The 1978 Red Raiders were a win away from the playoffs, and lost a close 16-15 game at Ferndale. These Bellinghamsters were part of all the great teams that the red and white had in the late 70’s.
What could be a Whatcom County record, five different Red Raiders threw a touchdown pass in the 1978 season. Senior Don Fenton and junior Ted Genger each threw two TD’s, while Kris Runestrand, Matt Atkins and Greg Brand each threw one. Fenton completed 26 passes for 455 yards, while Runestrand completed 13 passes for 165 yards.
Junior Joe Rushin led Bellingham with 463 yards rushing (5.0 average) and five touchdowns. Fenton was an All-League 2nd Team selection at running back, and he ran for 449 yards (4.7) and seven touchdown. Senior Leonard Lawrence ran for 137 yards (5.3) and two touchdowns.
Tight end Chris Bergner had a great season, both receiving and running the ball. The 6-foot-5 210-pound senior caught 25 passes for 384 yards (15.4) and one touchdown. He also ran for 247 yards (5.4) and two touchdowns and was named All-League 1st Team. Junior Greg Brand caught 13 passes for 210 yards (16.2), while Lawrence caught seven passes for 85 yards (12.1) and a score. Fenton scored two touchdowns receiving, to go along with his seven on the ground, and two as a passer.
Junior Marty West (6-0 195) led the offensive line, and was named All-League 2nd Team. The offense scored 24 touchdowns and ran for 1420 yards.
The coaches son, West, also led the defensive attack, and was named All-League 2nd Team from his defensive line position. Sophomore Greg Gudbranson led the secondary, and was named All-League 2nd Team.
Junior Bill Benson nailed 11 extra points and hit on two field goals.
The 1996 Mariners had an up and down season, but the talent was there. The four losses were by a combined 15 points, and they had two shutouts against long time rivals Burlington-Edison and Bellingham.
Ben DeMond and Cam Harding
Senior quarterback Cam Harding completed 49 passes for 747 yards, five touchdowns and he also ran for three scores. Joining Harding in the backfield were seniors Ben DeMond, Cory Smith, Brendon Graves and junior C.J. Hayes. DeMond was the main ball carrier, gaining 738 yards (5.9 average) and six touchdowns. Smith ran for 272 yards (4.3) and four touchdowns while Graves rushed for 237 yards (5.5). Hayes ran for 384 (5.2) and four touchdowns.
Lee Eckl
Graves was the leading receiver for the Mariners, catching 12 passes for 205 yards (17.1) and two touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Trevor Walker and senior Heath Ovens each caught eight passes, while DeMond and fellow senior Devin Catrell each hauled in seven passes.
Ashley Vincent
The offensive line had two major studs that cleared some major paths. Senior Lee Eckl was named All-League 1st Team, as was junior Ashley Vincent. Sehome averaged 4.4 yards per rush, and scored 18 touchdowns on the ground.
The defense threw a pair of shutouts, and it had three different seniors at each level that dominated. On the defensive line the 6-foot-2 234-pound senior Gabe Robinson was in the backfield on almost every play. Eckl was an extremely hard hitter, coming off of an All-State 2nd Team selection. The secondary was headed up by Graves. All three players were named All-League 1st Team. Robinson and Eckl were selected for the second year in a row.
Senior Sam Allard had a great year kicking, with 19 extra points and one field goal.
State Play-in Game: Mount Baker 70, Cedar Park Christian 13
State 1st Round Game: Mount Baker 41, Montesano 28
State Quarterfinals: Eatonville 29, Mount Baker 28
The 2014 Mountaineers were coming off of their first state championship game in school history, but still had a lot of talent returning.
Mason Bass
Junior Mason Bass took over at quarterback following the opening game loss to the eventual 2A state-champions. He completed 27 passes for 473 yards, 10 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He was joined in the backfield by the League’s Most Valuable Player, senior, Liam Short. The bruising fullback carried the ball 217 times for 1530 yards (7.1 average) and 17 touchdowns, and he was an All-League 1st Team selection. Super sophomore Jed Schleimer continued the trend of Schleimer running backs (Joe, Jim and Jake). He ran for a sophomore team record 830 yards (7.1) and nine touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 61 yards (8.7) and two scores. Senior wingback Zach Yurchuk added 512 yards and six touchdowns.
