With only three weeks left in the regular season, the Whatcom teams are jockeying for seeding positions in the Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League.
Two teams that don’t have much to worry about are Lummi Nation and Lynden Christian, both of whom picked up a pair of wins in Week 7 and who continue to lead their respective classifications with unbeaten records.
The Blackhawks remain atop the NW1B and will be looking forward to a second showdown with Tulalip Heritage on Feb. 3 that will determine first place in the league and probably the top seed in the District 1 tournament.
For a look back at Week 7 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops Girls Recap.
In the NWC, the Lyncs not only lead the Class 1A schools by a large margin but are the only team undefeated in league play and are all but guaranteed a top seed in the District 1 tournament, which encompasses the five 1A teams in the conference.
But after that, it’s a free for all with Meridian, Blaine, Mount Baker, and Nooksack Valley all within two games of each other.
Things are a little clearer with the 2A teams, which depend on a district (not state) RPI ranking to determine seeding. Right now, Lynden is in second, Sehome in fifth, Squalicum seventh, and Bellingham ninth. The good news is that all the teams qualify for district although eight and nine have a loser-out game to reach the double-elimination rounds.
For Ferndale, the margin of error is a lot slimmer. The Golden Eagles have to finish among the top three (of four) Class 3A teams in the NWC and right now sit in second, but only a half-game ahead of Mount Vernon and one game ahead of Oak Harbor. Ferndale has beaten the Bulldogs and will play the Wildcats this Wednesday.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 7.
GAME OF THE WEEK
It was deja vu at Meridian on Monday when the Trojans and Nooksack Valley found themselves tied with time running out — just like their 1A district consolation final two years ago. Once again the Pioneers’ missed a chance to win and a Trojan — Pierce Brzozowski — grabbed the rebound and raced downcourt to attempt a layup just before the buzzer. Except this time, he was fouled with 0.4 seconds left. The junior guard sank the first one then missed the second on purpose, giving Meridian the thrilling 64-63 victory.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Special recognition goes to Lummi Nation’s Jerome Toby Jr., who scored 18 points on Tuesday to break the school’s career scoring record. The senior guard finished the night with 2,029 points (he added another 13 on Saturday) to pass Blackhawks great Trazil Lane, who had 2,026 when he graduated in 2017.
Bellingham senior Joe Harward had 24 points on Monday and added 30 more on Friday. … Dawson Hintz had 18 points and fellow junior Kaden Veldman had 16 points for Lynden Christian on Tuesday, and junior Gunnar Dykstra had 24 points and Hintz had 17 points on Saturday. … Meridian junior Gabe Galbraith had 23 points on Monday. … Senior Mantaj Singh and sophomore Tracen Pazaski had 15 points each for Ferndale on Wednesday, and Singh added 23 more in Friday’s win. … Senior Xavier Kelley had 22 points, senior Klay Jackson had 16 points, and senior Carter Duckworth had 15 points for Sehome on Friday. … Lummi Nation seniors Chayce Waite-Kellar and Toby had 18 points each on Tuesday, and Waite-Kellar and junior Landon LaFontaine had 16 points each on Saturday. … Lynden senior Spencer Adams had 18 points on Wednesday and 16 more on Friday. … Senior Jayden Anderson had 17 points on Thursday for Nooksack Valley, and seniors Cole Coppinger and Owen Wichers had 16 and 15 points, respectively, on Monday. … Junior Hunter Calloway had 16 points for Squalicum on Monday. … Mount Baker senior Kell Reardon had 15 points on Saturday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LUMMI NATION (No.5, 1B) blasted Grace Academy on Tuesday, 88-36, and Orcas Island on Saturday, 87-34. On Tuesday, all nine Blackhawks got in the scoring column as they exploded for 35 points in the first quarter and 59 in the first half to easily overcome the Eagles. Waite-Kellar got Lummi Nation going with 12 of his game-high 18 points in the first quarter, and he also had 5 rebounds and 4 steals; Toby had 18 points, 8 steals, and 4 assists; Edwards had 10 of his 12 points and both his 3-pointers in the first quarter to along with his 7 assists and 3 steals; junior Deandre James finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds; LaFontaine had 9 points; and freshman Matt Revey had 8 points. On Saturday, the Blackhawks enjoyed their trip to the San Juans, using an 11-0 run to finish the first half with a 22-point lead and not letting the Vikings get closer than 20 points in the non-league victory. Waite-Kellar and LaFontaine had 16 points each with Waite-Kellar adding 17 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 blocked shots and LaFontaine making two 3-pointers. Edwards had 13 points, 8 assists, 5 steals, and 4 blocks; Toby had 13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds; senior Isaiah Yrizarris had 9 points on three 3-pointers; James had 8 points and 6 rebounds; and junior Gregory Hawk had 7 points with a pair of 3s.
