The Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League returned to league action this week with some big games and shocking results.
Lynden remained unbeaten in league thanks a victory in their rematch with Blaine, but Lynden Christian and Sehome lost for the first time in NWC play to Skagit County powers Anacortes and Mount Vernon, respectively.
The logjam at the top of the NWC will continue to break up this week with other showdowns between the top teams, but for now Lynden and Anacortes are in first place with the Borderites, Lyncs, and Mariners right behind.
In the Northwest 1B League, Lummi Nation made sure there was no logjam by clobbering rival Tulalip Heritage on Tuesday. The Blackhawks now have beaten each league team handily before the squads head into their second round of matchups in the coming weeks.
For a look back at Week 7 for our county girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops girls recap later tonight.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 7.
GAME OF THE WEEK
When it comes to close games, it’s hard to top the Nooksack Valley-Squalicum contest on Monday, which the Pioneers won, 51-50. The game was tied 11 times with nine lead changes, and neither team led by more than four points. The visiting Storm had a couple of short shots in the final seconds but couldn’t finish. “It was a long 2.7 seconds for a coach,” said Nooksack Valley coach Rich Skillman.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Lynden senior Coston Parcher had 31 points on Thursday, junior Anthony Canales had 21 points on Tuesday and 22 on Thursday, and senior Kobe Baar had 17 points for the Lions on Tuesday. … Sehome senior Grey Garrison had 29 points and senior Grant Kepley had 16 points on Saturday, and senior Isaac Lawrence had 15 points on Wednesday. … Lynden Christian junior Jeremiah Wright had 25 points and senior Griffin Dykstra had 17 points on Thursday, and Wright followed that up with 28 points on Saturday with senior Tyler Sipma and sophomore Gannon Dykstra adding 15. … Freshman Jerome Toby had 24 points and senior Richard Wilson had 21 to lead Lummi Nation on Tuesday and Wilson had 25 points oin the Blackhawks’ win on Thursday. … Blaine senior Lucas Smith had 20 points, junior Noah Tavis had 17, and senior Ethan Koreski had 15 on Tuesday. … Senior Ashton Englehart had 17 points to lead Squalicum on Monday. … Wyatt Stephan had 20 points for Bellingham on Thursday, and fellow junior Ian O’Roarty had 15 points on Tuesday and 16 on Thursday. … Meridian senior Hunter Jones had 17 points and sophomore Jaeger Fyfe had 16 on Tuesday and Fyfe followed that with 19 points on Thursday. … Nooksack Valley sophomore Brady Ackerman had 15 points on Monday and 16 on Saturday. … Ferndale senior Mathias Johnson had 15 points on Saturday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LUMMI NATION defeated Tulalip Heritage on Tuesday, 82-50, and Fellowship Christian on Thursday, 70-32. On Tuesday in a battle for first place in the Northwest 1B League, the Blackhawks held their rivals to 17 first-half points and took a 20-point lead into halftime. Toby made two of Lummi Nation’s 10 3-pointers and was 6 for 6 from the line for his 24 points. Wilson added 21 points, junior Tobias Francis had three 3s and 13 points, and junior Mathias Johnson had two 3s and 10 points. On Thursday, the Lummi defense only allowed three Eagles to score and used a 25-point second quarter to turn the game into a rout. Wilson had 25 points, senior Peyton Brockie had 11 points and three 3-pointers, junior Raymond Perkins had three more 3s for 9 points, Toby and Francis had 8 points, and senior Payton Scott had 7 points.
LYNDEN beat Mount Baker on Tuesday, 83-29, and Blaine on Thursday, 75-47. On Tuesday, a big 31-point first quarter helped the Lions roll past the Mounties. Canales and Baar combined for 38 points with each making a pair of 3s, Parcher had 13 points and 7 assists, senior Cameron Petersen had 10 rebounds, and senior Trey Smiley added 7 assists. Parcher had a career-high 31 on Thursday as the Lions dominated the Borderites in their first-place showdown. Canales added 22 points, sophomore Brant Heppner had 11 rebounds, and Smiley added 5 assists.
