The one thing that was more prevalent than 3-pointers and slam dunks at the John Clark Whatcom County Seniors Classic was smiles.
Grins and laughter filled the court and benches as the county’s top high school seniors wore their team jerseys for the final time before family, friends, and fans at Lynden’s Jake Maberry Gymnasium on Friday night, March 14.
For the record, the County Girls defeated the City Girls, 69-51, and the County Boys beat the City Boys, 128-105, but the scores were mostly for the record and not for bragging rights. Well, not mostly for bragging rights.
“We cared about it (winning),” said Nooksack Valley’s Kate Shintaffer. “But it was mostly trying to have fun. And it was super fun.”
The evening’s fun actually started even before the games. The girls kicked off the action with a 3-point contest, which Shintaffer won, edging Lynden’s Melanie Anderson in the finals.
After that, the girls took the court and the 3-pointers continued to rain down with the County making 12 and the City five.
Shintaffer and Anderson had two each, but the big shooter was a big surprise — Lynden Christian’s 6-foot post Allison Shumate, who had five 3s and a game-high 19 points. According to Whatcom Preps season stats, Shumate only took two 3s all year, making both.
“If I’m open, I’m going to shoot,” Shumate said of her all-star game strategy. “It was a lot of fun, putting on the jersey for one last time.”
Joining Shumate in double figures for the County were LC teammate Alisa Scott with 15 points and Shintaffer with 10 points. In double figures for the City were Claire Bishop of Burlington-Edison with 13 points and Olivia Stroud of Sedro-Woolley with 10.
And now is as good a time as any to thank the five Skagit County players for filling out the City roster. Because there were so few seniors among the 11 Whatcom girls teams, the Classic recruited Bishop, Stroud, Addison Shand Perkins of Mount Vernon, and Grace Schwabe and Regan Hunt of Anacortes.
The sentimental highlight was definitely the return of Lynden Christian seniors Grace Hintz and Makalie Tveter. Both suffered season-ending injuries before the season even started and were never able to get in a game for the Lyncs. But despite still recuperating, they suited up Friday and were even allowed to briefly get in the game.
When they each missed a few uncontested 3-pointers they returned to the bench. But in the closing minutes, after Anderson was fouled, she gave up her two free throws to the two Lyncs. Tveter missed her opportunity, but Hintz closed her record career by hitting a final free throw.
Then the boys took over and in a preview of the game itself, had a dunk contest and a 3-point contest. Lynden’s Brant Heppner used some creative assists from Meridian’s Talon Jenkins (not to mention jumping over a sitting Jenkins) to win the dunk contest, barely beating out 6-foot-1 Gannon Dykstra of Lynden Christian in a “dunk off.”
In the 3-point contest, the Bayhawks were on fire as Bellingham’s Kincade VanHouten beat teammate Gabe Van Hofwegan in the final. Surprisingly, after making an amazing 30 3-pointers in 90 seconds, VanHouten was the only player who didn’t score in the game.
Make that one of only two players. Lynden’s Jack Stapleton, the Lions’ inspirational leader after playing the entire season with foot injuries, was selected to the County team and sat on the bench in street clothes. But he snuck in the game — is that even legal? — and took a shot. Sorry, Jack, but you were 0-for-1.
But that was the kind of fun the Classic inspired. It was former rivals like Heppner lobbing an alley-oop pass to Dykstra for a dunk, or Nooksack Valley’s Caden Heutink going at it with Meridian’s Jaeger Fyfe or Heutink going at it with Squalicum’s Marcus Nixon or Heutink going at it with whoever guarded him.
Jenkins and Nixon, childhood friends and teammates growing up, seemed to have as much fun as anyone.
When asked if anyone thought about defense (they didn’t), Jenkins said with a straight face and tongue in cheek, “Our plan was to work hard and I was a little disappointed the guys didn’t keep it up.” Then came out the grin. “But it was so much fun playing with the best players in the county.”
Jenkins led the city with 21 points and five 3-pointers. Also in double figures were his Meridian teammates Jaeger Fyfe and James Hedahl with 12 and 11 points, respectively, and Nixon and Ferndale’s Jonah Brillowsky with 12 points each.
For the County, Heppner used the homecourt advantage to lead the scoring barrage with 26 points, including four 3s and just as many dunks. Dykstra and Lynden Christian teammate Luke Van Kooten had 18 points each with the former hitting two 3s and the latter making four 3s.
Heutink finished with 16 points, and Blaine’s Dulio Kanagie and Mount Baker’s Darius Gilstrap had 10 points each.
Heppner, whose four-year varsity career including three state championships, put the game in perspective.
“You never want to lose; you want to end your high school career with a win,” he said. “But it was great to come here and have a little fun.”
And lots of smiles.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Organizers Brady Bomber and Ryan Dykstra deserve a big thank you, along with the Lynden High support staff, for not only putting on this special event but for doing their part in serving our community. Proceeds went to benefit Open Hands, a non-profit helping to fight hunger in elementary-age children in Whatcom County by providing weekend meals during the school year.
County Girls 69, City Girls 51
City 19 32—51
County 28 41—69
City: Grace Schwabe (Anacortes) 7, Regan Hunt (Anacortes) 7, Jennifer Ruano (Bellingham) 9, Claire Bishop (Burlington-Edison) 13, Brooklyn Fuller (Meridian) 2, Addison Shand Perkins (Mount Vernon) 3, Olivia Stroud (Sedro-Woolley) 10.
County: Brie Smith (Blaine) 4, Melanie Anderson (Lynden) 8, Kiki York (Lynden) 7, Danya Dykstra (Lynden Christian) 5, Grace Hintz (Lynden Christian) 1, Allison Shumate (Lynden Christian) 19, Alisa Scott (Lynden Christian) 15, Makalie Tveter (Lynden Christian), Kate Shintaffer (Nooksack Valley) 10.
County Boys 128, City Boys 105
City 44 61—105
County 62 66—128
City: Gabe VanHofwegen (Bellingham) 6, Kincade Van Houten (Bellingham), Jonah Brillowsky (Ferndale) 12, Tommy Mack (Ferndale) 8, Hunter Wills (Ferndale) 3, Trevon Lee (Lummi Nation) 9, Jaeger Fyfe (Meridian) 12, James Hedahl (Meridian) 11, Talon Jenkins (Meridian) 21, Cooper McAtee (Sehome) 2, Jaxon Hofer (Squalicum) 9, Marcus Nixon (Squalicum) 12.
County: Abdul Kanagie (Blaine) 10, Josiah Weeda (Blaine) 9, Brant Heppner (Lynden) 26, Jack Stapleton (Lynden), Gannon Dykstra (Lynden Christian) 18, Luke Van Kooten (Lynden Christian) 18, Darius Gilstrap (Mount Baker) 10, Luke Smith (Mount Baker) 2, Brady Ackerman (Nooksack Valley) 8, Caden Heutink (Nooksack Valley) 16, Tristan Kamphouse (Nooksack Valley) 5, Corey Olney (Nooksack Valley) 9.