LYNDEN (No.14, 2A) defeated Sehome on Wednesday, 51-39, and Burlington-Edison on Friday, 61-55. After falling behind early on Wednesday, the Lions limited Sehome to 27 points over the final three periods, scoring the first eight points of the second half and keeping a double-digit lead the rest of the game. Adams scored 14 of his game-high 18 points after intermission and had 6 rebounds, sophomore Jayden Navarre and junior Malachi Koenen had three 3-pointers each with Navarre finishing with 10 points and Koenen with 9, senior Ty Jorgenson had 6 points and 8 rebounds, senior Brody Price had 6 rebounds, and junior Gordy Bedlington added 5 rebounds and 5 assists. On Friday, the Lions were up by 14 early in the fourth quarter but after the Tigers closed to within five in the final minute, needed four free throws from Bedlington to nail down the Lions’ fourth straight win. Adams led the Lions with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists; Jorgenson had 13 points and 3 blocked shots; Bedlington and Navarre had 11 points each with Navarre hitting three 3-pointers; and senior James Ellis had a pair of 3s for 6 points. For the story and photos from Wednesday’s game, click on Lynden Boys.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN (No.2, 1A) beat Mount Baker on Tuesday, 80-33, and Squalicum on Saturday, 68-46. On Tuesday, the Lyncs scored the first 12 points of the game and then took command with a 22-0 run in the second quarter to notch the 1A victory. Hintz led four Lyncs in double figures with 18 points, Veldman had 16 points and 7 rebounds, Dykstra had 13 points and three 3-pointers, senior Boyce Robertson had 11 points and 8 rebounds, junior Chris Kooiman had 7 points, and senior Eli Maberry led LC with 5 assists. On Saturday, the Lyncs only led by three at the half, but turned on the defense in the second half, holding the Storm to 18 points and pulling away for the victory. Dykstra had a game-high 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals; Hintz had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists despite sitting with foul trouble most of the first half; and Robertson and Veldman added 8 points and 7 rebounds each.For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lynden Christian Boys.
FERNDALE (No.50, 3A) lost to Sedro-Woolley on Wednesday, 57-47, but came back to beat Bellingham on Friday, 56-50. On Wednesday, the Golden Eagles did a good job limiting the Cubs’ offense, but Ferndale could only score 23 points through the first three quarters and even a 24-point final period couldn’t get them closer than the final 10-point margin. Singh had 15 points and 7 rebounds; Pazaski also had 15 points with all of them coming on five 3-pointers; sophomore Houston Wills had 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists; and senior Cooper Vincent had 6 points and 7 rebounds; but they were the only Golden Eagles who scored. On Friday, the Golden Eagles were down by two with just over three minutes left but got two buckets from Singh and two from Wills to outscore Bellingham, 10-2, the rest of the way. Singh would lead Ferndale with 23 points and 12 rebounds; Pazaski had 14 points, three 3s and 5 steals; Wills had 10 points; and Vincent added 7 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.
