As we head into the second half of the season, the leaders of the Northwest Conference and Northwest 1B League remain undefeated in league play after last week’s action.
Both Lynden, which is Whatcom’s only unbeaten team, and Lynden Christian were tested but came up with two victories each and sit atop the NWC standings.
Lummi Nation had two league games, including a first-place battle at Tulalip Heritage, postponed because of illness to many of the Blackhawks last week. The Tulalip game will be made up this Friday but in the meantime, Lummi Nation won its non-league game on Saturday.
Two other Whatcom teams had good weeks. Nooksack Valley won a pair of close league games to set up Monday’s important 1A clash with Meridian, and Ferndale also had two league victories, including a big 3A win over Mount Vernon.
For a look back at Week 6 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops girls recap.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 6.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Nooksack Valley had two of the most exciting games of the week. Tuesday’s thriller at Sehome came down to the final seconds before the Pioneers won the back-and-forth contest, 59-57. Down by four with a minute and a half left, the Mariners tied the game at 57 on two buckets by junior Cole Turrell. But with 12 seconds remaining, Brady Ackerman hit fellow senior Caden Heutink on a backdoor play and Heutink’s layup proved to be the winning points. “It was a play we’d been setting up for most of the game waiting for the right moment,” said Nooksack Valley coach Jason Heutink.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Hunter Calloway had 20 points for Squalicum on Monday and followed that with 32 on Saturday. … Lynden senior Brant Heppner had 27 points on Wednesday and 23 on Saturday, and junior Spencer Adams added 18 for the Lions on Saturday. … Sophomore Dawson Hintz had 25 in Lynden Christian’s big win Monday. … Meridian’s Talon Jenkins had 25 points and fellow senior Jaeger Fyfe had 18 on Monday. … Junior Joe Harward had 24 points and senior Kincade VanHouten had 22 points for Bellingham on Tuesday. … Junior Jerome Toby had 24 points for Lummi Nation on Saturday. … Senior Gannon Dykstra had 22 points for Lynden Christian on Friday. … Junior Carter Hill had 21 points for Mount Baker on Monday and 18 points on Saturday. … Senior Caden Heutink had 21 points for Nooksack Valley on Tuesday and added 18 more on Thursday. … Senior Jonah Brillowsky had 19 points in Ferndale’s big win on Thursday. … Junior Xavier Kelley had 17 points for Sehome on Tuesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LYNDEN took care of Sedro-Woolley on Wednesday, 64-56, and Bellingham on Saturday, 76-46. On Wednesday, the Lions got off to another good start, leading by 14 at the half and keeping the Cubs at bay the rest of the way. Heppner led Lynden with 27 points and 13 rebounds, and added 4 assists, a pair of 3-pointers and a 5-for-5 performance at the line. Adams added 15 points, including three 3s, and 9 rebounds; sophomore Malachi Koenen had 9 points on three more 3-pointers; and sophomore Gordy Bedlington had a game-high 9 assists. On Saturday, the Lions unleashed their bomb squad, with five different players hitting 13 3-pointers. Heppner sank five 3s on the way to 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals; Adams had four 3s and 18 points as well as 6 rebounds; Koenen made two 3s and had 10 points and 5 assists; Bedlington added 7 points and 5 assists; and freshman Jayden Navarre had 4 assists.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN defeated Meridian on Monday, 71-57, and Blaine on Friday, 94-35. On Monday, the Lyncs took control early of the important 1A matchup with a 24-point first quarter and held off the Trojans the rest of the way. Hintz had 25 points and half of LC’s eight 3-pointers; senior Gannon Dykstra had 14 points, three 3-pointers, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds; sophomore Gunnar Dykstra had 13 points; and sophomore Kaden Veldman had 12 points and 13 rebounds. On Friday, the Lyncs used a 35-point first quarter to score more than 90 points in a game for the third time this season. Gannon Dykstra led the Lyncs’ scoring barrage with 22 points and added 11 assists, senior Luke Van Kooten had 16 points thanks to four 3-pointers, junior Boyce Robertson had 14 points, junior Eli Maberry had 13 points, and sophomore Gunnar Dykstra had 10 points with the latter two also nabbing 3 steals each.