Liam Short
Senior wide receiver Ruvim Tikhonov was a big-play threat for the Mountaineers, catching a team-high 11 passes for 236 yards (21.5) and four touchdowns. 6-foot-5 senior tight end Carson Schmidt also had his share of big plays, basically every time he touched the ball! All four of his receptions went for a touchdown, and they totaled 95 yards. Senior Johnny Mata also caught six passes for 75 yards (12.5) and a score.
Ruvim Tikhonov
Juniors Chad Cohn and Paul Lebedev were the mainstays on the offensive line, each of them being named All-League 1st Team, Cohn for the second year in a row. Lebedev was also named All-State 2nd Team. The line also got consistent play from junior J.T. Keeney who made the ultimate sacrifice, switching from running back to guard. Baker totaled 3374 yards on the ground, and 40 touchdowns.
Paul Lebedev
The defensive line started with Lebedev. From his defensive end spot he sacked the quarterback five times, and was named All-League 1st Team for the second year in a row. Junior linebacker Kolton Zender was all over the field from his middle linebacker spot, and was named All-League 1st Team. The secondary was led by Tikhonov and Mata who each made numerous plays while the ball was in the air. Tikhonov was named All-League 1st Team.
Johnny Mata
Senior Zane Smith proved to be a very valuable weapon for Mount Baker, kicking 44 extra points and five field goals. His 52-yard field goal against Oroville is the longest in Whatcom County history! Tikhonov and Yurchuk handled the kick returns, and Short scooped up an onside kick and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown against Nooksack Valley.
The 1978 Lions had a tremendous season, with four shutout wins and a win against the eventual state champion Blaine Borderites, but it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs, losing a heart-breaker on the road against Meridian on the final week of the season.
Lynden seniors
In classic Rollie-form, The Lions had seven different players through a pass in that wacky offense. The main signal caller was the diminutive (5-6 145) senior, John Weeks. He completed 17 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 127 yards, two touchdowns and was named All-League 2nd Team. Senior running back Brian Anderson was the main ball-carrier, with 680 yards (4.5 average) and seven touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 59 yards (14.8) and was named All-League 2nd Team. Senior Mike Hill was a force at 210 pounds and he contributed 320 yards on the ground, while hulking sophomore Leif Erickson ran for 237 yards.
Leif Erickson
Senior Rick Weidkamp was an All-League 1st Team receiver, and he led the team with six catches for 67 yards (11.2) and a touchdown. Senior Jim Jamie caught five passes while fellow senior Garth Allen also caught four passes.
Mark Morgan
The offensive line was led by the 5-11 180-pound junior Mark Morgan, who was named All-League 1st Team. Senior Dwight Young (5-10 175) also stood out, and was named All-League 2nd Team. Lynden averaged over 150 yards rushing per game, and ran for 18 touchdowns.
Gary Allen
Allowing only 8.4 points per game, the defense was the main strength for the Lions. Senior Jim Jamie was the main man on the defensive line, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Joining Jamie was Allen, who was named All-League 2nd Team. Anderson and Hill led the linebacking corps. Anderson was named All-League 1st Team, while Hill was on the 2nd Team. Weeks intercepted a pass in week one against Mount Baker and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown, and he went on to be named All-League 1st Team at defensive back.
Junior Benji Lange proved to be the top kicker with 12 extra points, three field goals, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Anderson had some monster punts, and was named All-League 2nd Team.
State Play-in Game: Mount Baker 21, Port Townsend 8
1st Round Playoff Game: Mount Baker 32, Washougal 8
State Quarterfinal Game: Orting 35, Mount Baker 28
The 1999 Mountaineers had one of the best graduating classes in school history. Even though they lost two league games, one of them being a two-touchdown loss to Meridian which beat every other team by at least five touchdowns, they had a strong playoff run.