MERIDIAN (No.31, 1A) beat Nooksack Valley on Monday, 64-63, but fell to Oak Harbor on Thursday, 69-41. On Monday, the Trojans used a 25-point first quarter to roll to an 18-point halftime lead but missing 10 free throws in the second half and making only one field goal in the fourth quarter allowed the hot Pioneers to catch up leading to the exciting finish. Galbraith had 22 of his 23 points in the first half to help give Meridian its big lead. Senior Daniel Larsen had 10 points and 10 rebounds, junior L.D. Webster had 8 points, junior Trey Alexander had 6 points, and Brzozowski added 10 rebounds and 5 assists. On Thursday, the Trojans started slow and after scoring only 24 points in the first three periods and being down by 30, even a 17-point fourth quarter couldn’t close the gap enough. Senior Matthew Blankenburg had 10 points and two 3-pointers; junior Brzozowski had 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals; and Larsen had 6 points and 6 rebounds.
NOOKSACK VALLEY (No.35, 1A) lost to Meridian on Monday, 64-63, but bounced back to best Blaine on Thursday, 56-43. On Monday, the heart-breaking finish overshadowed the Pioneers’ incredible comeback that saw Nooksack rally from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game at the end. Coppinger, who just returned from an injury, had 11 of his 16 points in the final period and grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds, Wichers had seven of his 15 points in Nooksack’s 24-point fourth quarter, senior Weston Silves had 9 points, and Anderson and senior Crew Bauman had 8 points each. Coppinger would finish with three 3-pointers, including two in the fourth quarter, and Anderson had a pair of 3s to go with 4 assists. On Thursday, the Pioneers picked up their first league win in impressive fashion, breaking away from an 11-all tie by scoring 13 straight points and keeping the Borderites at bay the rest of the way. Anderson had 17 points and a pair of 3-pointers; Wichers added 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists; Bauman had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; and senior Brian Leyerly had 6 points.
SEHOME (No.12, 2A) lost at Lynden on Wednesday, 51-39, but bounced back for a huge win at Lakewood on Friday, 65-57. On Wednesday, the Mariners were cold, only making three of 18 3-pointers and finishing with their second lowest point total of the season. Kelley had 10 points and 10 rebounds, senior Nolan Wright had 9 points and 5 rebounds, and senior Carter Duckworth had 8 points. On Friday, the Mariners only led by one at the half before handing the Cougars their third loss in four games. Kelley had 22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocked shots; Jackson nailed four 3-pointers for 16 points; Duckworth had 15 points and 6 rebounds; and Wright had 10 points and 6 assists. For the story and photos from Wednesday’s game, click on Sehome Boys.
SQUALICUM (No.26, 2A) defeated Mount Vernon on Monday, 52-43, but lost to Lynden Christian on Saturday, 68-46. On Monday, the Storm watched a 10-point fourth-quarter lead dwindle to a 46-43 game with 15 seconds left, but senior Ansen Asbjornsen and juniors Blake Elston and Orion Granberg-Kiddle each hit two free throws as the Storm went 11 of 12 from the line in the fourth period to ensure the victory. Calloway had 16 points and 3 assists, Elston had 11 points, Granberg-Kiddle had 10 points thanks to making all six of his free throws and also nabbed 7 rebounds, Asbjornsen had 9 points, and senior Rhys Knowlton had 6 points. On Saturday, the Storm kept up with the first-place Lyncs through most of the first half but could only come up with nine points in each of the final three quarters. Knowlton had 20 points, including 14 in the first quarter; Elston and Granberg-Kiddle had 8 points each and combined for 18 rebounds, and Asbjornsen had 7 points. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Squalicum Boys.
