| PLAYER | TEAM | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD |
| Triston Smith | SQU | 73 | 935 | 12.8 | 11 |
| Cole Semu | FERN | 35 | 380 | 10.9 | 7 |
| Connor Wallace | BELL | 43 | 317 | 7.4 | 4 |
| Austin O’Bryan | NV | 38 | 308 | 8.1 | 3 |
| Spencer Lloyd | SQU | 29 | 266 | 9.2 | 5 |
| Carson Engholm | MB | 26 | 254 | 9.8 | 6 |
| Eric Martin-Mann | LYN | 31 | 235 | 7.6 | 1 |
| Sam Barrett | MB | 17 | 226 | 13.3 | 4 |
| Jordan Riddle | LC | 47 | 221 | 4.7 | 1 |
| Oscar Caridad | BLA | 45 | 208 | 4.6 | 3 |
| Carson Brandland | MB | 20 | 192 | 9.6 | 4 |
| Evan Neitling | NV | 17 | 192 | 11.3 | 3 |
| Simon Burkett | MER | 38 | 174 | 4.6 | 3 |
| Kobee Malone | MB | 9 | 174 | 19.3 | 0 |
| Casey Bauman | NV | 22 | 172 | 7.8 | 4 |
| Jason Lee | MB | 14 | 171 | 12.2 | 1 |
| Ty Van Dyken | LC | 26 | 161 | 6.2 | 1 |
| Michael Mindnich | SE | 36 | 147 | 4.1 | 3 |
| Dylan Roberts | SE | 38 | 129 | 3.4 | 2 |
| Gabe Zwade | FERN | 28 | 128 | 4.6 | 3 |
Mount Baker’s Offense is Averaging Almost 11 Yards a Play
The Mountaineers are known for a certain style of play, and not necessarily style points. After three games Mount Baker has racked up 1468 yards on just 135 plays. That’s an average of 10.87 yards per offensive play. They have also scored 22 touchdowns, and they have yet to punt. Some thought that losing Jed Schleimer would hinder the offense, but the Mounties understand the philosophy that the next man up needs to get the job done.
Carson Engholm and Carson Brandland returned to the backfield, but Baker has welcomed the tough running style of Sam Barrett, the pure speed of Kobee Malone and the slashing of Jason Lee. All three have averaged over 10 yards per carry this season, and have been welcome additions to the red and black. Quarterback Kaleb Bass has hooked up with Thomas Barbo (who is the school’s all-time leading receiver) 13 times for 233 yards.
Helping the Mountaineers accomplish all of this has been the emergence of an almost completely new offensive line. Senior Luke Steeves started last season at left guard, and has returned. Twin brother Kyler Steeves played well at left tackle last year, but has been moved to right guard for this season. Junior Jay Allen converted from running back to left tackle, and combines great size with speed. Junior right tackle Noah Rathjen only played defense last year, but has been depended on to down-block from the right side in 2017. Senior tight end Hayden Linderman had huge shoes to fill, taking over for T.J. Bass, but he has proven to be more than adequate with his blocking, and he’s also caught three passes for 43 yards. 256-pound junior Braeden Shannon is the strongest player on the team, and has been a force at center.
Coach Ron Lepper has always believed that offensive line is the most important position on the field. A former offensive lineman himself, he takes a lot of pride that his line is getting the job done. So far, it has.
The biggest challenge will be this Friday at Nooksack Valley.
Squalicum’s Smith is Among the Best at Breaking Long Runs
His first carry at Marysville-Pilchuck went for a 33-yard touchdown. His second carry of the game resulted in a 66-yard touchdown. Squalicum senior Triston Smith is having the kind of career that can only rival Chad Clark in the school’s relatively short 20-year history. Smith’s knack of taking hand-offs to the house has him in rare company in Whatcom County history as well. Out of all the players that have rushed for over 2000 yards in their career, only five have averaged over nine yards per carry. Smith is one of them. The Storm’s ability to throw the ball has made it so opposing defenses can’t just key on Smith. Junior quarterback Spencer Lloyd, who coach Nick Lucey describes as a “football junkie”, has also proven to be a running threat to take pressure off of Smith. You also can’t forget the amazing offensive line for Squalicum. They are loaded from tackle to tackle, staring with left tackle Josh Jacobson (6-2 300). Kollin Johnson (6-5 260) is the real deal at left guard. Jasen Barber (6-3 205) is adjusting well as the new starting center. Right guard Dominic Mack (5-11 230) is one of the strongest players on the team, and sophomore right tackle Brandon Gimse (6-4 285) has an extremely bright future. They are also aided by senior H-Back Brian Pullman, who benches well over 300 pounds and can really push his opponents around.