Jim Schleimer
Even though Baker had a strong senior class, they were led into battle by junior quarterback, Brent Cowden. The first-year starter completed 59 passes for 1077 yards, 16 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns and was named All-League Honorable Mention. Cowden enjoyed handing off to many different backs, but senior Jim Schleimer received the bulk of the carries. 226 of them, to be exact, gaining 1576 yards (7.0 average) and 23 touchdowns. Although he had a tremendous year, he feel just short of being named All-State, as he was the previous season. He was again named All-League 1st Team, and finished his amazing career as the school’s all-time leading rusher. He would hold that record for 12 years, until Levi Wigg broke it. Schleimer still holds the school record for most career carries (499), career rushing touchdowns (53) and career points scored (344). Joining Schleimer in the backfield was senior Wes Carson, who ran for 799 yards (5.3) and four touchdowns, and he was an All-League 2nd Team pick.
Wes Carson
When moving the ball through the air, the Mountie passing attack looked for 5-foot-11 216-pound senior, Travis Galbraith. His athleticism allowed him to switch from guard to tight end, and he proved to be a valuable one, catching 22 passes for 403 yards (18.3) and eight touchdowns. He was also named All-League 1st Team at tight end, a position that would land Baker the All-League 1st Team selection in five of the previous six years. Junior wide receiver Joe Mattingley was a huge big-play threat, catching 12 passes for 393 yards (32.8) and six touchdowns, and he was named All-League Honorable Mention . His 189-yard receiving performance in the quarterfinals still stands as the schools single-game record. Although senior Mike Brennan only caught a pair of passes, his blocking helped him get recognized, and he was named All-League Honorable Mention at tight end. Sure-handed juniors Brian Smith and Stanley Macdonald each caught seven passes.
Travis Galbraith
The offensive line was loaded with seniors from tackle to tackle. Known throughout the team as “Ike”, “Psycho”, “Krazy”, “K-Dog” and “Barney”, all five would be named as League All-Stars. Isaac Parham was as strong as they came at the high school level, at 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds the eventual state-champion wrestler plowed over the competition, and was named All-League 1st Team as well as All-State 1st Team. Jesse Morris was a tremendously athletic lineman, and was named All-League Honorable Mention. Center Kyle Lukes was another star-wrestler, and two-year starter on the line, and was named All-League 1st Team. Right guard Klinton Moa was undersized, but had unbelievable tenacity, and was named All-League 2nd Team. Byron Anderson, at 6-0 257, has superb strength at his right tackle position, and was named All-League Honorable Mention. They led the way for over 3000 yards rushing and 35 touchdowns on the ground.
Isaac Parham
The defense was led by Galbraith, who was named the League’s Defensive Player of the Year. From his defensive end spot he collected 71 tackles, 22 quarterbacks harassed, 16 tackles for loss, nine sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. On the opposite side, Parham totaled 68 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 10 quarterbacks harassed, six sacks, six fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. He was also named All-League 1st Team at defensive end. Rounding out the defensive line was Moa, and he had 83 tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and was an All-League 2nd Team selection.
Jim Schleimer and Caleb Hansen
The linebackers were led by Schleimer and Morris, who were each named All-League 1st Team. Schleimer finished with 75 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five passes broken up and three fumble recoveries, and Morris ended the season with a team-high 92 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and two sacks. Carson, along with fellow senior Caleb Hansen, were each named All-League Honorable Mention at linebacker. Carson was huge with 14 tackles for loss, while Hansen was in on 80 tackles and nine tackles for loss.
Jesse Morris
Mattingley led the secondary with six interceptions and eight passes broken up, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Cowden intercepted a pair of passes, and sophomore Justin Brown broke up seven passes, forced two fumbles and he was named All-League Honorable Mention.
Klinton Moa
Junior Zach Marr handled the kicking duties, with 15 extra points, while the Baker backs combined for 18 two-point conversions. Morris averaged 32.7 yards per punt. Mattingley returned 12 kickoffs for 271 yards (22.6) while junior Dan Varner returned 19 punts for 164 yards (8.6).