NOOKSACK VALLEY slipped past Sehome on Tuesday, 59-57, and rallied to beat Burlington-Edison on Thursday, 51-46. On Tuesday, the Pioneers beat the Mariners in the contest that was close throughout. Heutink had seven of his game-high 21 points and one of his two 3-pointers in the crucial fourth period, junior Cole Coppinger had 13 points, seniors Cory Olney and Tristan Kamphouse had 9 points each, and Ackerman had 6 points. On Thursday, the Pioneers trailed 13-0 with 1:30 left in the first period, were down by 12 late in the second quarter, and still behind by four heading into the fourth quarter before outscoring the Tigers, 16-7, in the final period for the victory. Heutink had 18 points and 10 rebounds; Coppinger had 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals; Ackerman had 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots; and Olney had a team-high 5 assists.
LUMMI NATION had both its Tuesday game against Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) and its Thursday game at Tulalip Heritage postponed because of illness on the varsity team. (The Lummi Nation junior varsity played the Cedar Park Christian varsity in a non-league game and won, 43-39.) The Tulalip Heritage game will be made up on Friday, Jan. 17. The Blackhawks did get a non-league game scheduled on Saturday and defeated Taholah, 76-55. Toby led the Lummi Nation offensive explosion with 24 points, including three 3-pointers; sophomores Landon LaFontaine and Deandre James had 15 points each with LaFontaine’s coming on five 3s, sophomore Dyson Edwards added 14 points and two more 3-pointers; and junior Tracy Powell had 6 points.
FERNDALE stopped Squalicum on Monday, 53-42, and knocked off Mount Vernon on Thursday, 54-52, but lost to Anacortes on Saturday, 57-46. On Monday, the Golden Eagles held Squalicum to 11 first-half points and used a 19-point fourth quarter to hold the Storm at bay. Brillowsky had 16 points, junior Mantaj Singh had 14 points, senior Tommy Mack had 9 points and 7 rebounds, senior Hunter Wills had 7 points, and junior Cooper Vincent added 6 assists. On Thursday, the Golden Eagles flew out to a 19-2 first-quarter lead and then withstood the Bulldogs’ comeback in the key Class 3A battle. Brillowsky had five 3-pointers among his 19 points, including a trio of 3s in the crucial first period, and also pulled down 9 rebounds. Singh had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals; Wills added 9 points; and senior Tommy Mack had 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles only managed nine points in the first quarter and couldn’t prevent the Seahawks from slowly pulling away. Brillowsky and Wills had 11 points each with Wills hitting three 3-pointers. Singh added 10 points for Ferndale.
MOUNT BAKER topped South Whidbey on Monday, 66-48, and Blaine on Wednesday, 59-40, but lost to Squalicum on Saturday, 62-51. On Monday, the Mounties used a balanced attack to take a 20-point lead in the third quarter and coasted to the non-league victory. Eight players scored with Hill’s 21 points and two 3-pointers leading the way. He also had 3 steals and 3 assists. Senior Darius Gilstrap had 10 points; junior Jordan Bailey had 9 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals; junior Payten Abitia had 8 points; and seniors Luke Smith and Cole Lukes had 7 points each with Lukes adding 10 rebounds. On Wednesday, the Mounties limited the short-handed Borderites to three points in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Gilstrap had 16 points and 14 rebounds; Smith had 14 points; Bailey had 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; and sophomore Kell Reardon added 10 points. On Saturday, the Mounties led at halftime but couldn’t hold off the raging Storm comeback. Hill had 18 points and two 3-pointers, Gilstrap had 14 points, and Reardon had 11 points.
SQUALICUM lost to Ferndale on Monday, 53-42; defeated Cedarcrest on Wednesday, 46-29; and beat Mount Baker on Saturday, 62-51. On Monday, the Storm came out cold with only four first-quarter points and despite outscoring Ferndale in the second half couldn’t make up the difference. Calloway had four 3-pointers and 6 assists in addition to his game-high 20 points, senior Marcus Nixon had 11 points and 8 rebounds, and senior Jaxon Hofer had 8 points, but the rest of the team combined for only three points. In Wednesday’s non-league win, the Storm’s defense was on full display as they held the Red Wolves to single digits each quarter and their second-lowest point total of the season. Eight Squalicum players scored with Calloway leading the way with 14 points. Hofer and senior Ezra Nichols had 8 points each, and Nixon added 6 points. On Saturday, the Storm started slow and trailed the Mounties by two at the half but a 43-point second half propelled Squalicum to the win. Calloway had 26 of his game-high 32 points after intermission. Nixon had 11 points and Hofer added 8 points and a pair of 3-pointers.
