Welcome back! If you listen closely, you can hear the tennies squeaking through drills on the freshly finished hardwood floors.
Though some teams are missing key players who are still wearing cleats.
This week marks the start of the 19th season of basketball in the Northwest Conference.
Before we bring back memories of last year, let’s think back on some of the Northwest Conference’s storied history.
The conference of champions was formed in the 2006-07 school year, and has now secured 26 state boys and girls basketball championships since that time.
The Lynden girls and the Lynden Christian boys account for all the titles won by 2A girls and 1A boys, among NWC teams with four each. The 2A boys and 1A girls have won nine championships each. The Lynden boys have an astonishing seven during that period, while the Lyncs girls are close behind with a very impressive, six.
The Squalicum boys won back-to-back 2A titles in 2009 and 2010. The Nooksack Valley girls have won the last two 1A titles, and the Mount Baker girls took home the gold ball in 2017.
In review of the 2023-24 season, lets begin at the end, where the Lynden boys won their third straight 2A basketball championship, and their fifth in the last six tournaments. Senior forward Anthony Canales also left the SunDome with his third straight Most Valuable Player award.
The Nooksack Valley girls won the 1A title for the second consecutive year, behind two-time state tournament MVP Devin Coppinger. The Lynden girls won the state championship for the second time in the last four tournaments, snapping Ellensburg’s 75 game winning streak in the 2024 title game.
On the boy’s side of the NWC, Mount Vernon and Lynden finished with 14-1 records, with the Bulldogs taking the league title thanks to their 69-68 win over the Lions on February 1. Lynden Christian finished 13-2 and Anacortes took fourth with a 12-3 record.
But the most interesting part was that they all beat each other, round robin style.
The Bulldogs beat the Lions, the Lions beat the Seahawks, the Seahawks beat the Lyncs, and the Lyncs beat the Bulldogs. It’s likely those four teams will remain at, or near, the top of the league this season, but someone is bound to crash that party.
Of the three district tournaments, the 2A was bound to be the most stressful, as a handful of state caliber teams had to be whittled down to just two squeezing through to state. The top three district seeds were Lynden, Cedarcrest, and Anacortes, who were also highly ranked in the State RPI.
Then, add #4 seed Lakewood, Bellingham, Sehome, and the rest, and this one turned the 2A district tournament into a nail-biting event.
The top four seeds all won their first-round games and advanced to the semifinals, and that’s where things got interesting. Cedarcrest proved themselves, pulling away from Anacortes in the second half, for their second win of the season over the Seahawks.
In the other semifinal game, Lakewood, who I think is always the scariest team in the conference to play, had Lynden up against the ropes for the first 16 minutes, and led by 13 points at halftime. However, the tide turned quickly, as the Lions ran off the first 14 points of the third quarter. The Lions eventually held off the Cougars, but couldn’t secure the win in until the final minute.
The Lions claimed the district championship with a 21-point win over Cedarcrest. Meanwhile, Lakewood and Anacortes advanced to the consolation final, where the Seahawks got a 3-point win, eliminating the Cougars.
After that, the Seahawks and Red Wolves met again, with the final spot to state on the line. The third time was the charm for the Seahawks, as they eked out a four-point win in overtime. The Seahawks season ended on the third day of the state tournament in a loss to Prosser, one game from away from a trophy.
League champion Mount Vernon, lost by three points in their 3A district semifinal game to Arlington, but rebounded with a two-point win over Monroe to qualify for state. However, the Bulldogs cold not keep up with Todd Beamer, in a 21-point regional loss, in The Palace.
Anacortes junior, Davis Fogle, averaged 31.4 points per game on the season. Bulldog senior Quinn Swanson, averaged 26.6 points per game, and was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. Fogle and Swanson were named Co-Players of the Year in the Northwest Conference.
Last, but certainly not the least of the local district tournaments, was that of the 1A variety.
Only the five 1A’s of the NWC were involved, and none of the first five games of the tournament were that newsworthy. But on the final day, that all changed.
Third seeded Meridian got past #2 seed Nooksack Valley in their semifinal contest, sending the Trojans to the championship, where they absorbed a loss to Lynden Christian. On the other side, the Pioneers defeated Mount Baker, setting up a tournament rematch with the Trojans for the second, and last, spot to state.
I’m sure, no one in The Valley wants to remember any part of this game, but the final seconds produced the shot of the year, and one to be talked about at future class reunions at MHS.
After trailing the Pioneers for entire game, the Trojans recovered a loose ball at the offensive end and junior Talon Jenkins hit a 3-point shot to tie the score with 15 seconds left.
As the Pioneers worked to score the game winner, the Trojans created a turnover, which ended up with senior guard Cohen Fuller racing to the rim for a buzzer-beating lay-in. That finish, ended the season for the Pioneers, and advanced the Trojans to regionals, where they defeated Life Christian Academy. The Trojans season ended with a Wednesday, state tournament loss to Seton Catholic.
There was certainly more where that came from, and I wouldn’t expect anything less this season, so I hope you will stay tuned.
Tomorrow, a look at the changes that took place in the off-season.
~ Ted House
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