Coach: Ted Flint, 4th season with Bellingham (15-15), 5th season overall (29-20)
Home Field: Civic Stadium, Bellingham
Last Season: 4-6 (2-5 NWC)
Key Losses: WR/DB Nich Smith; WR/LB/K Joseph Worley; WR/DB/KR Levi DeYoung .
Top Returnees: WR/S/KR Ethan Fields; QB/P Nick Knutson; WR/CB Spencer Lee; TE/DL Nicholas Osterling ; RB/S Connor Wallace; G/ILB Brahm vanWoerden.
- Ethan Fields – Wide Receiver/Safety/Kick Returner
So far, Fields has amassed 53 catches for 576 yards. He is just 26 catches away, and 594 yards away, from breaking the Bellingham receiving records. But, he can score a lot of ways. He has scored four defensive touchdowns in his career, and last season he averaged 26.6 yards per kickoff return.
2. Nick Knutson – Quarterback/Punter
All the talk about the Whatcom County quarterbacks have about Nooksack Valley’s Casey Bauman and Meridian’s Simon Burkett. Everyone should notice Knutson as well. “Nippy K” is also a three-year starter and he is only seven touchdown passes away from tying Sean Linville (2-time All-State quarterback) for the school record of 34 touchdown passes.
3. Spencer Lee – Wide Receiver/Cornerback
A tremendous athlete, Lee burst onto the scene last year as a sophomore, and was named All-League 2nd Team at wide receiver. He finished with 36 catches for 627 yards (17.4) and seven touchdowns, and he should improve on those numbers this season.
4. Nicholas Oesterling – Tight End/Defensive Line
After playing on the offensive line, he will be moved to the slot/tight end position that had been vacated by the graduation of Joseph Worley. It’s unknown to me how is skills will transfer, but his build (6’3″ 190) could create mis-match problems for the opposing defense.
Fastest Players: Spencer Lee and Connor Wallace.
Strongest Player: Nicholas Oesterling.
Smartest Player: Nick Knutson.
Who will be Bellingham’s breakout player?
Larry Dwyer – WR/DB
Although he might not have the ideal size, Dwyer could turn some heads at Civic Stadium this season. Coach Flint will look to utilize Dwyer’s speed in any way possible, whether that’s at wide receiver, in the secondary or returning kicks.
2016 RESULTS
Bellingham 21, Lynden Christian 6
Bellingham 21, Shorewood 17
Lynden 34, Bellingham 14
Blaine 24, Bellingham 17
Burlington-Edison 44, Bellingham 14
Bellingham 56, Sehome 43
Sedro Woolley 49, Bellingham 18
Bellingham 32, Anacortes 14
Lakewood 47, Bellingham 13
Shorecrest 35, Bellingham 27
2017 SCHEDULE
09/01 – at Lynden Christian – 7 PM
09/08 – Shorewood – 8 PM
09/15 – Lynden – 7 PM
09/22 – Blaine – 7 PM
09/29 – at Burlington-Edison – 7 PM
10/06 – at Sehome – 7 PM
10/14 – Sedro Woolley – 7 PM
10/20 – at Anacortes – 7 PM
10/27 – Lakewood – 5 PM
The Red Raiders showed strong improvement in 2016 after playing an independent schedule in 2014 and 2015. Expect to see even more growth and improvement during the 2017 season.
Many weapons are back for Bellingham, including senior Nick Knutson, the three-year starter at quarterback. He has an amazing grasp of the offense, and could look to break a few career school records in 2017. He has all the tools to lead the Red Raiders to the post season for the first time in 10 years.
Senior Connor Wallace also returns. Wallace was the team’s leading rusher last season with 854 yards (6.7 average) and seven touchdowns. He was also a dangerous receiver out of the backfield, hauling in 25 passes last year. Sophomore Jack Fields will back Wallace up.
The receiving corps could be the best in Whatcom County. Junior Spencer Lee returns after a monstrous season last year, his 36 catches tied him for fifth most in Whatcom County history for a sophomore! Senior Ethan Fields also returns and is dangerous every time he gets his hands on the ball. 6-foot-2 sophomore Morgan Cavalier will also see time at wide receiver, and will serve as one of the backup quarterbacks. Converted senior offensive tackle Nick Oesterling will take over the slot/tight end spot, and plan to see senior Ethan Berschauer and junior Larry Dwyer split out wide from time to time.
The offensive line has plenty of depth, which allowed Oesterling to become a receiver. Senior Aiden Helming and junior Nick Posey are battling it out for the center position. Seniors Brahm vanWoerden and Jade Dudoward, and junior Chase Johanson, are in the mix to play guard. Senior Jackson Lee (210 pounds), junior Christian Butenschoen (265) and sophomore Butch Mullins (285) are the candidates at offensive tackle.