BELLINGHAM beat Oak Harbor on Tuesday, 78-61, but lost to Lynden on Saturday, 76-46. On Tuesday, the Bayhawks came out strong with a 43-point first half and coasted past the Wildcats. Harward and VanHouten combined for 46 points as Bellingham scored 78 points or more for the third time in its last four games. Senior Harmon Winkers sank five 3-pointers for 15 points, and senior Gabe Van Hofwegen added 7 points. On Saturday, the Bayhawks couldn’t slow Lynden’s offense and found themselves down by 20 at the half. Harward and senior Fabian Singh had 11 points each, with Harward also pulling down 8 rebounds and grabbing 3 steals, and Singh sinking three 3-pointers. VanHouten had 6 points but no other Bayhawk had more than five points.
MERIDIAN lost to Lynden Christian on Monday, 71-57, but came back to knock off at Anacortes on Thursday, 57-46. On Monday, the Trojans couldn’t keep up with the Lyncs’ firepower. Jenkins had 25 points and Fyfe 18 and the two had three 3-pointers each with Fyfe adding 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Senior James Hedahl added 8 points but no other Trojan had more than three points. On Thursday, the Trojans bounced back with a great defensive performance, holding the Seahawks to 24 points through the first three quarters and then scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter to prevent any comeback. Fyfe had a team-high 16 points on four 3-pointers and a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the line. Jenkins tallied 14 points with three more 3s Hedahl had 11 points, and sophomore Trey Alexander added 7 points.
BLAINE defeated Surrey Christian Secondary (B.C.) on Monday, 66-52, but lost to Mount Baker on Wednesday, 59-40, and to Lynden Christian on Friday, 94-35. On Monday, the Borderites outscored the Falcons, 22-7, in the fourth quarter to earn the non-league victory. Junior Landon Melton had 15 points, junior Daniel Banks had 13 points and 6 rebounds, sophomore Peyton Bouma had 9 points, and senior Josiah Weeda had 8 points. On Wednesday, the Borderites were without their two leading scorers — Dulio Kanagie and Weeda — and went cold in the fourth quarter in falling to the Mounties. Melton led Blaine again with 16 points, senior Jacob Dohner had 8 points, junior Kai Kerwin had 6 points, and senior Beckum Bleazard nabbed 8 rebounds. On Friday, the Borderites couldn’t stop the LC scoring machine. Melton wrapped up his outstanding week with 10 points, Bleazard had 9 points, and junior Milo Dahl added 6 points.
SEHOME lost to Nooksack Valley on Tuesday, 59-57, and to Oak Harbor on Friday, 68-57. On Tuesday, the Mariners came out on the losing end of the tightly contested game against the Pioneers. Kelley continued his stellar play with a team-high 17 points, Turrell continued his comeback from injury with 14 points, sophomore Quincy Tanovan had 8 points and a pair of 3-pointers, and junior Nolan Wright had 6 points. On Friday, four Mariners were in double figures but it wasn’t enough to beat the Wildcats. Tanovan had 14 points, and Wright, Turrell, and Kelley had 10 points each. Wright also had 8 assists and 3 steals, Turrell and Kelley had 5 rebounds each, and senior Cooper McAtee had a team-high 7 rebounds.
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 7
TOP GAME
Important league showdowns dot the schedule this week with the biggie being Lummi Nation’s contest on Friday at Tulalip Heritage, which pits the top two NW1B League teams. In the 1A ranks, Meridian travels to red-hot Nooksack Valley on Monday, and Ferndale is at Sedro-Woolley on Wednesday in a battle between the NWC’s top two 3A teams.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Jan. 13: Lakewood at Bellingham, Squalicum at Mount Vernon, Meridian at Nooksack Valley
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Anacortes at Blaine, Lynden Christian at Mount Baker, Lummi Nation at Providence Classical Christian
Wednesday, Jan. 15: Ferndale at Sedro-Woolley, Lynden at Sehome
Thursday, Jan. 16: Blaine at Nooksack Valley, Meridian at Oak Harbor, Lummi Nation at Shoreline Christian
Friday, Jan. 17: Burlington-Edison at Lynden, Bellingham at Ferndale, Lakewood at Sehome, Lummi Nation at Tulalip Heritage
Saturday, Jan. 18: Lynden Christian at Squalicum, Mount Baker at Anacortes, Orcas Island at Lummi Nation
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden | 7 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 7 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Anacortes | 5 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| Bellingham | 5 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Lakewood | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| Meridian | 5 | 2 | 9 | 3 |
| Ferndale | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Burlington-Edison | 3 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
| Mount Baker | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Mount Vernon | 2 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Nooksack Valley | 2 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Sehome | 2 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| Squalicum | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Oak Harbor | 1 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
| Blaine | 0 | 7 | 3 | 8 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Tulalip Heritage | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Lummi Nation | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Grace Academy | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Lopez Island | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| Shoreline Christian | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