NOOKSACK VALLEY beat Squalicum on Monday, 51-50, and Ferndale on Saturday, 61-49. In Monday’s thriller, sophomore Brady Ackerman dominated inside with 15 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Pioneers. Senior Bennett DeLange added 13 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists; sophomore Caden Heutink had 9 points on three 3-pointers; and junior Wayne Silves had 8 points and a pair of 3s. On Saturday, the Pioneers broke open a close game in the final three minutes by holding the Trojans to eight fourth-quarter points. Ackerman had 16 points and 13 rebounds, senior Ayden Roper had 14 points and three 3s, DeLange had 10 points, and Heutink added 9 points.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN lost to Anacortes on Monday, 72-56, then defeated Meridian on Thursday, 75-49, and Seattle Academy on Saturday, 77-61. On Monday, the Lyncs suffered their first defeat when they had their lowest point total of the season and were outscored 44-26 in the second half. Sipma and Wright had 14 points each, and Griffin Dykstra had 12 points and two 3-pointers. On Thursday, the Lyncs bounced back with a 27-point first quarter to trounce the Trojans. Wright’s 25 points led LC with Griffin Dykstra hitting four 3-pointers among his 17 points, and Sipma making two 3s and 14 points. In Saturday’s non-league game against Seattle Academy, Wright led a balanced attack with his 28 points and by going 9 of 10 from the line. Sipma and Gannon Dykstra had 15 points each with the former sinking three 3-pointers and the latter connecting on five. Griffin Dykstra added 9 points, and junior Dawson Bouma had 8.
BLAINE bested Meridian on Tuesday, 78-55, and lost to Lynden on Thursday, 75-47. On Tuesday, the Borderites hit four 3s to jump out to a 23-10 lead and were never headed. Smith led the Borderites with 20 points and four 3-pointers, Tavis had 17 points, Koreski had 15 including three 3s, Matthew Russ had 12 points, and Lawrence Creasey-Pulphus had 8 points and two more 3-pointers. On Thursday, Blaine struggled against the defending 2A state champs, scoring only four points in the second period and never catching up. Tavis had 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting from the field, and Russ added 9 points.
SEHOME lost to Mount Vernon on Wednesday, 76-52, and bounced back to blast Sedro-Woolley on Saturday, 78-46. On Wednesday, the Mariners came out cold and couldn’t keep up with the hot Bulldogs and star Quinn Swanson, who had 36 points. Lawrence had 15 points and four 3s to lead the Mariners but Garrison was the only other Mariner in double figures with 11. On Saturday, the Cubs never stood a chance as the Mariners raced out to a 24-point first-half lead and rolled to victory. Ten different Mariners scored with Garrison having 29 points, Kepley 16, and Storms 10 despite all the starters sitting the entire fourth quarter.
SQUALICUM lost to Nooksack Valley on Monday, 51-50, and defeated Mount Baker on Friday, 68-42. In Monday’s thriller, Engelhart led the way with 17 points and three 3-pointers, junior Peter Albert had 10 points and 12 rebounds, senior Jake Donnelly had 8 points, and senior Dylan Jacobs had 8 assists. On Friday, the Storm ended its five-game losing streak with a complete game against the Mounties. Engelhart and senior Kyle Heaton had 14 points to lead the Storm with Engelhart hitting four 3-pointers and Heaton making two. Senior Xander Sledge had 12 points and two 3s all in the first half when the Storm took command, Albert had a game-high 11 rebounds, and 10 different players scored for Squalicum.
MERIDIAN lost to Blaine on Tuesday, 78-55, and to Lynden Christian on Thursday, 75-49. On Tuesday, the Trojans fell into a 13-point hole after one quarter and couldn’t make up any ground against the Borderites. Jones and Fyfe combined for 33 points with Jones making 7 of his 8 free throws and Fyfe sinking three 3-pointers. On Thursday, the Trojans again found themselves in a 13-point hole after a quarter and couldn’t recover against the defending Class 1A state champs. Fyfe had three more 3s among his 19 points, and Jones had 14 points, but no other Trojan managed more than four points.
BELLINGHAM lost to Oak Harbor on Tuesday, 67-60; to Anacortes on Thursday, 56-49; to Meadowdale on Friday, 68-49. On Tuesday, the Bayhawks battled back from a 12-point first-quarter deficit but couldn’t quite catch the Wildcats. O’Roarty led a balanced attack with 15 points and four 3-pointers, Junior Elias Togage added 14 points, and sophomore Harmon Weinkers had 13, including three 3s. On Thursday, the Bayhawks rallied to close to within one in the fourth quarter thanks to a 16 of 19 effort from the line, but couldn’t overcome Anacortes’ 34-19 edge in free throw attempts. Stephan’s 20 points and three 3s led the Bayhawks on Thursday, and O’Roarty had 16 points in the near-upset of the Seahawks. In Friday’s non-league contest against Meadowdale, the Bayhawks jumped out to an early lead but couldn’t hold off the Mavericks. Sophomore Kincade Vanhouten led the Bellingham attack with 14 points, Stephan and senior Grayson Stone had 10 points and two 3-pointers each, and Weinkers had 9 points on three 3s.
