For the second year in a row, it will be Lynden Christian and King’s in the championship game of the Class 1A District 1 boys basketball tournament after the two collected convincing victories Wednesday night, Feb. 12.
The Northwest Conference champion Lyncs nearly doubled South Whidbey, 72-37, in one of Wednesday’s semifinals. In the other semifinal, the North Sound champion Knights were just as impressive in beating Meridian, 77-42.
The two district rivals will square off on Friday at 7:45 p.m. at Mount Vernon High School. The winner not only claims the district title but earns an automatic berth into the regional round of the state tournament.
In consolation action Wednesday, Nooksack Valley stayed alive with a 68-53 victory over Sultan, but Mount Baker saw its season end with a 76-59 loss to Cedar Park Christian (Bothell).
The Pioneers and Trojans will play Thursday at 7 p.m. at Meridian.
The winner will play for third place on Saturday and earn an automatic berth in the Bi-District 1/2 tournament. The loser must win on Saturday to finish fifth and earn the district’s final berth in the bi-district tournament, which starts Monday.
Lyncs Run All Over South Whidbey
The Falcons (16-5) might have had the height advantage with two 6-foot-7 and two 6-5 players, but it was Lynden Christian (17-4) that came up big Wednesday.
The Lyncs, the fifth-ranked Class 1A team in the state, were down, 14-12, after the first quarter, but outscored the North Sound runner-ups 45-10 over the next two periods to put the game away.
Four Lyncs guards were in double figures — seniors Bryce Bouwman (12) and Andrew DeVries (11), and juniors Jaden DeBoer (12) and Shale Whittern (12) — and the LC bomb squad tossed in 13 3-pointers, including four by DeBoer and three by DeVries.
Sophomore forward Andrew Hommes added 8 points and a team-high 10 rebounds for Lynden Christian, and Whittern pulled down 8 rebounds.
Lynden Christian 72, South Whidbey 37
South Whidbey 14 5 5 13—37
Lynden Christian 12 21 24 15—72
South Whidbey: Jacob Ng 2, Nicholas Young 3, Dexter Jokinen 16, Cody Eager 1, Brady Hezel, Carson Wrightson 11, Luke Rookstool, Kole Nelson 2, Sterling Patton, Levi Buck 2.
Lynden Christian: Tyler Sipma 5, Jaden DeBoer 12, Brevin Zylstra 3, Shale Whittern 12, Cole Moorlag 5, Zach Sipma 4, Bryce Bouwman 12, Andrew DeVries 11, Logan Dykstra, Andrew Hommes 8, Jamison Hintz, Will Colwell.
Trojans Can’t Stop King’s Sophomore Stars
Meridian (14-8) had no answer for King’s sophomore sensations — guard Jordan Hansen and post Tyler Linhardt. The two combined for 51 points, seven 3-pointers and 6-for-6 from the line for the Knights (13-9).
The Trojans, meanwhile, had trouble getting started, falling behind by 15 in the first period and never getting their offense untracked. The 42 points was their lowest point total of the season.
Junior guards Eli Hayrynen and Ethan Brooks came off the bench to led Meridian with 10 points each. Seniors guards Jackson Short and Jordan Veenstra, the team’s top two scorers, were held to a combined 9 points.
King’s 77, Meridian 42
Meridian 8 12 15 7—42
King’s 23 24 26 4—77
Meridian: Ryan Johnson, Andrew Kuljis, Corey Hemenway 5, Eli Hayrynen 10, Braiden Blackwelder 5, Trent Martin, Jackson Short 7, Daniel Short, Trey Naidu, Jordan Veenstra 2, Joseph Plagerman 3, Ethan Brooks 10.
King’s: Shane McGoughey-Fick 9, Jake O’Hearn, Davis Campbell, Jordan Hansen 23, Matt Amano, Carson Clowers 2, Will Pohland, Tyler Linhardt 28, Tyler Durbin 2, Jaron Hansen 8, Cooper Rolfs 2.
Pioneers Take Big Lead, Dominate Turks
Nooksack Valley (10-12) used a dominating 25-6 second-quarter to go up by 28 points at the break and coast to the win over Sultan (5-16) in the loser-out contest.
Senior guard Carson Fullner came off the bench to spark the second-period explosion, scoring 9 of his 11 points in the quarter. Junior guard Cody Coppinger, who led the Pioneers with 17 points, also outscored the entire Sultan team with 7 points in the second period.
Senior guard Cole Eldridge added 12 points for Nooksack Valley, and seniors Zach Johnson and Colby Wichers had 9 and 7 points, respectively.
Nooksack Valley 68, Sultan 53
Sultan 12 6 23 12—53
Nooksack Valley 19 25 11 13—68
Sultan: Tanner Force 11, Josh Whitmire-Keith, Cameron Gunderson 12, Lindy Kendall, Chaz Bush, Oliver Martinez, Tyler Sargent 10, Jeremy John 4, Austin Wood 13, Z. Sailor, Kobe Koehler 3, C. Herbstratt.
Nooksack Valley: Matt Pratt 4, Colby Wickers 7, Carson Fullner 11, Cody Coppinger 17, Zach Johnson 9, Clancy Coppinger 6, Keldon Weidkamp 2, Easton Zylstra, Cole Eldridge 12.
Mounties’ Strong Finish Not Enough
Mount Baker (6-17) finally got the scoring it needed in the final period against Cedar Park Christian (Bothell), but it was too little too late as the Mounties saw their season come to an end.
The Mounties got 6 points each from junior guard Mason Jacoby and senior wing Jason Lee as they put together a 23-point fourth quarter, but by then the team’s slow start had left them with too big a deficit.
Junior guard Braedan Hart again led Mount Baker with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Lee finished with 12 points, Jacoby had 9 and junior guard Ayden Rodriguez added 8.
Cedar Park Christian (Bothell) raised its record to 14-8 and advanced in consolation play.
Cedar Park Christian (Bothell) 76, Mount Baker 59
Mount Baker 14 8 14 23—59
Cedar Park Christian (Bothell) 24 13 26 13—76
Mount Baker: Mason Jacoby 9, Garrett Smith 3, Aidon Corning 4, Ayden Rodriguez 8, Braedan Hart 16, Truman Anderson 5, Marques Brown 1, Jason Lee 12.
CLASS 1A DISTRICT 1
Saturday, Feb. 8
Mount Baker 69, Coupeville 48 (loser out)
Monday, Feb. 10
Meridian 77, Cedar Park Christian (Bothell) 49
King’s 83, Mount Baker 42
South Whidbey 47, Nooksack Valley 46
Lynden Christian 87, Sultan 53
Wednesday, Feb. 12
Cedar Park Christian (Bothell) 76, Mount Baker 59 (loser out)
Nooksack Valley 68, Sultan 53 (loser out)
King’s 77, Meridian 42
Lynden Christian 72, South Whidbey 37
Thursday, Feb. 13
Nooksack Valley at Meridian, 7 p.m.
Cedar Park Christian (Bothell) at South Whidbey, 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14
Lynden Christian vs. King’s at Mount Vernon, 7:30 p.m. (winner first, loser second)
Saturday, Feb. 15
Consolation game at Mount Vernon, 3:45 p.m. (winner fifth, loser out)
Consolation final at Mount Vernon, 7:15 p.m. (winner third, loser fourth)
(Top five advance to Bi-District)
