RECORD: 7-4 – COACH: Birger Solberg
LEAGUE: 7-2 (2nd Place in the Wesco)
CLASSIFICATION: 4A – PLAYOFFS: Lost in 1st Round
Scoring Stats “Per Game”
Points: 25.3 – Allowed: 18.0 – Differential: +7.3
GAME BY GAME:
Week 1: Lynden 24, Sehome 14
Week 2: Sehome 35, Bellingham 14
Week 3: Oak Harbor 28, Sehome 21
Week 4: Sehome 23, Kamiak 2
Week 5: Sehome 35, Anacortes 21
Week 6: Sehome 28, Snohomish 7
Week 7: Sehome 42, Marysville-Pilchuck 18
Week 8: Sehome 48, Mountlake Terrace 13
Week 9: Cascade 20, Sehome 7
State Play-in Game: Sehome 17, Kelso 9
1st Round Playoff Game: South Kitsap 42, Sehome 8
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.
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.
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.