BELLINGHAM (No.34, 2A) lost to Lakewood on Monday, 80-51, and to Ferndale on Friday, 56-50. On Monday, the Bayhawks only managed 17 points in the first half and found themselves in a 15-point hole too big to climb out of against the high-powered Cougars. Harward had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and senior Barrett Johnson and juniors Calvin Van Hofwegen and Arlo Vergillo had 6 points each with Van Hofwegen’s coming on a pair of 3-pointers. In Friday’s back-and-forth battle, the Bayhawks held the lead with three minutes to go but could only come up with one field goal the rest of the way. Harward had 30 points and 14 rebounds, Johnson had 8 points and 6 rebounds, and Van Hofwegen had 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, but Bellingham was again hurt by missing 15 free throws.
BLAINE (No.39, 1A) lost to Anacortes on Tuesday, 76-50, and to Nooksack Valley on Thursday, 56-43. On Tuesday, the high-flying Seahawks used 9-0 runs to start the game and the second quarter to soar past the Borderites. Seniors Daniel Banks and Kai Kerwin had 9 points each, senior Landon Melton and junior Peyton Bouma had 7 points each with Bouma also collecting 7 rebounds, junior Dawson Dohner had 6 points, and junior Gus Dickson pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. On Thursday, a cold spell put the Borderites in a 13-point hole early in the second quarter and although they closed the gap to within five several times in the third period, they could get no closer. Bouma had a team-high 12 points and 5 steals; junior Landon Brown had 8 points and 6 rebounds and Dickson had 12 rebounds and 4 blocks.
MOUNT BAKER (No.40, 1A) lost at Lynden Christian on Tuesday, 80-33, and to Anacortes on Saturday, 82-52. On Tuesday, the Mounties struggled to score against the LC defense, putting up only three field goals and 10 points in the first half. Junior Kell Reardon made five of his six free throws for a team-high 10 points to go along with 4 rebounds, but freshman Trey Galbraith with 8 points was the only other Mountie to put up more than five points. On Saturday, the Mounties couldn’t slow the Seahawks high-flying attack and were done in by a four-point third quarter. Reardon had a team-high 15 points and 6 rebounds, senior Jet Ross had 13 points, and sophomore Pepe McEvoy-Salgao had 11 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 8
TOP GAMES
The top two teams in the Northwest Conference square off when Lynden Christian travels to Anacortes on Wednesday and Oak Harbor is at Ferndale in a key Class 3A battle, also on Wednesday. But if you’re looking for something to do on your day off, Lummi Nation will take on Class 4A Issaquah at Seattle Pacific University’s Martin Luther King Jr. tournament on Monday at 2 p.m.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Jan. 19: Oak Harbor at Blaine, Bellingham at Mount Vernon, Lummi Nation vs. Issaquah at Seattle Pacific University
Tuesday, Jan. 20: Sedro-Woolley at Squalicum, Meridian at Lynden, Ferndale at Sehome, Providence Classical Christian at Lummi Nation
Wednesday, Jan. 21: Lynden Christian at Anacortes, Nooksack Valley at Mount Baker, Oak Harbor at Ferndale
Thursday, Jan. 22: Mount Vernon at Sehome, Blaine at Lynden, Sedro-Woolley at Bellingham
Friday, Jan. 23: Lynden Christian at Nooksack Valley, Squalicum at Anacortes, Mount Baker at Oak Harbor
Saturday, Jan. 24: Orcas Island at Blaine, Burlington-Edison at Ferndale, Meridian at Lakewood
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden Christian | 9 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Anacortes | 8 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
| Lynden | 7 | 2 | 10 | 5 |
| Burlington-Edison | 6 | 2 | 10 | 3 |
| Lakewood* | 6 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 6 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| Sehome | 6 | 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Squalicum | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
| Ferndale | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| Meridian | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| Mount Vernon | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Oak Harbor | 2 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Bellingham | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| Blaine | 2 | 7 | 4 | 10 |
| Mount Baker | 1 | 8 | 3 | 9 |
| Nooksack Valley | 1 | 8 | 5 | 9 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation* | 5 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 3 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Grace Academy | 3 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
| Lopez Island | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 2 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Shoreline Christian | 2 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
* Does not include non-league tie.
