
If you have read any of these over the years, you know I appreciate a good rivalry. I hope to get to Longview some day and take in a Civil War between RA Long and Mark Morris. Of course, locally we have the Bellingham schools going at each other, and of course, Lynden and Lynden Christian.
But a really fun one for a neutral observer is the Tiger-Hawk Challenge, played annually between Burlington-Edison and Anacortes. I have seen a few of them, and it never disappoints. The girls and boys play a double-header. The gym is always full very early, and the massive number of students who attend make it very special. All participants should be proud of their schools and teams, because it’s really a great show.
In Anacortes on Tuesday night, the Seahawks hosted Burlington-Edison in their 16th annual “Tiger-Hawk Challenge.”
The varsity girls play first, and because of all the festivities, they don’t jam the start times together. They tip two hours apart. The Tiger girls got the win over the Seahawks, 60-29.
Aside from the varsity games, of which you better be there by the time the girls tip off, just to get in the building, they are several competitions between the schools, and an overall winner is announced at the end of the night.
I got to witness competitions that ranged from cheer, to drumline, to “Table Surf,” where several students lay flat on the floor and roll a table over them that holds a rider, from baseline to baseline. Oh, and a yelling competition. Lots and lots of yelling.
The Seahawks won the overall competition for the third year in a row.
In the boys game, only one player had a great offensive night, and that was Anacortes junior Micah Dickison, who scored 30 points in the Seahawks 48-23 win over the Tigers.
The 6-4 forward was, and always is, extremely active at both ends of the floor. He hit a 3-pointer from the right corner to open the game and scored the Seahawks first nine points. He had 11 by the end of the quarter, and had passed the Tigers total by halftime, scoring 15 points as the Seahawks led 24-14.
The Seahawks defended the Tigers 6-8 senior Timophy Feskov and 6-6 junior Logan Heigert with a 2-3 zone that clamped down on the interior, allowing open 3-point shots. With 6-7 senior Ty Swapp fronting Feskov, and the rest of the Seahawks defense concentrating on Heigert, the Tigers were both unable to get the ball inside consistently, or hit the outside shot. That’s a bad combination.
In fact, the Tigers hit only a single 3-point shot in the game, and that came well after things were decided, with just 2:30 left in the game by junior reserve guard, Paxton Booth.
Trailing just 13-12 after eight minutes, the Tigers scored only two points in each of the next two quarters which adds up to a 26-4 run for the Seahawks. Feskov had two buckets in the fourth quarter, prior to Booth’s 3-pointer. So, over 21:30 of game time, the Tigers managed only eight points.
This from a team that I saw hit 13 3-pointers in a game, including seven in one quarter. And, to further the Tigers troubles on this night, Heigert, who averages 23 points a game, did not score. The Seahawks defense was such that it never seemed like he was able to get the ball in scoring position, not even able to square up properly.
The Tigers held the Seahawks to 48 points, so that’s not a bad night’s work, either. Aside from Dickison’s 30, Jake Andrew scored 12 points, and an early bucket by senior wing Aiden Miller was the only other points by a Seahawks starter.
Anacortes improved to 4-1 in the NWC and 7-1 on the season. The Tigers know they will get back to better days, as their NWC record fell to 3-3, and 9-3 on the season.
Across the bridge in Mount Vernon, also on Tuesday, the Lakewood Cougars got a 3-point shot from senior guard, Quinton Steen with 4.6 seconds left to nip the Bulldogs 56-55.
The Bulldogs Michael Johnson hit the rim with a potential game winner at the buzzer.
The Cougars senior forward, JJ Hoekendorf Jr., hit two free throws with 1:06 left to break a 51-51 tie. Johnson tied the game on a lay-in with 40 seconds left.
After a Lakewood miss, Johnson split a pair of free throws, and on the missed second shot, the ball went out of bounds with the Bulldogs keeping possession.
Senior guard Baron Dorsey also split two free throws, giving the Bulldogs a 55-53 lead with 15 seconds left.
After a Bulldog timeout, the Cougars advanced the ball to center court, where they called a timeout with 12 seconds to play.
After weaving the ball on the perimeter, Steen got loose and calmly swished the game winner.
The Cougars kept pace with the top of the NWC, improving their record to 5-1 in the conference and 8-2 on the season. They got the win even though junior forward Caleb Greenland (their best offensive player) and senior guard Evan Stacey (their top defensive player) both fouled out in the last 2:30 of the game.
On Monday, Lynden Christian visited Meridian for an important game between the top two 1A teams.
The Lyncs are well established. Perennial conference and state contenders. A 2-point road loss to a good 4A squad is their only blemish, but not a blemish that would keep you from going to the prom.
The Trojans got to Yakima last year, and at 8-2 on the season, this game could be a barometer for them. At this point, the Lyncs and Annie Wright seem to be the two that have separated themselves from the rest of the 1A pack.
The Trojans plan was to slow the game, work the clock, and limit the offensive chances for the quick-strike Lyncs. Unfortunately for them, the plan did not establish until four minutes of the first quarter had past, and the Lyncs had taken a 16-2 lead.
After that, the teams played to a 55-55 tie over the last 28 minutes, but on this night, the damage had been done. The Lyncs went on to a 71-57 victory.
The Lyncs took a 7-0 lead in the first 73 seconds. Their flypaper man-to-man defense on the Trojans Talon Jenkins and Jaeger Fyfe, certainly didn’t take them by surprise, but it was just tough to negotiate. Because of Jenkins 6-7 frame, he was still able to get shots over the crew of rotating defenders, at times. The tight defense on Fyfe limited his ability to drive and attack the defense.
