Week 7 is nearly upon us and we’re starting to get a clearer picture of the prep football landscape around Whatcom County. Just three games remain in the regular season, and with the newly expanded postseason format, every game counts just a little bit more. 

A lot has happened since our last check-in: We watched the county’s 1A teams start to duke it out in a loaded Northwest Conference, the Lynden Lions make not one, but two incredible comebacks, the usual powerhouse Ferndale Golden Eagles continue their puzzling season, the Bellingham Bayhawks find some magic on offense and the seemingly untouchable Anacortes Seahawks end their 18-game win streak.

There’s almost too much to get into, but that’s a good thing… right?

Anyways, here’s your top storylines after six weeks of high school football action.

 

The battle-tested Lyncs and Pioneers

Lynden Christian and Nooksack Valley both challenged themselves with their pre-conference schedules, and early results indicate it’s really paid off.

We’ve already been over how hard the Lyncs pushed themselves four games into the season, but to take a pause from NWC 1A play and not only move up to 2A, but to challenge one of the best 2A teams in the state; that was ballsy.

Most people figured LC’s game against Sehome would be a bit closer, but the Mariners’ offense hit the gear coach Brian Young’s been hinting at all season long last Saturday. Sehome took a dominant 47-25 win, courtesy of 322 passing yards and 5 touchdowns by junior quarterback Nolan Wright. 

Again, anyone who follows the local prep scene will tell you that the Lyncs are much better than their 3-3 record. They showed why they still merit as much respect as any team in the NWC in their 28-7 win over Blaine in Week 5. We already knew LC was built on its dangerous air attack, but the Lyncs ran wild for 162 yards, where that run game was what really clinched the game for them. 

Blaine rolled into that game with a ton of momentum behind its home crowd, and Lynden Christian had them beat by halftime. And it’s safe to say it didn’t hurt that the Lyncs were playing just another game against a strong opponent, while the Borderites were facing far and away their toughest challenge of the season.

Meanwhile, Nooksack Valley hasn’t let up a bit from their dominant season last year. They’re 5-1, with their sole loss coming to Tumwater, who currently top MaxPreps’ 2A state rankings. You can bet Craig Bartl and his team didn’t feel a shred of shame in that loss.

The Pioneers rebounded from that loss with a 34-20 win over Mount Baker, then followed even stronger with a 42-7 dismantling of Blaine. Their ground attack thrived in both games, as NV combined for 414 rushing yards. 

Colton Lenz continues to make his case for NWC 1A Player of the Year after his part in the two wins. Against the Mountaineers, he ran for 254 yards and three touchdowns, then trampled the Borderites for 146 yards and 4 touchdowns on just six carries. He’s the heart of a Pioneers offense that just feels relentless; they still have yet to win a game by less than two touchdowns.

These are the two teams that owned the NWC last season. They were the only two with winning records. And, even as Blaine, Meridian and Mount Baker have shown us that there’s far more parity in the conference than last season, it’s seeming like we’ll once again end the season with the Lyncs and Pioneers on top of the heap.

Their matchup on the last day of the regular season is going to be must see (or listen) football.

 

Lynden Lions: Kings of the 4th quarter

Lynden has ended each of their last two games with game-winning drives on offense and it’s getting hard, even impossible, to rule them out in any situation.

Senior quarterback Brant Heppner has delivered time and time again, proving why he’s the guy you want driving your team down the field down a score as the clock winds down. Lions coach Blake Vandalen attributes his poise to his five state championship titles between football and basketball, and it’s hard to argue with the logic. Heppner has produced in the biggest of moments from the early onset of his time at Lynden and we’re now seeing his final form as a high school quarterback.

It’s really interesting to hear Vandalen explain Heppner’s impact on the team. The offense is already loaded with weapons, including Danni Bowler, Sam Arrango and Isaih Oudman. But pair that receiving talent with a quarterback with the poise, confidence and pure talent of Brant Heppner, and you get an offense that can gain big yardage whenever it needs to.

“I think three of his six or seven completions on that drive, he threw receivers open,” Vandalen said after Lynden’s Week 5 comeback win over Sehome. “Meaning they weren’t open; he put a ball where, in order for them to catch it, they would have to twist their body a certain way to get hands on a ball that left them open and away from defenders.”

That’s terrifying to hear if you’re a Lions opponent. Pairing a trio of receivers with the talent they contain with a quarterback who can do that? Opposing teams in the state will never be able to feel comfortable with a lead over Lynden as long as there’s time on the clock.

The Lions have a massive matchup at home against Archbishop Murphy this Friday. With the Wildcats coming off a massive win over Anacortes to lay claim to the top of the NWC standings, Lynden could push the conference into a 3-way tie for first with a win.

 

City teams up

It’s a good season to be a fan of any school in Bellingham this season.

First off, Sehome is led by one of the best QB-WR duos in the state with Nolan Wright and Andre Watson. They may not have closed Lynden out in Week 5, but they showed that they can not only compete with the best in the conference, but come ever-so-close to beating them.

Despite losing in heartbreaking fashion, it was incredibly promising to see Sehome come back the next week and demolish Lynden Christian. Losing a game like they did to Lynden can leave a team feeling one of two ways, and the Mariners chose to come back even stronger.

Squalicum is a bit similar to Sehome in the sense that they can score with anyone, albeit in a different way. The Storm are chock full of athletes, headlined by Eastern Washington-commit Marcus Nixon, and can control the game on the ground, as shown by their 264 rush yards against Lynden.

Again, similarly to Sehome, the Storm’s recent loss to Lynden wasn’t necessarily a bad loss; far from it, actually. Think about where this team has been. Squalicum fell to Lynden 35-0 last year and 41-13 the year before that. They entered this year coming off back-to-back losing seasons, which is unfamiliar territory for coach Nick Lucy and his staff.

Even though the Storm enter Week 7 at 3-3, similarly to Lynden Christian, their record isn’t a good gauge of how good this team is. Their three losses came to teams that are all ranked in the top four of the 2A state rankings (Archbishop Murphy, Anacortes and Lynden). That’s just a brutal schedule, no shame in that. 

And even though Sehome and Squalicum are a combined 7-5, they’re still sixth and seventh, respectively, in MaxPreps’ latest 2A state rankings. That says two things: 1) everyone knows just how stacked this Northwest Conference is and 2) both schools are on their way to the 32-team playoff barring any meltdowns.

On the other side of town, the Bellingham Bayhawks are getting really fun. Bellingham fell to Burlington-Edison 28-21 last week, but those 21 points matched their combined scores from Weeks 1-3. Seems like progress, right?

After that quarterback change in Week 4 that sent junior Joe Harward from signal-caller back to his old position at wide receiver and slotted sophomore Ben Leonard in at QB, the Bayhawks have seen a revitalized offense. The week after the change, they picked up their first win of the season against Granite Falls.

The Bayhawks threw for 253 yards over the first three games of the season, but that total sits at 687 yards over the next three games that featured Leonard as quarterback. Again, seems like progress, right?

Not only does the improvement speak to the coaching smarts of Adam Leonard and his staff for their willingness to switch things up, but it showcases the beginnings of a new standout QB for the school in Ben Leonard and puts Joe Harward back at a position where he can thrive.

After an iffy opening few weeks where their offense seemed a bit stale, the Bayhawks are charging into rivalry week against Sehome with newfound momentum. And even though the Mariners pose a massive challenge against this rebuilding Bayhawks program, the game will be a matchup of two incredibly entertaining offenses, at the very least.

All statistics courtesy of Tyler Anderson and WhatcomPreps.