from junior, Crew Bosman, who came off the bench to score 11 of his 16 points in the first half. He always seemed to be around when positive plays were made. They also got a jolt from sophomore, Griffin Dykstra, who scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, including four 3’s in the fourth quarter. For a sophomore, he was not shy about taking shots. In fact, he reminded me of two recent Lyncs who burst on the scene as young sharp shooters. You may remember, their last names both began with “De.”

The Borderites just needed more time. They bounced back with wins over Nooksack Valley and Sedro-Woolley. Against the Cubs, juniors Scott Baldwin and Cole Thomas, along with sophomore Carson Lehnert, all reached double-figures in scoring.

Meridian came out this week with three games in three days. That’s the same way they ended their 2020 season in Yakima. They went 3-0 against Mount Baker, South Whidbey and La Conner, before a day off and a loss to Mount Vernon. Maybe they shouldn’t take a day off!

The Trojans edged the Mountaineers 79-78, but it was a tale of two halves. The Trojans took a 44-23 halftime lead, using a 14-0 run in the second quarter.

The Mountaineers shot their way back into it in the third quarter, as senior Braedan Hart scored 22 of his 30 points in the second half. That’s when he also hit six of his eight three-pointers. The Trojans held a nine-point lead with eight minutes to play, but the lead was only five, less than a minute later.

The Trojans pushed the lead back to 15 with 2:15 left, but the Mountaineeers would outscore the Trojans 17-3 the rest of the way. While it got tense for the Trojans, Mt. Baker never had the ball with a chance to tie the score. Hart’s last 3-pointer was at the buzzer and left the final at a one-point difference.

Senior Mason Jacoby and junior Aidan Corning scored 15 each for the Mountaineers. The Trojans were led by the 23 points by senior, Trey Naidu. Senior Wes Kurtz scored 18, and sophomore Hunter Jones added 13. Jones showed his court savvy by hiding in the weeds and stealing two of Baker’s outlet passes.

Ferndale had a 3-0 week despite not having top returning scorer, junior, Jazen Gillory. Any scoring the Golden Eagles missed out on against Squalicum on Monday, was made up by junior Mark Schlichting, who nailed seven 3’s, and scored 26 points. Sophomore Isaiah Carlson also scored 20 for Ferndale, in their 64-54 win.

The Storm looked good early, taking a 16-11 lead after eight minutes, but could muster only 12 points over the middle two quarters. Meanwhile, Ferndale scored 28 points in the third quarter, which offset the Storm’s 26-point fourth quarter. Storm junior, Reed Richardson, started his big scoring week with 22 points.

Lynden went 3-0 this week with wins over Nooksack Valley, Sedro-Woolley, and Bellngham. The game against the Red Raiders was the first time the Lions were able to field their entire varsity roster.

The Lions 57-35 win over the Cubs on Wednesday showed the kind of dept they still are able to incorporate. Sophomore Coston Parcher is running the point for the Lions, as junior Kaleo Jandoc recovers this spring from shoulder trouble. The Lions were also missing junior starter, Jordan Medcalf, and junior Dawson Adams.

Seniors Clay Kochuten and Liam Hanenburg each scored 18 points for the Lions, who got off to a slow offensive start. But their defense aloud them to reach a 20-2 lead in the second quarter. The Cubs also scrapped and hustled on defense, but too many times struggled to get a quality shot in their 30 seconds on offense. Senior JJ Cabello (12) and junior, Hayden Birkle (11) reached double-figures for the Cubs, who finished the week 0-3, with losses to Burlington-Edison and Blaine.

In an unforeseen omission, last week’s information did not include the addition of Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor to the Northwest Conference. It must have ended up, mistakenly, on the cutting room floor.

Mount Vernon was a charter member of the NWC in 2006-07. They stayed in the league through the 2011-12 season, before joining the Wesco Conference. In their six seasons in the NWC, they held a 53-25 record in league games, and were coached for four of those years by former Bulldog, Torey Swanson, and for two NWC seasons by former LC boys coach, Vic Wolfis.

Oak Harbor has also moved from the Wesco to the NWC. The Wildcats are coached by Nate Sullivan, who is in his second season. He was formerly an assistant coach at Anacortes, under head coach Brett Senff.

Lakewood will be a team missing from the NWC this season, as they are playing closer to home in the Wesco. We will see the Cougars again in the fall. After their first trip ever to the 2A state tournament last season, and graduating four starters, the Cougars are currently 4-0 in the Wesco.

Back to Mount Vernon, as their first NWC game was at Squalicum on Wednesday. The Bulldogs came away with a 41-31 win and followed that with a 78-44 win over Meridian.

Against the Storm, the Bulldogs trailed at halftime, 22-19. Both teams had trouble scoring in the middle two quarters. The Bulldogs had an 8-2 advantage in the third and held a 27-24 lead.