The 1997 season was one of those great seasons around Whatcom County, with so many great teams and players, and Sehome was no exception. The Mariners were loaded with talent, size and speed.
Senior quarterback Josh Turrell might have been the most talented. He completed 56.3% of his passes (80-of-142), and that completion percentage was a school record that stood for nine years. He threw for1105 yards, four touchdowns, ran for four touchdowns and was named All-League 1st Team. Joining Turrell in the backfield were seniors C.J. Hayes and Jay Chiabai. Hayes ran for 662 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Chiabai added 175 yards and a score, along with 13 catches for 320 yards (24.6 average) and one touchdown. They were each named All-League Honorable Mention. Another spark in the backfield came from sophomore Pete Staskiews. He ran for 255 yards (6.4) and five touchdowns.
Justin Pendry
Senior wide receiver Trevor Walker had an amazing season, catching 39 passes for 545 yards (14.0) and one touchdown. His reception and receiving yardage totals were new school records for a season, both were previously held by Jay Reyna. Walker’s 39 catches lasted as the school record for 16 years until Evan Miksovsky caught 44 in 2013. Walker was named All-League 1st Team. Senior Justin Pendry was your typical Sehome tight end of the 90’s. 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, he was a prototype, sealing off the edge, and catching 13 passes for 153 yards (11.8) and two touchdowns. He was also named All-League 2nd Team.
Ashley Vincent
Along with Pendry, the offensive line had other standouts as well. Senior Ashley Vincent (6-1 230) was named All-League 1st Team. Senior Ryan Cullup (6-2 232) was an All-League 2nd Team selection and fellow senior Brian Proctor (6-3 203) rounded out the Sehome all-stars up front, and was named All-League Honorable Mention. The Mariners averaged over five yards per running play, and ran for 27 touchdowns.
Sehome used a lot of the same players from the offensive side of the ball for defense, and they stood out there as well. The defensive line was the strongest unit, with Pendry coming off the edge, teaming up with Cullup and Vincent. Pendry and Cullup were each named All-League 1st Team, and Vincent was an All-League 2nd Team selection. Junior Scott Kirk shined through at linebacker, and was named All-League Honorable Mention. Turrell led the secondary, being named All-League 1st Team, with Walker, who intercepted a pass for a 40-yard touchdown against Snohomish, was an All-League Honorable Mention.
Walker also was a great kicker, hitting 26 extra points and a field goal. For his efforts he was named All-League 2nd Team. Sophomore Calvin Hayes was an All-League Honorable Mention at punter.
The 1978 Mariners had a misleading record (5-5), in comparison to the caliber of talent they possessed. They lost the opener by two field goals, and the other four losses were by a combined five points. A few breaks here and there, and they could have easily been in the playoffs.
Sehome backs
Junior quarterback Curt O’Connor completed 21 passes for 279 yards and one touchdown, while rushing for 198 yards and one touchdown. He was joined in the backfield by workhouse junior running back, Ladin Langeman, who ran for a league-high 1102 yards (4.8 average) and nine touchdowns on his way to being named All-League 1st Team. Senior running back Kevin Moore ran for 374 yards (5.3) and six touchdowns, while senior Kent Herzer and junior Pete Dawson combined for over 200 yards and four touchdowns.
Ladin Langeman
Junior receiver Sean Riley was the main target, catching 16 passes for 274 yards (17.1) and one touchdown, and was named All-League 2nd Team. Senior tight end John Lallas caught five passes for 51 yards (10.2).
Sehome defense
The senior driven offensive line was a huge part of the team’s success, and it started with All-League 1st Team center Peter Oswald. The guards were Brad Haggen and Howard Bobson, and the tackles were Greg Vaughn and Pat Reynolds. They ran for almost 2000 yards and scored 21 touchdowns on the ground.
On defense the line was led by Herzer from his end position. Haggen and Lallas were the mainstays at linebacker, and junior Joey Lallas was the top dog in the secondary. All four players were named All-League 1st Team. Herzer intercepted a pass against Lake Stevens and brought it back 60 yards for a touchdown.
