RECORD: 7-3  –  COACH: Hal Haddock

 LEAGUE: 7-3 (2nd Place in the WCL)

 CLASSIFICATION: A – PLAYOFFS: None

Scoring Stats “Per Game”

Points: 15.2- Allowed: 9.8 – Differential: +5.4

GAME BY GAME:

Week 1: Blaine 8, Nooksack Valley 6

Week 2: Nooksack Valley 20, Meridian 6

Week 3: Nooksack Valley 20, Lynden 3

Week 4: Nooksack Valley 18, Mount Baker 7

Week 5: Nooksack Valley 26, Lynden Christian 15

Week 6: Blaine 12, Nooksack Valley 6

Week 7: Nooksack Valley 20, Meridian 14

Week 8: Lynden 33, Nooksack Valley 6

Week 9: Nooksack Valley 8, Mount Baker 0

Week 10: Nooksack Valley 22, Lynden Christian 0

The 1978 Pioneers had a lot of talent, but in this season, the Whatcom County League was loaded with great teams and players. The Blaine Borderites would end up winning the state championship, and their starting quarterback, Curt Kramme, told me once that he felt that his team, Lynden, or Nooksack Valley could have won the state championship that season. That’s how good the league was in comparison to the state playoff teams.

Even though the Pioneers ran the ball on 90% of their plays, they did throw a little bit. 6-foot-2 170-pound senior quarterback Todd Norman competed 11 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for two touchdowns. He primarily handed the ball of the his pair of “Bill’s”. Even though his two senior running backs shared the same first name, their last names are ones that any fan of Whatcom County football would recognize immediately.

Bill Van Diest was a tough, bruising fullback. The 5-foot-11 185-pounder ran for a team-high 685 yards (5.3 average) and five touchdowns, and he was named All-League 2nd Team. Bill Handy was an amazingly dynamic player. His speed and shiftiness allowed him to gain 668 yards on the ground (5.6), 10 touchdowns, while being the team’s leading receiver with six catches for 121 yards (20.2) and two scores. He was named All-League 1st Team, and was also selected as the WCL Offensive Player of the Year. Junior Jamie Olesen ran for 144 yards, while senior Chuck Gelwicks chipped in with 110 yards on the ground.

Senior wide receiver Joe Holtrop was small (5-7 150), but effective. He caught five passes for 126 yards (25.2), and he was an All-League 2nd Team selection. Olesen and sophomore Chuck Handy each caught a pass.

The offensive line was extremely skilled, and made it easier for Nooksack Valley to run the ball 90% of the time. Junior center Rick Bowen (6-3 200) stood out in the middle of the line, and was named All-League 1st Team. Senior Steve Connell was an All-League 2nd Team selection, after being named All-League 1st Team as a junior. The Pioneers ran for 1660 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The defense finished the season strong, with two shutouts in a row, and it was led by Connell up front, and Handy in the backfield. Both players were named All-League 1st Team. Joining Connell on the defensive line was Brad Forbes. Only 5-7 and 150 pounds, the junior used great leverage and was named All-League 2nd Team. Van Diest led the linebacking corps, and was an All-League 2nd Team selection.

Without a reliable kicker, the Pioneers elected to go for two after most touchdowns. Handy, Van Diest and Olesen each had a pair of 2-point conversion, with Holtrop scoring a two-pointer as well. Handy was a scary player to kick the ball to in 1978. In the opening game of the season he retuned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. The following week against Meridian he returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown. He did it again against the Trojans five weeks later, returning a punt 65 yards for a touchdown.

RECORD: 9-2  –  COACH: Robb Myhre

 LEAGUE: 6-0 (1st Place in the 1A NWC)

 CLASSIFICATION: 1A – PLAYOFFS: State Quarterfinalist

Scoring Stats “Per Game”

Points: 25.9 – Allowed: 17.5 – Differential: +8.4

GAME BY GAME:

Week 1: Mount Baker 13, Nooksack Valley 6

Week 2: Nooksack Valley 14, Sedro Woolley 7

Week 3: Nooksack Valley 34, Concrete 20

Week 4: Nooksack Valley 28, Friday Harbor 14

Week 5: Nooksack Valley 26, Lynden Christian 0

Week 6: Nooksack Valley 48, Meridian 40

Week 7: Nooksack Valley 22, Friday Harbor 7

Week 8: Nooksack Valley 39, Lynden Christian 13

Week 9: Nooksack Valley 21, Nooksack Valley 14

State Playoffs – Round One: Nooksack Valley 39, Forks 13

State Quarterfinals: Montesano 51, Nooksack Valley 8

The 2008 Pioneers were a result of an offensive makeover, and they went from a 2-7 team the year before, to win their league and finish 9-2.

The biggest change in the offense was focused around senior quarterback, Wade Rediger. Because of his talents as a dual-threat quarterback, he had the option to take off and run on passing plays. Part of Coach Myhre’s inspiration for the offense was when he played in high school. As one of the best linebackers in the league in the mid-80’s, he said that playing defense against Mount Baker quarterback Jeff Curtis was nearly impossible. If you played up he could throw it deep, and if you played back he would run for a first down. Rediger had those same qualities. He completed 96 passes, and his 69.6% completion percentage still stands as the Whatcom County record for a single season. He passed for 939 yards and seven touchdowns, and he rushed for 1032 yards (6.6 average) and 19 touchdowns. For all of his efforts he was named the League’s Most Valuable Player.

