This was something that I just HAD to research, after Ferndale beat Lynden 19-16 on Friday, without scoring a rushing touchdown. So, how long has it really been? The Golden Eagles beat Mount Vernon in 2007, 13-10… but, Casey Locker had a rushing touchdown. Drat! Ohhhh, what about that classic game against Lynden in 2001 when Ferndale won 7-0? Sophomore Riley Cornelsen ran in the lone TD in that game… What about that game in 1996 against Olympia when Max Seppi blocked the extra point, and the Golden Eagles won 7-6? Oh, snap, sophomore Justin Iwasaki ran that touchdown in. How long has it been?
It was on September 22, 1989. That was the last time Ferndale won a game without scoring a rushing touchdown. They beat Arlington 17-6, and quarterback Jason Muggy threw a pair of touchdown passes. One went to Andrew Thompson and the other was to Ron Miller. Tom Phillips added the extra points and the field goal, and there wasn’t a rushing touchdown during the victory. 28 years! That’s pretty impressive.
After scoring five touchdowns against Vancouver College in Friday’s opener, Ferndale senior Cole Semu sky-rocketed up the Golden Eagles’ career touchdown list. He went from 29th on the list up to being tied for 21st, and he’s only one TD away from tying his running back coach, Riley Cornelsen.
POINTS PER GAME: 33.4 – POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 9.5
POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +23.9
GAME BY GAME:
Week 1: Ferndale 9, Arlington 0
Week 2: Ferndale 58, Lake Stevens 3
Week 3: Ferndale 43, Sedro Woolley 10
Week 4: Ferndale 45, Marysville-Pilchuck 7
Week 5: Ferndale 34, Squalicum 0
Week 6: Ferndale 28, Lynden 13
Week 7: Ferndale 21, Burlington-Edison 0
Week 8: Ferndale 30, Anacortes 14
Week 9: Ferndale 56, Mount Vernon 14
State Play-In Game: Ferndale 28, Arlington 14
State Playoffs: 1st Round: Renton 29, Ferndale 15
Coming off the first trip to the state championship game in school history, the 1998 Golden Eagles reloaded and went through the rest of the Northwest League like a hot knife through butter.
Kyler Randall
Junior Kyler Randall returned at quarterback. He didn’t have to throw many times, but when he did, he made it count. He completed 19 passes for 582 yards and five touchdowns. He was a huge threat on the ground, rushing for 458 yards (7.6 average) and five touchdowns, and he was named All-League 2nd Team.
Justin Iwasaki
Senior Justin Iwasaki led Ferndale in rushing with 1007 yards (6.7) and he also scored a league-high 26 touchdowns, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Sophomore fullback Robert Davis exploded onto the scene, rushing for 835 yards (6.3) and five touchdowns, and he was named All-League Honorable Mention.
Chandler Udo
Senior Chandler Udo was the ideal wing back in the Golden Eagle offense, and he was named All-League 1st Team, rushing for 632 yards (7.3) and two touchdowns, while leading the team in receiving with 11 receptions for 356 yards (32.4) and five scores. Junior tight end Paul Terrell hauled in five passes for 88 yards (17.6) and he was named All-League Honorable Mention.
Addison Perrin
It was one of the biggest offensive lines in Whatcom County history, and they pushed their way to over 3000 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns. Seniors John Bailey (6-3 300), Josh Price (6-5 280) and Addison Perrin (6-2 295) brought the bulk up front. Bailey and Price were each named All-League 1st Team, and Perrin was an All-League 2nd Team selection. They were joined by juniors Marc Locker and Bryce Oxford, who were both named All-League Honorable Mention.
BJ Hoelzle
The defensive line was led by the three-year starting bookends, Perrin and B.J. Hoelzle. Perrin was named All-League 2nd Team, and Hoelzle was named All-League 1st Team. The interior was filled by Price and senior Gurpreet Dhillon (6-1 245), and both were named All-League Honorable Mention. Iwasaki became the first player in Whatcom County history to be named All-League 1st Team at linebacker for three years in a row! He was joined by Oxford and senior Clay Owen, who were both named All-League Honorable Mention.
Michael Koenen
The secondary was led by the Randall and Udo. They both possessed tremendous speed, and ball-hawking abilities, and were each named All-League 1st Team. Junior Derrick Thompson was named All-League Honorable Mention as a defensive back. Junior Michael Koenen handled all of the kicking duties, and was named All-League 1st Team at kicker, and All-League 2nd Team at punter. The future NFL’er finished the season with 36 extra points and two field goals.
