A New Season is Here

Yes, the road to your applicable Dome starts right here, right now. If you were to play "I Spy With My Little Eye," here is what you may encounter on your trip.

The Lynden girls currently hold the longest winning streak in the state in any classification.  Their last loss was at Nooksack Valley on December 19, 2023.  Since then, the Lions have won 48 straight games.  And, according to MaxPreps, the is the fifth longest streak in the United States.

Before anyone hits the floor, or gets off the football field, it would seem that the Lynden Christian boys could be the top team in the NWC, and a top contender for a state championship.  They are on hold while the football team is in state tournament action.

Sedro-Woolley can certainly build off of last season’s second half, centered around their MVP candidate, Ethan DeJong.  The Cubs will make a strong run at the NWC title.

In early January last season, the Cubs pushed Lynden in a eight-point loss.  After that, the Cubs ran off six straight wins and took fourth place in the NWC.  They were the #6 seed to the 3A District Tournament and missed a spot in the state tournament because of a two-point loss to Shorewood.

The Cubs should be in line for an even higher seed to the District Tournament this season, with the other 3A teams in the league in a real battle for the NWC’s other two spots to district.

Ferndale, Oak Harbor and Mount Vernon will be in a real scramble for those spots. 

The Wildcats have one of the best players in the league in Xavier Ochoa, and boast seven seniors on this year’s roster, compared to just two last year.

The Golden Eagles will have to replace the scoring punch of Jonah Brillowsky and Hunter Wills, but senior Mantaj Singh’s scoring prowess will be a good start. 

There was a coaching change at Mount Vernon.  Brett Farrar stepped down after last season.  He compiled a 48-22 record in his three years with the Bulldogs.  The Bulldogs were league champs in 2024.

Torey Swanson takes over the Bulldogs program, and it is his second stint as head coach at Mount Vernon.

Swanson took over for the Bulldogs legendary coach, Mac Frasier, in 2001, and was at the helm for nine seasons.  Four of those seasons were while the Bulldogs were members of the Northwest Conference, from 2006-2010.  Swanson compiled a record of 66-31 in those four seasons.  When Swanson took over in 2001, the Bulldogs were members of the 4A Wesco Conference.

After 2010, the Bulldogs went back to the Wesco, before bouncing back to the NWC in 2021.

And the Bulldogs will Coach Swanson’s experience and the emergence late last season of players like Reece Roberts, Kaden Sokol, and Taran Hanjrah.

Only three 3A teams from the NWC can qualify for the district tournament, and they must finish in the top 12, according to the District RPI and the 3A basketball committee.

Trivia Question:  Who was the first base coach for the Mount Vernon Bulldogs during their state championship baseball season of 2025?

The 2A boys group looks like a very balanced and competitive..

Lynden lost some real dudes, but they do that every year.  Burlington-Edison should also be one of the top teams in the league, and Anacortes will be a strong team once their football players get stretched out.  Lakewood always has firepower; Sehome has some strong returning players; Bellingham and Squalicum will also be a problem.

All that should make for a great district tournament.  Then you add Archbishop Murphy when tourney time comes, and it will be another tight squeeze come playoff time.

The battle for #2 among 1A boys will be competitive as well.  Blaine and Mount Baker will shorten the distance between them and Nooksack Valley and Meridian, but the Mountaineers will also be a little late to the party due to their post-season football run.  The Pioneers and Trojans will have to fill in some gaps, but both have promising players with varsity experience.

Another group of exceptional seniors have moved on, but here are some of the top players returning to the floor this season:

Ethan DeJong, senior, Sedro-Woolley.  DeJong will keep the Cubs in contention for the NWC title.

Caleb Greenland, senior, Lakewood.  Greenland is a four-year varsity player for the Cougars, with a great all-around game, and can score from anywhere on the floor.

Micah Dickison, senior, Anacortes.  Dickison is a problem for defenses with his athleticism, aggressiveness, and inside/outside game.

Logan Heigert, senior, Burlington-Edison.  Heigert, the tall lefty, can dominate a game from inside or outside.

Dawson Hintz, junior, Lynden Christian.  The athleticism of Hintz is off the charts.  Got a late start last year due to injury, he burst on the scene and played above the rim at 6-feet tall.

Xavier Ochoa, senior, Oak Harbor.  Ochoa may be the best kept secret in the league.  Definite All-League talent.

Joe Harward, senior, Bellingham.  Extremely strong and aggressive player.  Can score in bunches around the rim.

Spencer Adams, senior, Lynden.  Adams has shown himself to be a top 3-point shooter and strong rebounder.  Look for him to become more of an end-to-end player this year.

Hunter Calloway, junior, Squalicum.  Calloway is a smooth shooter who should be the focal point of the Storm’s offense this year.

Nolan Wright, senior, Sehome.  A four-year starter for the Mariners in football and basketball.  He’s the same kind of player in both sports.  Can score with a smooth jumper or distribute.

There are plenty more where they came from.  Names like Mantaj Singh, senior, Ferndale; Gunnar Dykstra, junior Lynden Christian; Pierce Brzozowski, junior, Meridian; Xavier Kelley, senior, Sehome; Cliff Tadema, senior, Sedro-Woolley; are just some of the athletes who will be on display this season.

Trivia Answer:  Torey Swanson.

The interesting part is that it never happens the exact way we think it will.  Time to get started on solving this year’s mysteries. 

~ Ted House