Here is the current “yards per carry” top ten list of players that have rushed for over 2000 yards in their career:
- Brady Locker, Fern – 11.19 (260-2910)
- Jed Schleimer, MB – 9.27 (579-5368)
- Mike Stacey, NV – 9.20 (224-2061)
- Willy Scott, Fern – 9.16 (227-2080)
- Triston Smith, Squ – 9.07 (308-2794)
- Mikel Rathjen, MB – 8.94 (321-2869)
- Jesse Alderson, Mer – 8.83 (368-3250)
- Jake Locker, Fern – 8.72 (327-2853)
- Nick Ellis, Lyn – 8.70 (233-2026)
- Levi Wigg, MB – 8.67 (388-3364)
Scores and Standings
Friday Night Scores:
Ferndale 55, South Kitsap 21
Squalicum 38, Marysville-Pilchuck 28
Sedro Woolley 42, Blaine 7
Lynden 40, Bellingham 14
Lakewood 41, Sehome 6
Nooksack Valley 55, Coupeville 14
Mount Baker 48, Port Townsend 7
Meridian 34, Cascade Christian 29
Lynden Christian 42, Cashmere 23
STANDINGS:
| 3A | W | L | PF | PA | DIFF |
| Ferndale | 3 | 0 | 123 | 49 | 74 |
| Squalicum | 3 | 0 | 154 | 113 | 41 |
| 2A | W | L | PF | PA | DIFF |
| Lynden | 2 | 1 | 94 | 40 | 54 |
| Bellingham | 1 | 2 | 52 | 60 | -8 |
| Blaine | 0 | 3 | 57 | 137 | -80 |
| Sehome | 0 | 3 | 74 | 128 | -54 |
| 1A | W | L | PF | PA | DIFF |
| Mount Baker | 3 | 0 | 153 | 34 | 119 |
| Nooksack Valley | 3 | 0 | 156 | 54 | 102 |
| Meridian | 3 | 0 | 104 | 87 | 17 |
| Lynden Christian | 2 | 1 | 62 | 58 | 4 |
Can the Red Raiders get past the Lions?
Let me take you back a few decades… The year was 1993. It was an interesting season for Whatcom County high school football. Lynden Christian and Sehome had dominant teams that allowed them to each go undefeated in the regular season. Meridian and Ferndale combined for zero wins and 18 losses! Mount Baker was on it’s fifth head coach in five years, and Nooksack Valley’s T.J. Ackerman was so dominant that he was named the League’s Offensive Player of the Year as a right tackle! Also, the Lynden Lions were playing their first season with the “big boys” in the Northwest League, and something else happened that season that hasn’t happened ever since…. Bellingham beat Lynden.
I’m not saying that it’s going to happen this Friday night at Civic Field, but the Red Raiders have some explosive players, and you just never know what’s going to happen.
After a few rough seasons, the 1993 Red Raiders had a lot to prove.
“We had a great senior class,” former Bellingham running back/linebacker Travis Edwards remembered. “We just had a lot more confidence that year. It was a really good game against Lynden. I think most of my yards came in the second half, I know I did break one long one, and I got caught from behind.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdxhmLUMdRw
Edwards finished the game with 179 yards rushing and a touchdown, with fellow senior Dave Clark finishing with 70 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
“I remember thinking ‘this is the first year for these guys in the 2A’s, we’re gonna whoop ’em’!”, Clark said on a phone interview. “And then I remembered they had Ben Wall! He was in a lot better shape than us, I can tell you that!”
Clark’s touchdown in the third quarter ended up being the decisive score.
“I don’t remember scoring the touchdown,” said Clark. “I just remember being exhausted.”
Since then, the Lions have won 20 straight games over the Red Raiders.