POINTS PER GAME: 40.4 – POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 19.1
POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +21.3
GAME BY GAME:
Week 1: Ferndale 49, Notre Dame (BC) 21
Week 2: Ferndale 35, Sehome 29
Week 3: Ferndale 62, Garfield 12
Week 4: Ferndale 55, Burlington-Edison 14
Week 5: Ferndale 41, Squalicum 14
Week 6: Ferndale 55, Sedro Woolley 14
Week 7: Ferndale 56, Bellingham 0
Week 8: Lynden 49, Ferndale 14
Week 9: Ferndale 55, Anacortes 13
State Play-In Game: Ferndale 22, Hazen 16
State Playoffs: 1st Round: Bellevue 28, Ferndale 0
In 2012, the Golden Eagles came off a disappointing 5-5 season, and the coaches and players were focused on turning things around. They averaged eight more points per game, and the winning ways were back in Ferndale.
Cooper Clark
Replacing three-year starting quarterback Jake Frost was no easy task, but junior Cooper Clark was up for it. He completed 21 passes for 386 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing for a touchdown.
Alex Conley
Clark has a bushel of backs to hand the ball off to, with senior Alex Conley being the main one. Conley finished with 1331 yards (8.7 average) and an eye-popping 27 touchdowns. He was named All-League 1st Team, and nabbed an All-State 2nd Team selection. Senior Hank Hilts had great size (6-1 215) and he powered his way to 682 yards on the ground (6.9) and nine touchdowns. Senior Richmond Baardson was electric every time he touched the ball, gaining 615 yards (8.5) and six touchdowns. Junior Anthony Fleck and senior Daniel Ewald each gained over 200 yards on the ground.
Richmond Baardson
While Ferndale didn’t look to pass often, when it did it looked to Baardson. It was his second season leading the team in receiving, and he caught 10 passes for 248 yards (24.8) and three scores. Senior tight end Cameron Massey caught five passes for 58 yards (11.6) and one touchdown.
Kameron McKay
The offensive line enjoyed pushing the opposition around, clearing the way for 56 touchdowns on the ground. 6-foot-3 200-pound senior Kameron McKay stood out on the line, and was named both All-League 1st Team and All-State 1st Team. 6-foot-0 225-pound senior Cameron Ivy was a returning starter and was named All-League 2nd Team.
“The Sharks”
McKay also anchored the defensive line, being named All-League 1st Team, and he was joined by Massey at defensive end. Ivy was named All-League 1st Team at linebacker, and he was joined by Ewald and senior Sam Alexander. But, the strength of the defense was the secondary, also known as “The Sharks”: Conley, Clark, Baardson, Fleck and juniors Joey Akers, and Robert Hardin. Conley was named All-League 1st Team, Clark was an All-League 2nd Team pick and Baardson exploded onto his opponents with his terrorizing hits.
Senior Wyatt Dunn hit on 53 extra points, but the great special teams didn’t end there as Clark returned a punt for a touchdown against Burlington-Edison and Baardson returned a punt for a touchdown against Bellingham.
POINTS PER GAME: 32.4 – POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 20.1
POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +12.3
GAME BY GAME:
Week 1: Ferndale 47, Blaine 21
Week 2: Ferndale 48, Sehome 21
Week 3: Ferndale 28, Garfield 6
Week 4: Ferndale 35, Burlington-Edison 28
Week 5: Ferndale 41, Squalicum 7
Week 6: Sedro Woolley 32, Ferndale 20
Week 7: Ferndale 61, Bellingham 28
Week 8: Lynden 14, Ferndale 6
Week 9: Ferndale 38, Anacortes 0
State Play-In Game: Bellevue 44, Ferndale 0
A more recent version of the Golden Eagles might not have known what it had when the season started. But, they realized soon that they had great team speed, and another great Ferndale team.
Cooper Clark
Senior Cooper Clark was now into his second season as the starting quarterback, and he finished with 31 completions for 478 yards and five touchdowns. His overall athleticism also allowed him to rush for two more touchdowns.
Joey Akers
Running back Joey Akers missed most of the prior season due to an injury, but he more than made up for it with a gigantic senior season. He carried the ball 153 times for 1013 yards (6.6 average) and 13 touchdowns, and he was named All-League 2nd Team. 220-pound junior fullback Marcus Nightingale plowed through the middle of the Ferndale line for 948 yards (6.4) and 11 touchdowns. Lightning-quick junior Daniel Jones rounded out the Golden Eagle backfield, rushing for 446 yards (8.4) and seven touchdowns.
