Memories of 2024-25

When I leave the Yakima SunDome around 11pm on that Saturday night, it always seems like the start of the next season is light years away.  But eventually, we become just a turkey dinner from the first days of Northwest Conference basketball.  The 20^th season of the NWC begins on Saturday.

The Lynden girls were the only NWC team to bring home the gold ball in 2025.  They had it for the second year in a row, and it could be in their custody for another year.

Annie Wright was a heavy favorite going into the 1A boy’s tournament.  So much so, that it was assumed that everyone else was playing for second.  That’s the trophy the Lynden Christian Lyncs brought home after a 13-point loss to the Gators in the championship game.  The Lyncs earned wins over Kings and Royal, on their way to the finals against the Gators.

The Meridian boys had a great season, winning 20 games and taking home fourth place in the 1A tournament. 

The Lynden Christian girls took third in the 1A tournament, while rival Nooksack Valley was eliminated in the round of 12, after winning back-to-back championships and spending three straight years in the final game.

The Lynden boys won all of their 21 regular season games, then two more in the district tournament, before a one-point loss to Lakewood in the district championship game. 

In regional play, the Cougars fell to eventual 2A champion, and heavy favorite, Bremerton.  Meanwhile, the the Lions rebounded with a 20-point win over Mark Morris.

Much like the boys 1A tournament, Bremerton was the heavy favorite, and everyone else was playing for second.  The 2A lineup was the deepest I can remember, with about seven teams capable of claiming second!  If you scrambled up the bracket and played it ten more times, Bremerton probably wins each one, while the second through sixth place trophies would go to different teams each time.

Columbia River ended up eliminating both NWC 2A entrants.  They beat the Cougars in the round of 12 and then took out the Lions in the consolation semifinals. 

At the top, I stated that the Lynden girls were the “only” NWC to bring home the gold ball in 2025.  That’s because for the three previous tournaments, three NWC teams left the SunDome as state champions.  And for the four years before that, two of the four championships were won by NWC teams.

On the 3A side, getting to the next level has been much more of a rarity.  The most recent 3A state tournament team was the Mount Vernon boys who lost in the first round of the 20-team tournament in 2023, and in the second round in 2024.

The Ferndale girls last went to state in 2014, and the Mount Vernon girls in 2007.  The Sedro-Woolley boys qualified in 2005 and took 7^th place.  It was 2003 the Oak Harbor girls.  It’s been since 1996 for the Golden Eagle boys, and 1989 for the Oak Harbor boys.  The Sedro-Woolley girls have never qualified for state basketball.

Last season, the Lynden boys and girls teams each went undefeated in league play, with the boys earning their first NWC title since 2016, and the girls’ first since 2019. 

My favorite games of the regular season are the rivalries.  You would have thought the 2024-25 schedule was made specifically for me.

I saw six rivalry games last year, and I’m talking about the really big ones.  The first was in the first week of January.  It was Burlington-Edison at Anacortes in the annual “Tiger-Hawk Challenge.”  Then, in the last week of January, there were rivalry games on five consecutive days.

The week started with two of the big-city teams, Squalicum at Bellingham.  Then it was back to Skagit County for the “Battle of the Bridge” featuring Burlington-Edison at Mount Vernon.  The next night was back in Bellingham for the “BellingHome Battle” between the Bayhawks and the Mariners.  Then back to the south for the ever popular, “Chickenfest,” between Sedro-Woolley and Burlington-Edison.  And not to be outdone, the final day of the week brought us Lynden Christian at Lynden.  Nothing beats 3000 fans at “The Jake,” but it still doesn’t have a cool moniker. 

This year’s schedule sets up much the same way.  Thank you!

Anacortes, Lynden Christian, and Mount Baker all have football teams in the state semifinals, but there are no basketball games on their immediate schedule. 

Best of luck this weekend and beyond to the Seahawks, Lyncs, and Mountaineers.

Check back Friday morning for a little preview of the season, plus a couple changes to explore.

~ Ted House