He was joined in the backfield by junior Nick deGrasse. He carried the ball 124 times for 737 yards (5.9) and six touchdowns. He also caught 16 passes for 144 yards (9.0), and he was named All-League 1st Team. Senior Trever Arnason ran for 378 yards (5.9) and four touchdowns, as well as catching seven passes for 57 yards (8.1) and a score.

Rediger’s main target was super-athletic wide receiver, junior, Anthony Reese. He caught 39 passes for 498 yards (12.8) and five touchdowns, and he was an All-League 2nd Team selection. Kyle Handy was a tall, athletic sophomore that caught 22 passes for 224 yards (10.2) and two scores, and he landed a spot on the All-League 2nd Team. Sophomore Evan Roller fit the same mold as Handy, and caught nine passes for 116 yards (12.9) and one touchdown.

The offensive line was one of Nooksack Valley’s biggest strengths in 2008. Senior Dante Aure led the fearsome five-some up front, and there wasn’t much that the 280-pounder couldn’t do. He was named All-League 1st Team at offensive line for the third consecutive season. Only four other players in Whatcom County’s history has ever accomplished that feat (Travis Welch, John Raper, Nick Scholten and Spencer Blackburn). He was joined by fellow senior Drew Oliver, who was named All-League 1st Team for the second year in a row. A trio of juniors rounded out this amazing line. Jon Charroin, Jessie Salmonson and Josh Larson were all named All-League 2nd Team. They paved the way for 2350 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns.

There have been many dominant defensive ends in Whatcom County’s history, but the season that Charroin may have been the best one. He finished with 105 tackles, 16 quarterback sacks, and was named All-League 1st Team, as well as All-State 1st Team. On the opposite side of the line Salmonson was almost as dominant. He was also named All-League 1st Team, totaling 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Aure also had 7.5 sacks from his defensive line position, and he too was named All-League 1st Team. Junior  Devin Dykes rounded out the defensive line, being named All-League 2nd Team with three forced fumbles. Arnason was as steady as they came at linebacker, and he was named All-League 2nd Team for the third year in a row. Junior Levi Stuit was a tackling machine, and was also named All-League 2nd Team. A pair of sophomores led the secondary. Tyler Perry intercepted four passes and was named All-League 1st Team, and Caleb Cragle broke up eight passes from his safety position.

Junior Travis Benner kicked 11 extra points, and senior Martin Zavala booted nine. deGrasse handled the punting, and he also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

RECORD: 8-3  –  COACH: Hal Haddock

 LEAGUE: 8-2 (1st in the WCL)

 CLASSIFICATION: A – PLAYOFFS: Quarterfinalist

Scoring Stats “Per Game”

Points: 12.6 – Allowed: 8.1 – Differential: +4.5

GAME BY GAME:

Week 1: Nooksack Valley 14, Mount Baker 6

Week 2: Nooksack Valley 33, Lynden Christian 6 

Week 3: Lynden 12, Nooksack Valley 0

Week 4: Meridian 33, Nooksack Valley 0

Week 5: Nooksack Valley 6, Blaine 0

Week 6: Nooksack Valley 12, Mount Baker 6

Week 7: Nooksack Valley 7, Lynden Christian 0

Week 8: Nooksack Valley 18, Lynden 6

Week 9: Nooksack Valley 12, Meridian 7

Week 10: Nooksack Valley 30, Blaine 0

State Quarterfinals: Castle Rock 13, Nooksack Valley 7  

The 1976 Pioneers returned some key members from last season’s state semi-finalist team. As most teams did back then, they were a run first, power kind of team.

Junior quarterback Dan Groves wasn’t asked to throw very much, and he completed 14-of-56 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 27 yards and a score. The backfield was loaded with 185-pound senior Phil Assink leading the way. He carried the ball 121 times for 619 yards (5.1 average) and four touchdowns. He was also the only senior to be named All-League 1st Team at running back. He was joined by senior Doug Groves who had 93 attempts for 383 yards (4.1) and two touchdowns, sophomore Bill Van Diest who rushed for 183 yards on 40 carries (4.6) and three touchdowns and junior Pat Sturgeon who added 155 yards on 37 carries (4.1) and two scores.

Senior Scott Waddell led the team in receiving with four catches for 74 yards. Sturgeon and fellow junior Glenn Williams each had three catches, while Assink and Doug Groves each hauled in a pair of passes.

The line was incredible for Nooksack Valley. Senior Lance Massey (6’3″ 227) was a man among boys, and fellow seniors Marty Binchus (6’1″ 180) and Rich Stacey (5’9″ 197) were all named All-League 1st Team. Defensively, the Pioneers were led by Massey. His dominant play on the defensive line not only garnered and All-League 1st Team selection, but he was also named as the Whatcom County League’s Most Valuable Player as well as being named All-State 1st Team for the second year in a row. Doug Groves was named All-League 1st Team at linebacker, while senior Lyle Martin was named All-League 1st Team as a defensive back.