Marcus Nightingale
Jones and Akers each totaled over 100 yards receiving (121 and 114, respectively) and they caught four of the five touchdown passes thrown by Clark. 6-foot-3 senior wide receiver Robert Hardin caught a team-high seven passes and junior Christian Cameron caught a touchdown pass. 6-foot-7 sophomore tight end John Weg hauled in five passes for 62 yards (12.4). Senior Hunter Grunhurd anchored the offensive line that pushed it’s way to average 328 yards rushing per game!
Taylor Bellefeuille
Super sophomores Chris Hernandez and Taylor Bellefeuille took the conference by storm as some of the best defensive underclassmen. Hernandez was named All-League 1st Team on the defensive line, while Bellefeuille was named All-League 1st Team at linebacker. Even with those two studs, the defense was anchored by it’s strong secondary. Akers was named All-League 1st Team, and was also named All-State 1st Team, while Clark was an All-League 2nd Team performer. Junior Andrew Higginson-Fernandez booted 37 extra points and one field goal.
It was the post-Vic Randall era. It was the pre-Jamie Plenkovich era. In what could have been looked at as a “transitional” season, the Golden Eagles made the most of it!
Jake Locker
Sophomore Jake Locker became the full time starter, and his greatness shined through from game one. He was named All-League 1st Team, completing 30 passes for 713 yards and nine touchdowns. He also rushed for 478 yards (6.0 average) and three touchdowns.
Sean Morrison
Senior fullback Sean Morrison enjoyed a gigantic breakout season, rushing for 1403 yards (5.5) and 19 touchdowns, and he was named All-League 2nd Team. Senior Adam Lane proved to be one of the most versatile players on the team, rushing for 411 yards (6.7) and three scores, while catching a team-high 12 passes for 314 yards (26.2) and three more TD’s, and he was named All-League 1st Team.
Adam Lane
Senior Riley Cornelsen rushed for 225 yards (3.8) and two touchdowns, and he also caught six passes for 92 yards (15.3) and two scores on his way to being named All-League Honorable Mention. Seniors Kyle Scarborough and Cameron Dahl each proved to be big-play receivers, both averaging over 20 yards a reception.
Riley Cornelsen
Seniors Beau Haugness and Cody Higgerson were the leaders of the massive Ferndale offensive line. Both players were named All-League 2nd Team. They were joined by juniors Jack Piper and Ronnie Gomez, both of whom were named All-League Honorable Mention. The ground-oriented Golden Eagles ran for over 2600 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Jack Piper
Morrison and Piper led the defensive front, with Morrison being named All-League 2nd Team, and Piper and All-League Honorable Mention selection. Cornelsen was the unquestioned leader of the defense, and was named All-League 1st Team. He also regarded as one of the best linebackers in school history, and was named All-State 1st Team. He was joined at linebacker by senior Aaron Ivy and junior Jamie Howard, both of whom were named All-League Honorable Mention.
Ronnie Gomez
Locker headed up the secondary, and was named All-League 1st Team for the second year in a row. Lane was named All-League 2nd Team, and Scarborough was an All-League Honorable Mention pick at defensive back. Senior Dean Dammarell nailed 26 extra points and a field goal.
POINTS PER GAME: 25.4 – POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 4.9
POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +20.5
GAME BY GAME:
Week 1: Ferndale 26, Mount Vernon 7
Week 2: Ferndale 24, Sehome 0
Week 3: Ferndale 21, Sedro Woolley 0
Week 4: Ferndale 47, Stanwood 0
Week 5: Burlington-Edison 10, Ferndale 0
Week 6: Bellingham 27, Ferndale 26
Week 7: Ferndale 42, Monroe 0
Week 8: Ferndale 34, Queen Anne 0
Week 9: Ferndale 9, Mount Vernon 0
They were third place in the league, and they didn’t make the playoffs. But, what an awesome team! They shut out six of their opponents in their seven wins, and their two losses were by a total of 11 points.
Kurt Hanson
Seniors Kurt Hanson and Scot Schwisow split time at quarterback. Hanson completed 11 passes for 206 yards and five touchdowns, with Schwisow amassing 12 completions for 164 yards and three scores. Of course, the Golden Eagles were more ground-oriented, and Hanson ran for 79 yards and three touchdowns.