The defensive line should be led again by Oesterling. He will be joined by a rotation of Johanson, Lee, Helming, Mullins and Butenschoen. VanWoerden returns at linebacker, and will be joined by fellow seniors Tevon Lautenbach, Posey, Jack Fields and Berschauer.
Lee and Cavalier man the corner spots, but you can expect to see Dwyer get on the field on passing situations. Ethan Fields and Wallace both have tremendous speed and will be an awesome combination at safety.
The kicking situation is still up in the air with Knutson, Dwyer and Danish junior foreign exchange student, Elm Magnus, battling it out for the position. Knutson or Magnus will handle the punting. Lee, Fields and Dwyer are expected to be the kick returners.
I believe this will be a great season for the red and white, and anticipate that they have enough talent and coaching to get to the state playoffs. Do they believe in themselves? I would say yes.
2017 Roster
# Name Yr Height Weight Off/Def
1 Taylor Jackson 10 6’0″ 150 RB/LB
2 Lee Spencer 11 5’10” 160 WR/DB
3 Cavalier Morgan 10 6’2″ 165 QB/DB
4 Edwards Timothy 11 5’9″ 150 QB/DB
5 Henry Jonny 11 6’1″ 165 WR/DB
6 Odushkin Oleg 10 5’8″ 140 WR/DB
7 Dwyer Larry 11 5’7″ 170 WR/DB
8 Knutson Nick 12 6’2″ 185 QB/DB
9 Triplett Andre 10 5’10” 150 WR/DB
10 Johnson Ethan 11 6’0″ 150 WR/DB
11 Kurz Wesley 9 5’9″ 148 QB/LB
12 Berschauer Ethan 12 6’1″ 185 WR/LB
13 Bentley Rand 11 6’6″ 205 QB/LB
15 Wallace Connor 12 5’9″ 165 RB/DB
16 Berumen Quentin 10 5’7″ 150 WR/DL
17 Johnson Noah 12 5’11” 150 WR/DB
20 McKay Connor 10 5’8″ 135 WR/DB
22 Fields Ethan 12 6’0″ 185 WR/DB
23 Garza Mitchell 9 5’10” 140 WR/DB
24 Hallock Jacob 11 6’1″ 190 WR/DB
25 Corona Diego 10 5’10” 155 WR/DB
29 Tolle Cody 10 5’7″ 120 WR/DB
30 Thompson Ethan 9 5’8″ 135 WR/DB
32 Ninneman Isaac 10 5’11” 160 WR/LB
33 Magnus Elm 11 6’0″ 185 WR/LB
34 Fields Jack 10 5’10” 165 RB/LB
35 Collado Eric 11 5’7″ 150 RB/LB
40 vanWoerden Saunder 10 5’10” 150 WR/LB
42 Paez Phillip 9 5’9″ 150 RB/LB
50 Dudoward Jade 12 5’10” 190 OL/DL
51 Bachelder Gideon 10 5’9″ 165 OL/LB
53 Alvarez Jonathan 10 5’9″ 170 OL/DL
54 vanWoerden Brahm 12 5’10” 165 OL/LB
55 Lautenbach Tevon 12 6’2″ 185 OL/LB
56 Sutherland Matthew 10 5’8″ 180 OL/DL
57 Echevarria Jordan 9 5’11” 180 OL/DL
58 Helming Aiden 12 5’9″ 175 OL/DL
61 Posey Nick 11 5’7″ 185 OL/LB
62 Chavez Javier 9 6’1″ 235 OL/DL
63 Murphy Matthias 10 6’1″ 165 OL/DL
65 Lee Jackson 12 5’9″ 210 OL/DB
66 Butenschoen Christian 11 6’2″ 265 OL/DL
67 Oesterling Chris 10 6’2″ 170 OL/DL
68 Pierson Michael 9 5’10” 200 OL/DL
70 McDonald Caleb 11 5’10” 240 OL/DL
71 Johanson Chase 11 6’2″ 225 OL/DL
72 Mullins Butch 10 6’2″ 285 OL/DL
74 Donohue Julian 10 6’0″ 280 OL/DL
75 Bonesteele Alex 11 6’1″ 255 OL/DL
79 Beruman Alex 9 5’11” 170 OL/DL
80 Hibbing Evan 10 6’1″ 165 WR/DB
82 Jovag Colton 11 5’6″ 125 WR/DB
85 Hutchings Dane 10 5’11” 155 WR/DB
86 Chamberlin Parker 10 6’2″ 170 WR/LB
99 Oesterling Nicholas 12 6’3″ 190 WR/DL