MOUNT BAKER fell to Lynden on Tuesday, 83-29; to South Whidbey on Wednesday, 51-48; and to Squalicum on Friday, 68-42. On Tuesday, the Mounties only managed 16 points after the first quarter. Freshman Joe Harward made 5 of 6 from the field to lead Mount Baker with 11 points. Against South Whidbey in Wednesday’s non-league game, junior Jesse Harward and freshman Carter Hill led the way with 10 points each, and senior Jacob Wade added 9 points. On Friday, a slow start and a hot-shooting Storm kept the Mounties winless in NWC play. Joe Harward had 11 points and 8 rebounds to lead Mount Baker, sophomore Luke Smith had 9 points, and Hill added 8.
FERNDALE lost to Glacier Peak on Monday, 56-39; Burlington-Edison on Wednesday, 74-57; to Sedro-Woolley on Friday, 58-47; and to Nooksack Valley on Saturday, 61-49. In Monday’s non-league game at Glacier Peak, the Golden Eagles struggled on offense and couldn’t dig out of an early 11-point hole. Senior Damien Toney led the way with 10 points, and junior Bishop Ootsey had 8 points. On Wednesday, the Golden Eagles were tied at halftime but couldn’t tame the Tigers in the second half. Toney had a team-high 13 points and 8 rebounds, seniors Lucas Mills and Johnson had 8 points and two 3-pointers each with Johnson adding 4 assists, and junior Bhavnoor Grewal had 8 points and 5 rebounds. On Friday, the Golden Eagles hung tough by holding the Cubs to only 23 second-half points, but couldn’t make up the difference in the final period. Johnson led the way with 12 points and a pair of 3-pointers, Toney had 11 points and a team-high 7 rebounds, and Ootsey had 9 points. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles were in the game with three minutes to go but were outscored, 17-8, in the fourth quarter. Johnson had three 3s and connecting on all six of his free throws for 15 points. Toney added 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks, and Grewal had 7 points.
WEEK 8
TOP GAMES
It’s Sehome’s turn to face the NWC gauntlet as the Mariners host Anacortes on Tuesday and then travel to Lynden Christian to face the Lyncs on Thursday. For those who want to travel, Lynden takes on North Kitsap in the King Showcase at the ShoWare Center in Kent at 2 p.m. Monday in a matchup of teams that have won the last four Class 2A state championships.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Jan. 16: Bellingham at Lakewood, Blaine at Mount Baker, Lynden Christian at Oak Harbor, Lynden vs. North Kitsap at ShoWare Center
Tuesday, Jan. 17: Nooksack Valley at Meridian, Anacortes at Sehome, Squalicum at Sedro-Woolley, Lummi Nation at Providence Classical Christian
Wednesday, Jan. 18: Mount Vernon at Ferndale, Burlington-Edison at Lynden
Thursday Jan. 19: Sehome at Lynden Christian, Mount Baker at Nooksack Valley, Archbishop Murphy at Squalicum, Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) at Lummi Nation
Friday, Jan. 20: Burlington-Edison at Blaine, Anacortes at Ferndale, Lynden at Mount Vernon
Saturday, Jan. 21: Squalicum at Bellingham, Meridian at Sedro-Woolley
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Anacortes | 8 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Lynden | 8 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Sehome | 8 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
| Blaine | 7 | 1 | 10 | 2 |
| Lynden Christian | 7 | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| Mount Vernon | 5 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| Nooksack Valley | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Lakewood | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Oak Harbor | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Bellingham | 3 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| Burlington-Edison | 3 | 6 | 4 | 8 |
| Meridian | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Squalicum | 3 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 2 | 7 | 4 | 10 |
| Ferndale | 1 | 7 | 1 | 12 |
| Mount Baker | 0 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation | 7 | 0 | 10 | 5 |
| Grace Academy | 7 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 6 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| Shoreline Christian | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Fellowship Christian | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 2 | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 1 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Lopez | 0 | 8 | 0 | 9 |