John Locker
Junior John Locker had another outstanding season, rushing for 866 yards (6.0 average) and nine touchdowns, and he was named All-League 1st Team for the second year in a row. He was joined by senior Glenn Niemela who rushed for 455 yards (5.7) and three scores. The three-headed rushing attack wouldn’t have been complete without junior Greg Ebe and his 211 yards rushing (5.6) and four touchdowns.
Greg Daws
6-foot-4 senior tight end Greg Daws made huge plays for the Golden Eagles, catching nine passes for 136 yards (15.1) and five touchdowns. Senior Kurt Evans caught seven passes for 69 yards (9.9), and sophomore tight end Greg Finkbonner caught a pair of touchdown passes.
John Brandt
The offensive line was led by the 170-pound senior, John Brandt. He was named All-League 1st Team, and cleared many paths for Locker and company. Fellow senior Dennis Butolph also pushed his weight around up front, and the Ferndale rushing attack totaled 1745 yards, and averaged 5.4 yards per carry, and this was before the time when offensive linemen could use their hands at all!
Glenn Niemela
The defensive line was led by junior Ken Altona, and Daws. Altona was an All-League 1st Team selection, and Daws was named All-League 2nd Team. At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Ebe had the perfect combination of size and speed to dominate at linebacker, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Locker led the secondary, and was named All-League 1st Team. Finkbonner also scored a defensive touchdown against Mount Vernon.
Fabio Froes
Senior Fabio Froes handled the kicking duties, and he hit on 19 extra points and three field goals. Ebe also returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown against Sehome.
CLASSIFICATION: “AA” – Playoffs: Lost in 1st Round
POINTS PER GAME: 21.3 – POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 8.2
POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +13.1
GAME BY GAME:
Week 1: Ferndale 18, Sedro Woolley 15
Week 2: Bellingham 17, Ferndale 14
Week 3: Ferndale 41, West Vancouver (BC) 8
Week 4: Ferndale 14, Burlington-Edison 7
Week 5: Ferndale 28, Arlington 0
Week 6: Ferndale 7, Mount Vernon 0
Week 7: Ferndale 25, Sehome 8
Week 8: Ferndale 14, Stanwood 7
Week 9: Ferndale 39, Anacortes 0
State Playoffs: 1st Round: Lake Stevens 20, Ferndale 13
The 1987 Golden Eagles were loaded with talent, and their only two losses came to teams that made deep runs into the state playoffs. They also had a good mix of seniors and underclassmen, which helped out in the following season.
Brion Mattson
After three years of Doug Pederson, followed by a year of Darin Nolan, at quarterback, Ferndale went with untested junior, Scott Campbell. All he did was throw a game winning touchdown pass in a week one upset win at Sedro-Woolley, and lead his team to the state playoffs. Campbell finished with 24 completions for 404 yards and two touchdowns.
Chad Vanden Haak
Junior Brion Mattson led the team with 579 yards rushing (5.0 average), and he scored four touchdowns while being named All-League 2nd Team. Seniors John Slaughter and Ralph Pratt also received a number of carries. Slaughter ran for 565 yards (8.2) and three touchdowns, while Pratt finished with 549 yards (5.7) and eight touchdowns. Junior Shawn Van De Mark also scored eight touchdowns on the ground, and all three players were named All-League Honorable Mention. Senior receiver Chad Vanden Haak was the main target in the passing game, hauling in eight passes for 194 yards (24.3) and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in week one. Van De Mark caught seven passes, while Mattson had six receptions.
Frank Hernandez
The offensive line was undoubtedly led by senior Frank Hernandez. After occaisonally singing the National Anthem before the game, Hernandez crossed the white line and became a beast in the trenches, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Senior Jerrod Saab also helped up front, and was named All-League Honorable Mention. Jerry Bird, Trevor Ford and Roy Finkbonner rounded out the line, opening huge holes for the Golden Eagle rushing attack. Ferndale ran for over 2000 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Steve Roughton
The Golden Eagle defense was amazing, shutting out three opponents and holding four other teams to just one touchdown. The defensive line was led by senior Steve Roughton at defensive end, and Hernandez at defensive tackle. Both players were named All-League 1st Team. Slaughter was an Honorable Mention pick at defensive tackle, as was junior defensive end Bo Westford, who made a ton of great plays, including a blocked punt for a touchdown against Arlington, and an interception return for a touchdown against Sehome.
