Ten of our 11 Whatcom County boys basketball teams started their season last week with the only exception being Nooksack Valley thanks to the Pioneers’ extended — and very successful — football season.
Defending state champions Lynden (2A) and Lynden Christian (1A) opened with impressive victories but the only other teams that escaped the first week without a loss were Meridian and Bellingham.
This week both the Northwest Conference and the Northwest 1B League begin league play, and the Nooksack boys will see their first action with three games.
For a look back at Week 1 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops girls recap.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 1.
GAME OF THE WEEK
It certainly didn’t have the same meaning as their last meeting, but Lynden Christian started this season the same way it ended last season, with a convincing 69-57 victory over King’s. The two teams have met in the Class 1A state final the past three years with the Lyncs winning the past two. On Saturday, LC was missing two starters but used 29 points from returning starter Dawson Bouma and its usual tough defense to notch the road win.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Lynden senior Anthony Canales had 29 points and junior Brant Heppner added 22 in the Lions’ opener Wednesday. … Junior Josiah Weeda had a team-high 29 points and 9 rebounds in the Borderites’ season-opening victory Tuesday over Friday Harbor. … LC senior Dawson Bouma had 29 points in Saturday’s big win. … Junior Talon Jenkins had 25 points, including three 3s, to lead Meridian over Friday Harbor on Wednesday. … Sophomore guard Carter Hill had 21 points and three 3-pointers in Mount Baker’s season opener Monday and freshman Kell Reardon had 18 points for the Mounties on Friday. … Bellingham senior Wyatt Stephan had 19 points in the Bayhawks’ season opener.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
MERIDIAN opened its season in impressive fashion with an 83-50 victory at Friday Harbor on Wednesday and a 55-34 win over visiting Mount Vernon Christian on Thursday. On Wednesday, Meridian jumped out to a 24-9 first-quarter lead against the Wolverines and never looked back. Six Trojans had eight or more points with Jenkins collecting 25, and senior Cohen Fuller (11), junior Jaeger Fyfe (11), and junior Jameson Hedahl (10) also in double figures. Senior Taran Burks added 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals. On Thursday, Meridian again jumped out to an early double-digit lead that would stretch to 29 points by the third quarter. Fyfe led the way with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists; Jenkins had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 steals; senior Jacob Amundson tallied 10 points; and Hedahl finished with 8 points and a team-high 15 rebounds. NOTE: Due to the Anacortes football team’s extended season (and congrats to the Seahawks for winning state), Meridian’s game Monday with the Seahawks has been moved to Jan. 6, and Meridian’s previously scheduled home game with Mount Vernon on that day is now an away game on Jan. 4.
BELLINGHAM opened the season with a convincing 63-39 win at Granite Falls on Wednesday. The Bayhawks jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never let the Tigers get in the game. Stephan had game-highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds, junior Kincade Van Houten had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and junior Harmon Wienkers added 11 points and a trio of 3s.
LYNDEN defeated Tamanawis Secondary (B.C.), 77-50, on Wednesday. The Lions were not very hospitable to the visitors from Surrey on Wednesday, holding a 19-point lead at the half and costing to the victory. Canales and Heppner combined for 51 points to outscore the Wildcats, who are a traditional Fraser Valley power. Heppner added 10 rebounds, senior Brady Elsner had 6 assists, and senior Ty Holleman had 8 rebounds.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN started its season on Saturday with another matchup with King’s and came away with a 69-57 victory in Seattle. Despite missing starters Jeremiah Wright to injury and Kayden Stuit due to a football recruiting trip, the Lyncs controlled the game and finally put the Knights away with an 18-point fourth quarter. Bouma led the Lyncs’ balanced attack with 29 points, and junior Gannon Dykstra added 16 points.
BLAINE won its opener with a 76-72 overtime victory at Friday Harbor on Tuesday but fell at home to Archbishop Murphy on Saturday, 59-46. On Tuesday, Weeda hit a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and the Borderites outscored the Wolverines in OT, 14-10, for the win. In addition to his 29 points, Weeda had 9 rebounds; senior forwards Conner Dalry and Noah Tavis combined for 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks; and senior guard Uno Nevarez had 7 assists. On Saturday, the Borderites went cold in the third period and were outscored 28-8 by the 2A Wildcats. Dalry led the Blaine attack with 13 points, Tavis and Weeda had 12 each, and senior Justin Minjarez added 7 points. Check out the game story at Blaine-Archbishop Murphy boys.
NOOKSACK VALLEY will open its season on Tuesday, when the Pioneers visit Cedar Park Christian (Bothell). Their late start is because the football team’s success in the playoffs, which carried over into late November.