Sophomore Mike Zimmerman kicked eight extra points, and handled all the kicking duties.
The 1976 Lions had an interesting year, all three losses were to teams that they beat in their other meeting against them, and they just missed the playoffs.
Brent Rutgers
Lynden had a pair of juniors that split time at quarterback, Brent Rutgers and Rick DeGraaff. Rutgers completed 23 passes for 370 yards and two touchdowns, and DeGraaff completed 15 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. Each QB also ran for a score. Senior running back Rick Honcoop ran for 194 yards and two scores. Senior John Felix ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore Mike Hill added 122 yards and two scores.
Rick DeGraaff
Senior receiver Steve Groen led the team in receiving with nine catches for 146 yards (16.2 average) and one touchdown, and was named All-League 1st Team. Senior Dave Kleindel caught five passes for 124 yards (24.8) and senior Lewis Seutz caught four passes for 96 yards (24.0) and a touchdown.
Rick Honcoop
Senior Wade Bailey, although only 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, proved to be the best of the offensive lineman, and was named All-League 1st Team. The offense was very even, rushing for 697 yards and passing for 559 yards, and it scored 13 touchdowns.
John Van Ieperen
Defensively, the Lions were amazing. They shout out each of the other five Whatcom County League schools during the season! Senior Randy Kraght (6-2 195) and junior John Van Ieperen (5-11 185) terrorized the line of scrimmage, and were each named All-League 1st Team. Honcoop was an All-League 1st Team selection at linebacker, as was Rutgers at defensive back. Bailey and Rutgers each intercepted a pass for a touchdown.
Junior Tom Lange was the league’s leading kicker with 12 extra points and four field goals, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Rutgers returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown against Meridian in the final game of the season.
The 2005 Lions were just coming off a semi-final loss to the eventual state champion Wolverines of Bellevue, and due to a trip to Southlake Carrol High School in Texas, five months after the state playoffs, Lynden football’s offense went through a complete overhaul. The spread offense went into affect in the 2005 season, and they haven’t looked back.
Alex Ellig
Senior quarterback Alex Ellig was named All-League 2nd Team. He completed 142 passes for 1946 yards and 18 touchdowns, and with the new offense he ran for 333 yards and four more scores. Senior Curt Powell joined Ellig in the backfield, and he ran for 931 yards (5.4 average) and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 238 yards (12.5) and three touchdowns, and he was named All-League 2nd Team. Junior Landon VandeHoef chipped in 123 yards rushing (6.2) average and one touchdown.
Justin Brann
The new offense featured four receivers, and perhaps never before were four receivers so balanced, stat-wise. Senior Justin Brann finished his high school career with another great receiving season, catching 33 passes for 425 yards (12.9), one touchdown and was named All-League 2nd Team. Fellow senior Dan Van Beek was also named All-League 2nd Team, and was the team leader in receptions, with 35. He had 442 receiving yards (12.6) and five touchdowns. A pair of juniors also lined up at wide receiver, and they were quite the formidable pair. Dirk Dallas had great size, speed and hands, catching 31 passes for 475 yards (15.3) and five touchdowns while 6-foot-5 inch Chris Bolt could out-jump anyone, catching 28 passes for 478 yards (17.1) and a team-high six touchdowns. Dallas was an All-League 2nd Team selection, while Bolt was named All-League Honorable Mention.
Dirk Dallas
The offensive line was senior-driven, and the main man up front was Cody Gunst. He was named All-League 1st Team. Brandon Louws also had a spectacular season, and was named All-League 2nd Team. Another pair that enjoyed great seasons were A.J. Langford and Brock Anderson, who were each named All-League Honorable Mention. The Lynden offensive attack was very balanced, rushing for 1707 yards, passing for 2148 yards and scoring 48 touchdowns.