6-foot-4 195-pound junior Scott Burkhalter was a fierce presence at linebacker, and was named All-League 2nd Team. Mattson shined in the secondary, and was named All-League 1st Team. He was joined in the defensive backfield with Pratt and sophomore Jason Muggy, both of whom were named All-League Honorable Mention. Saab kicked 16 extra points and one field goal, while John Hoyer handled the punting duties.
POINTS PER GAME: 35.1 – POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 25.7
POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +9.4
GAME BY GAME:
Week 1: Ferndale 32, Squalicum 7
Week 2: O’Dea 28, Ferndale 13
Week 3: Ferndale 56, Arlington 55 (OT)
Week 4: Ferndale 44, Blaine 27
Week 5: Lynden 35, Ferndale 21
Week 6: Ferndale 41, Mount Baker 7
Week 7: Ferndale 28, Sedro Woolley 18
Week 8: Ferndale 48, Shorecrest 27
Week 9: Ferndale 49, Mount Vernon 20
State Play-In Game: Ferndale 44, Wilson 28
State Playoffs: 1st Round: O’Dea 31, Ferndale 10
Ferndale was loaded in 2010, but a loss to Lynden, and two more to O’Dea, sealed the the fate for the Golden Eagles.
Jake Frost
In his second year as the starting quarterback, junior Jake Frost completed 56 passes for 882 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 140 yards and seven touchdowns.
Willy Scott
The backfield had one of the quickest duos in Whatcom County history, and they were a pair of 1000-yard rushers – seniors Willy Scott and Riley Locker. Scott was named All-League 1st Team for the second season in a row, rushing for 1007 yards (9.4 average) and 12 touchdowns. Locker had a huge senior season, rushing for 1416 yards (6.7) and 24 touchdowns. He was also named All-League 1st Team, and his 1416 rushing yards in a season is the most by any Locker, and that is impressive! Junior Tanner Dawson contributed with 303 yards (8.7) and a pair of touchdowns.
Riley Locker
Senior tight end Tanner Olson led the team in receiving with 18 receptions for 320 yards (17.8). Scott caught 11 passes for 168 yards (15.3) and sophomore Richmond Baardson hauled in eight passes for 104 yards (13.0). Dawson caught a pair of touchdown passes, while senior Colson Crim and sophomore Alex Conley each caught a touchdown pass.
Daniel Canzater
Junior Daniel Canzater led the Golden Eagles up front, and was named All-League 1st Team. The offensive line as a whole led the way for a rushing attack that averaged almost seven yards per carry as a team!
Kyle Prather
Junior Kyle Prather led the attack on defense from his linebacker position, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Locker and Scott were also each named All-League 1st Team, both playing in the secondary. Locker was also named All-State 2nd Team. Sophomore kicker Wyatt Dunn nailed 42 extra points and a field goal, and would go on to be one of the most prolific kickers in Whatcom County history.
When Ferndale dropped its opening game of the season to Stanwood, a team which had gone 0-10 the year before, it seemed like the start of a long fall. But, the Golden Eagles righted themselves and lost only one more game the rest of the way. Even though they didn’t make the playoffs, they averaged 27.6 points per game, which made them the highest scoring team of the 1970’s.
Matt Beck
Senior quarterback Matt Beck was named All-League 1st Team, and was a dual threat. He completed 25 passes for 384 yards and six touchdowns. He also ran for 456 yards (5.0 average) and 10 touchdowns.
Tom Finkbonner
Ferndale has been known through the years to have many running backs to eclipse the 1000-yard mark during a season, but there can only be one player in school history to be the first to do it. That player was senior, Tom Finkbonner. The 5-foot-11 190-pound senior finished with 1006 yards rushing (5.3) and 12 touchdowns, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Junior Galen Lane accumulated 524 yards on the ground (5.6) and five scores.
Chuck Oltman
Senior tight end Chuck Oltman led the Golden Eagles in receiving for the second straight season, catching 13 passes for 223 yards (17.2) and five touchdowns. Ed Imhoff, Steve Baker and Finkbonner each caught three passes. Senior Randy Brudwick (6-2 195) was the leader of the offensive line, and he garnered All-League 1st Team honors.
Randy Brudwick
The defense recorded three shut outs, and it was led by Beck and junior Eric Swobody as the defensive ends. Finkbonner and Steve Baker manned the inside linebacker spots, with Lane and Rod Brudwick on the outside. Imhoff and Ron Walton played cornerback with Oltman playing free safety. Sowbody and Oltman were each named All-League 2nd Team. Walton also kicked 13 extra points and a field goal for the Golden Eagles.
Ron Walton
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