MOUNT BAKER lost its season opener to Coupeville at home on Monday, 58-52; beat South Whidbey at home on Tuesday, 61-51; and lost at Orcas Island on Friday, 58-57. The Mounties battled back from double-digit deficits to take the lead with three minutes left on Monday, but the Wolves scored the game’s final six points for the win. Hill had 17 of his 21 points after halftime as part of Mount Baker’s rally and Reardon started his varsity career with 10 points and 15 rebounds. On Tuesday, Reardon had a team-high 15 points with four Mounties collecting 9 points each — junior forward Luke Smith, sophomore guards Hill and Peyton Abitia, and junior guard Chris Armbright. Smith added 10 rebounds, Armbright had three 3-pointers, and sophomore guard Jordan Bailey had 7 assists. On Saturday, the Mounties lost a heart-breaker when a Viking was fouled and hit a free throw with less than a second left. Reardon starred again with team-highs of 18 points, 19 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Hill had an outstanding all-around game with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, and Smith added 8 points and 6 rebounds. NOTE: Due to the Anacortes football team’s extended season, Meridian’s game this Friday with the Seahawks has been moved to Saturday. Check out the story on Monday’s game at Mount Baker-Coupeville boys.
SEHOME had a rough opener, falling 59-41 at Arlington on Thursday. Against the Class 4A Eagles, the Mariners had a tough time on the offensive end and an 8-0 Arlington run early in the second half put them in too big a hole. Senior Braddock Duckworth had a team-high 10 points, seniors Austin McKay and Sawyer Fleming had 7 points each with Fleming sinking a pair of 3-pointers, and sophomore Cole Turrell had a team-high 7 rebounds.
SQUALICUM struggled in the second half on Thursday and fell on the road to Cedarcrest, 72-44. Down by only 11 at the half, the Storm gave up 43 points after halftime. Juniors Jason Hofer and Ezra Nichols led Squalicum with 11 points each; junior Marcus Nixon had 8 assists and 4 steals; and sophomore Zach Watt had 6 rebounds.
FERNDALE opened its season with a 57-40 loss at Marysville-Getchell on Saturday. The Golden Eagles’ offense started slowly with a five-point first quarter and despite playing even in the second half Ferndale couldn’t make up the 15-point halftime deficit. Junior Jonah Brillowsky came off the bench to lead Ferndale with a dozen points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, 7 rebounds, and a team-high 4 assists; sophomore Mantaj Singh added 9 points; and senior Kevin Wood collected 12 rebounds; but the Chargers had 10 3-pointers to Ferndale’s two to keep the Golden Eagles at bay.
LUMMI NATION lost its opener in overtime at La Conner on Saturday, 62-58. The Blackhawks were missing two starters but jumped to a 21-11 lead before the Braves came back to tie the game in regulation and outscore Lummi Nation, 9-5, in overtime. Senior Mathias Johnson had 14 points for Lummi, including two 3-pointers, to lead the balanced Blackhawks attack. Sophomore Jerome Toby had 12 points on three 3s, freshman Dyson Edwards had 10 points, and junior Tony Abrams added 9 points.
NOTE: A big thank you to the coaches and Tyler Anderson of WhatcomPreps.com for providing statistics. For a look at NWC boys highlights, check out Ted House’s Northwest Conference Basketball Report.
WEEK 2
TOP GAMES
It’s only the second week, but the Squalicum at Sehome girls-boys doubleheader could loom large when the Class 2A district seeding comes out. Both the Storm and Mariners boys are expected to be in the fight for the district’s two state berths so Monday’s contest will give someone a leg up in the race. If you’re looking for a possible Class 1A state preview, Seattle Academy is at Lynden Christian on Saturday in a battle between two of the state favorites.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Dec. 4: Lynden at Oak Harbor, Squalicum at Sehome
Tuesday, Dec. 5: Blaine at Bellingham, Lakewood at Ferndale, Burlington-Edison at Lynden Christian, Nooksack Valley at Cedar Park Christian (Bothell)
Wednesday, Dec. 6: Mount Baker at Mount Vernon, Nooksack Valley at Sedro-Woolley, Providence Classical at Lummi Nation
Thursday, Dec. 7: Squalicum at Ferndale, Lakewood at Lynden, Meridian at Sehome, Fellowship Christian at Lummi Nation
Friday, Dec. 8: Lynden at Jackson, Lynden Christian at Sedro-Woolley
Saturday, Dec. 9: Bellingham at Nooksack Valley, Anacortes at Mount Baker, Oak Harbor at Blaine, Seattle Academy at Lynden Christian
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Meridian | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Mount Vernon | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Bellingham | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lynden | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Burlington-Edison | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Blaine | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Oak Harbor | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Anacortes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nooksack Valley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mount Baker | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Ferndale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lakewood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sehome | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Squalicum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Tulalip Heritage | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fellowship Christian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grace Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lopez Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lummi Nation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shoreline Christian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