Senior Liam Johnston led the Bulldogs with 12 points. And 6-5 senior, Chase Calvin added 11 points with a strong low post game. Reed Richardson’s 18 points led the Storm.

Anacortes was 2-0 this week with wins over Oak Harbor and Squalicum. The Seahawks still apply their “hair on fire” pressure at both ends of the floor. Against the Storm, they got beat a few times early in the game for easy baskets. But over time, they really made their back court pressure, whether the ball was dead or alive, pay off.

The Storm scored the games first seven points as the Seahawks were late in taking the lid off the rim but came back to take an 18-16 lead after one quarter. The Storm fought back to take a 37-33 halftime lead, as Reed Richardson scored nine of his game high 24 points in the period.

A 24-5 third quarter put the game away for the Seahawks, as the Storm could not get the deficit under ten points after that.

In that game, both teams were in the double bonus in each half, by the middle of the second and fourth quarters, respectively. However, I came to realize that in a fast paced, up and down game, that number of fouls is much less noticeable than they would be in a slow, half-court game. Just an observation.

Sehome will also be a team to be reckoned with as they went undefeated this week with wins over Bellngham and Oak Harbor. Mt. Baker absorbed a loss to Lynden Christian, then came back with a great win on Friday over Burlington-Edison to go 2-2 on the season. The Tigers dropped to 1-1 after a win over Sedro-Woolley on Monday. Squalicum, Bellingham, Oak Harbor, Sedro-Woolley, and Nooksack Valley have yet to crack the win column.

~ Ted House

Yes, basketball courts are finally in session in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, which encompass the Northwest Conference. Instead of splitting the season at New Year’s, this basketball season will end the school year. It’s a little off, but it’s here.

Yes, basketball courts are finally in session in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, which encompass the Northwest Conference. Instead of splitting the season at New Year’s, this basketball season will end the school year. It’s a little off, but it’s here.

And, with no post-season, we really need to make a big deal out of what we do have. On Monday night, the first full night of action, there is a game that, in a normal season, may be standing room only. Fortunately, I will have the honor of attending.

On Monday, Blaine travels to Lynden Christian. Both teams have plenty of leftovers from the end of the 2019-20 season, and I think are not only the top two 1A teams in the NWC, but probably top 10 in 1A state, real or mythical.

Disclaimer: Before we go any further, this is based on rosters from 14 months ago, so in speaking of any team’s returning players from anywhere around the state, there are many reasons why those rosters may not be what we think they will be.

This game gives me reason for excitement, even though it will tip off on May 17! The Lyncs will have a new head coach, in long time assistant, Tim Zylstra. He would (should) have an experienced group to build around in big guys, Logan Dykstra and Andrew Hommes. Seniors Shale Whittern and Cole Moorlag offer experience and athleticism, along with exciting sophomore, Tyler Sipma.

The Borderites finished 11-11 as a 2A last season, and will match the LC lineup with experienced players such as Kyle Turnberg, Josh Russ, Cole Thomas, Jaxon Kortlever, and Scott Baldwin.

My apologies if any of these are incorrect. See “Disclaimer” above.

Lynden would have been a leading pick to win the 2A state tournament in 2021. They return a big part of their roster from 2020. “Big” would also be fitting in describing returning 6-11 senior center, Liam Hanenburg.

Another early favorite is Ferndale. They have the stuff to challenge for a spot at the top of the NWC, with the one-two punch of junior, Jazen Guillory, and sophomore, Isaiah Carlson, and a young, but experienced roster.

Most of the leagues around the state are using a similar time frame as the NWC for the 2021 basketball season, although several have had a week or two head start. I will try to keep up with the 1A’s and 2A’s as much as I can.

The South Puget Sound 4A League, along with the Pierce County 3A, began their seasons in an “outdoor” venue last week. A large structure at the Puyallup Fairgrounds was dolled up with a new asphalt floor and 3 courts to accommodate Pierce County being in Covid Phase-2, which did not allow indoor sports. It was similar to a tent restaurant, but bigger and with basketball courts instead of tables. It was quite an impressive project that came about in a 14-day period. Now that their county rules have been relaxed, they can go back to hosting games in their gyms beginning this week. You can read about the whole process in the Tacoma News Tribune.

By the way, for those of you scoring at home, since there was no State Tournament in 2021, my streak of 36 straight is still alive and well. Just delayed. The 2022 State Tournaments will be held March 2-5, according to the WIAA website. The 1A and 2A classifications will again be in the Yakima Valley SunDome, which would seem to mean that we will have another year of the same format. Thank you.

If all goes well, and nothing in the last 14 months has, I will have a pile of words out every Sunday. Stay tuned.

~ Ted House