There aren’t many leagues that can claim three state championship teams and two state runners-ups, which is why the all-Northwest Conference boys and girls teams can boast of some of the top players in the state.
League champion and Class 1A state runner-up Nooksack Valley had two of the top honors on the girls side. Shane Wichers was named the head coach of the year and sophomore Devin Coppinger was named the conference MVP.
Joining Coppinger on the first team was her teammate, junior Hallie Kamphouse, and four other Whatcom County players — senior Libby Stump and junior Demi Dykstra of Class 1A state champion Lynden Christian, senior Skyleigh James of Meridian, and sophomore Haylee Koetje of Lynden.
Earning second-team honors were senior Ellie DeWaard of Meridian, senior Hailey Pike of Blaine, senior Maddie Schumacher of Sehome, senior Mazy Wright of Bellingham, junior Adia Newcomb of Lynden, junior Maddy Barter of Mount Baker, and sophomore Mari Binning of Squalicum.
Kim Kirk, who was asked to be Sehome’s interim head coach midway through the season, was named the assistant coach of the year.
Also named to the girls’ first team was junior Camryn Kerr of Anacortes and senior Amey Rainaud of Class 2A state runner-up Burlington-Edison. On the second team was senior Sydney Reisner of Burlington-Edison.
On the boys side, Brett Farrar, who took Blaine to the Class 1A state tournament, was named the head coach of the year, and his younger brother, Jesse, was named the assistant coach of the year.
Half the first team were members of our state championship teams. Senior Andrew Hommes, who was chosen as the NWC player of the year, and junior Tyler Sipma were on Lynden Christian’s 1A state title team, and senior Jordan Medcalf and sophomore Anthony Canales were on Lynden’s 2A state title team.
Senior Jazen Guillory of Ferndale’s state team and Grant Kepley of Sehome’s state squad also were chosen to the first team.
Named to the second team were seniors Scott Baldwin of Blaine, Jesse Sapp of Ferndale, and Reed Richardson of Squalicum as well as junior Mathew Storms of Sehome.
Also earning first-team honors were seniors Justice Taylor of Lakewood and Zach Watson of Burlington-Edison. On the second team were senior Connor Anderson of Burlington-Edison, senior Blake Conyers of Lakewood, and senior Lucas Rodio and sophomore Quinn Swanson of Mount Vernon.