Chris Bolt
The defensive line got after it, with Gunst leading the way. The All-League 2nd Teamer finished with four tackles for loss, and two sacks. Anderson also did quite well on the line, with four tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Senior Eric Walter also stood out on the line. He had two tackles for loss and one fumble recovery. Anderson and Walter were each named All-League Honorable Mention.
Luke Korthuis
The linebacking corps was led by Jordan Crabtree. The senior finished with a team-high 113 tackles (61 solo), two tackles for loss, two fumble recovery, one forced fumble, one pass broken up and he was named All-League 1st Team. Joining Crabtree was junior standout, Luke Korthuis. He ended the season with 101 tackles (51 solo), four tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and he was named All-League 2nd Team.
The secondary was led by senior Cory Jacoby, who was named All-League Honorable Mention. He had 56 tackles (41 solo), two tackles for loss, six pass deflections, three interceptions and one fumble recovery.
Brann handled all of the kicking duties, with 27 extra points and two field goals kicked. He was named All-League 1st Team at kicker, and was All-League Honorable Mention as a punter. Powell returned a kickoff 73 yards for a touchdown.
Week 3: Meridian 2, Tri Cities Prep 0 (Forfeit win)
Week 4: Meridian 41, Sehome 36
Week 5: Meridian 32, Friday Harbor 0
Week 6: Meridian 60, Nooksack Valley 28
Week 7: Blaine 24, Meridian 21
Week 8: Meridian 45, Lynden Christian 14
Week 9: Mount Baker 24, Meridian 17
State Plain-in Game: Meridian 49, Charles Wright 0
State 1st Round Game: Cashmere 41, Meridian 22
The 2013 season for the Trojans was an interesting one. It boasted what could have been the best tandem of a lineman and skill player on the same team, an early season forfeit win, crushing league losses and a typical state tournament appearance.
Tanner Tutterow
First year varsity quarterback, junior Tanner Tutterow put up some good numbers, completing 124 passes for 1639 yards and 11 touchdowns, while running for two more scores. He was joined in the backfield by one of the most electric players in school history. Senior Letrez Jones had a monster year, shattering numerous Trojan records. He carried the ball 199 times for 1960 yards (9.8 average) and 30 touchdowns. He was a threat to score every time he touched the ball, and he also caught 24 passes for 369 yards and five touchdowns. He was named All-League 1st Team as well as All-State 2nd Team. Senior Bryce Garcia also had a nice season, rushing for 675 yards (6.3) and six scores.
Letrez Jones
Senior wide receiver Sam Chambers led the team in receiving with 35 catches for 611 yards (17.5) and three touchdowns, and was named All-League 1st Team. On the other side, senior receiver Jacob Plagerman caught 33 passes for 398 yards (12.1) and three scores.
Spencer Blackburn
The offensive line was anchored by one of the best lineman in Whatcom County history, senior Spencer Blackburn. Although he was 6-foot-4 and weighed 265 pounds, he could run like he was a 6-0 185-pounder, which is coincidentally what the roster sheet listed him at. Kidding aside, Blackburn was a beast, and the four-year starter was named All-League 1st Team for the third year in a row. He was also named All-State 1st team. He was joined up front by fellow seniors Tucker Garcia, Jacob Dennis and Kaleb Heezen, and junior Blake Carson. The Trojans ran for over 3000 yards, averaging over seven yards per carry, and had 39 rushing touchdowns.
Plagerman, Heezen, Garcia and Castro
Blackburn led the defensive front, and was named All-League 1st team for the third year in a row, and was also named All-State 1st Team. Tucker Garcia and Carson joined Blackburn up front, and were each named All-League 1st Team. Heezen was an extremely hard hitter and was named All-League 1st Team from his linebacker position. Jones was a dynamic player in the secondary and was named All-League 1st Team and All-State 2nd Team, while Plagerman led the team with three interceptions.
Kaleb Heezen and Letrez Jones
Senior Yoel Ortiz kicked 20 extra points and sophomore Alan Eyoub booted 11 of them. Junior Cody Bachman shared the punting duties with Jones, together averaging almost 31 yards per punt. Jones returned kickoffs while Chambers was the punt returner.
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