| YEAR | RESULT |
| 1994 | Lynden 23, Bellingham 21 |
| 1995 | Lynden 48, Bellingham 21 |
| 1996 | Lynden 41, Bellingham 3 |
| 1997 | Lynden 28, Bellingham 7 |
| 2000 | Lynden 55, Bellingham 0 |
| 2001 | Lynden 39, Bellingham 0 |
| 2002 | Lynden 43, Bellingham 3 |
| 2003 | Lynden 28, Bellingham 7 |
| 2004 | Lynden 35, Bellingham 3 |
| 2005 | Lynden 21, Bellingham 7 |
| 2006 | Lynden 38, Bellingham 0 |
| 2007 | Lynden 7, Bellingham 0 |
| 2008 | Lynden 35, Bellingham 14 |
| 2009 | Lynden 41, Bellingham 6 |
| 2010 | Lynden 41, Bellingham 13 |
| 2010 (2) | Lynden 48, Bellingham 0 |
| 2011 | Lynden 45, Bellingham 7 |
| 2012 | Lynden 43, Bellingham 13 |
| 2013 | Lynden 48, Bellingham 6 |
| 2016 | Lynden 34, Bellingham 14 |
2017 Punting Leaders After Week 2
| PLAYER | TEAM | ATT | YDS | AVG |
| Magnus Elm | BELL | 4 | 169 | 42.3 |
| James Hinson | FERN | 4 | 162 | 40.5 |
| Luke Winter | NV | 2 | 74 | 37.0 |
| Melloy Nelson | SE | 9 | 309 | 34.3 |
| Nick Knutson | BELL | 8 | 271 | 33.9 |
| Cory Warner | LYN | 3 | 100 | 33.3 |
| Blake DeRuyter | LC | 10 | 332 | 33.2 |
| Simon Burkett | MER | 5 | 157 | 31.4 |
| Marko Samoukovic | LYN | 3 | 90 | 30.0 |
| Alex Everett | SQU | 1 | 27 | 27.0 |
| Kai Nagle | BLA | 2 | 44 | 22.0 |
2017 Interception Leaders After Week Two
| PLAYER | TEAM | INT | YDS | AVG | TD |
| Larry Dwyer | BELL | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 |
| Baylor Galley | NV | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Thomas Barbo | MB | 1 | 38 | 38.0 | 0 |
| Ty Van Dyken | LC | 1 | 30 | 30.0 | 0 |
| Carter Colon | FERN | 1 | 28 | 28.0 | 0 |
| Gage Bates | LYN | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 1 |
| Cole Semu | FERN | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 |
| Ben Dauber | SE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 |
| Jared Emmert | FERN | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 |
| Jordan Veening | NV | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Kobe Elsner | LYN | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Spencer Lee | BELL | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Luke Winter | NV | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Jose Hernandez | SQU | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
2017 Punt Return Leaders After Week 2
| PLAYER | TEAM | PR | YDS | AVG | TD |
| Jordan Riddle | LC | 5 | 139 | 27.8 | 0 |
| Cole Semu | FERN | 3 | 102 | 34.0 | 1 |
| Spencer Lee | BELL | 2 | 51 | 25.5 | 0 |
| Watiko Leighton | FERN | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 |
| T.J. Dykstra | MER | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 |
| Chase Abshere | BLA | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 |
| Brendan Kleindel | LYN | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 |
| Alex Mercado | BLA | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 |
| Dawson Logan | MER | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 |
| Ethan Fields | BELL | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 0 |
2017 Kick Return Leaders After Week Two
| PLAYER | TEAM | KR | YDS | AVG | TD |
| Devante Powell | SQU | 6 | 124 | 20.7 | 0 |
| Lukas Hemenway | MER | 5 | 99 | 19.8 | 0 |
| Junior Camacho | MB | 3 | 84 | 28.0 | 0 |
| Jordan Riddle | LC | 3 | 82 | 27.3 | 0 |
| Melloy Nelson | SE | 5 | 71 | 14.2 | 0 |
| Evan Neitling | NV | 2 | 53 | 26.5 | 0 |
| Braden Leyba | NV | 3 | 53 | 17.7 | 0 |
| Oscar Caridad | BLA | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 0 |
| Alex Mercado | BLA | 3 | 43 | 14.3 | 0 |
| Ben Dauber | SE | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | 0 |
| Blake Silves | LYN | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 0 |
| Larry Dwyer | BELL | 2 | 40 | 20.0 | 0 |
| Carson Brandland | MB | 2 | 38 | 19.0 | 0 |
Spreading the Wealth in the Valley
Yes, the Pioneers may have Casey Bauman, but they also have a group of receivers that have made things easy for him!
- Baylor Galley – Junior – Galley possesses great speed and shiftiness, and he’s been a big-play threat, catching four passes for 131 yards (32.8 average) and a touchdown.
- Kyle Veldman – Senior – At six feet tall and 215 pounds, Veldman is build more like a full back. But his soft hands and immaculate routes have enabled him to close in on 100 catches for his career.
- Austin O’Bryan – Junior – Maybe the fastest of the four, O’Bryan is a threat out wide, or out of the backfield. He’s also the backup quarterback.
- Jordan Veening – Senior – He stands 6 feet, 6 inches. What a luxury to have at the goal line! He leeds the Pioneers with nine catches, three of them resulting in touchdowns.