Jenkins 10 and Fyfe’s three first quarter points were enough to cut the Lyncs lead to 24-13. In fact, Jenkins hit back-to-back 3-pointers that drew the Trojans to within 20-13 with 50 seconds left in the opening quarter. The Lyncs spread the wealth, as six players scored in the first eight minutes.
The second quarter played better for the Trojans defensively, but missed their chance to really gain ground. They did outscore the Lyncs 10-7 in the quarter, but still trailed 31-23 at halftime.
LC sophomore guard, Gunnar Dykstra, who seems to thrive in the first minutes of each half, scored six points and distributed others in the opening quarter. Then to start the third quarter, he scored the first five points for the Lyncs to increase their lead to 13.
The Lyncs extended their lead to 15 by the end of the third quarter, and to 18 early in the fourth.
The Lyncs are known for offense, but their defense is underrated. Even with Jenkins and Fyfe eventually netting 25 and 18 points, respectively, it was the degree of difficulty imposed on those two that had a biggest effect. And, only two other players scored for the Trojans, with senior post James Hedahl finishing with eight points, and sophomore guard Pierce Brzozowski hitting a fourth quarter 3-pointer.
As far as their offense goes, sophomore guard Dawson Hintz led with 16 of his 25 points coming in the second half. Senior Gannon Dykstra finished with 14, Gunnar Dykstra 13, and sophomore forward Kaden Veldman had 12. Yes, three of those four are sophomores.
On Monday, the Ferndale Golden Eagles got a 53-42 win over Squalicum.
The Golden Eagles scored the first seven points of the game and built their lead to 23-6 with three minutes left in the first half.
Squalicum senior wing Jaxon Hofer hit a 3-point shot with 3:15 left in the third quarter, closing the Storm deficit to 27-23, but that was quickly answered by a 3-pointer by Ferndale’s 6-6 senior, Jonah Brillowsky. He then added two free throws, pushing the Golden Eagles lead back to nine points.
The Storm closed the gap one more time as sophomore guard Hunter Calloway hit a 3-pointer, followed by a free throw from sophomore guard Blake Elston, and the Storm trailed 32-27 late in the third quarter.
The Golden Eagles pushed the lead back into double-digits in the fourth quarter as 6-5 junior forward Mantaj Singh worked around the hoop for eight of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Ferndale also got solid play from 6-4 senior, Tommy Mack, who came off the bench for nine points, with five in the fourth quarter. Brillowsky finished with 16 for the Golden Eagles.
Calloway led the Storm with 20 points, including four 3-pointers. Senior guard Marcus Nixon chipped in 11 more for the Storm.
It was another quick start for the Golden Eagles on Thursday, but they had to hang on for a 54-52 win, at home, over Mount Vernon.
The Golden Eagles broke a 2-2 tie with the Bulldogs with a 17-0 run, ending up in a 21-7 lead after one quarter. Ferndale kept a double-digit lead to halftime, before the Bulldogs began to close the gap in the second half.
A corner 3-pointer by Brillowsky gave the Golden Eagles a 53-45 lead with three minutes left. But the Bulldogs quickly cut the lead in half on a jumper by Michael Johnson and a score inside by Moises Lucatero with 1:18 left.
The teams then alternated missed shots and turnovers until Brillowsky hit a free throw for a 54-49 lead. Johnson then drained a 3-pointer to cut the final margin to two points.
The two wins improved the Golden Eagles record to 4-2 in the NWC, and 6-5 overall. The Bulldogs fell to 2-5 and 5-7.
On Wednesday, the Lynden Lions used an efficient offense and tight defense to forge a 36-22 halftime lead on the Cubs, in Sedro-Woolley. But the Cubs fought back to make things interesting in the fourth quarter, before falling to the Lions, 64-56.
Sophomore guard, Malachi Koenen, at 5-9, was saddled with the task of defending Cubs 6-4 junior forward, Ethan DeJong, the league’s leading scorer at 30 points per game.
The strategy worked, as the muscular and quick Koenen, with plenty of teammate help, was able to hold DeJong to six points in the first half.
But DeJong was never frustrated and was able to score 17 points in the second half, as the Cubs mounted a comeback after trailing 49-28 in the middle of the third quarter.
A 12-3 run by the Cubs cut the Lions lead to 52-40 entering the fourth quarter. The spread stayed between eight and 12 points until a bucket by DeJong got the Cubs to within six points with 1:20 to go.
A Lion turnover at 1:04 gave the Cubs a chance, but empty possessions led to four free throws by Brant Heppner in the final minute to seal the victory.
Heppner was the answer whenever the Lions needed a bucket, whether beyond the 3-point line, or working the low post. He scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half.
Junior forward Spencer Adams keyed the Lions offense in the first half, scoring all of his 15 points on the night, including three 3-pointers.
After DeJong’s 23-point night, senior forward Logan Roth, scored 11 points for the Cubs.
The win keeps the Lions record undefeated at 6-0 in the NWC and 11-0 overall. The Cubs fell to 3-3 in the conference and 4-4 on the season.
On Thursday, Nooksack Valley overcame a 13-0 deficit at home, to edge Burlington-Edison, 51-46.
The Pioneers box-and-one defense on the Tigers’ Logan Heigert was effective in holding him to six first-half points, but the rest of the Tigers, and their own sticky defense, picked up the slack in taking that 13-0 lead.
Senior point, Caden Heutink, got the Pioneers on the board with two scores in the final 1:25 of the first period.
The Tigers lead reached 20-8 when the Pioneers got a spark from senior wing, Tristan Kamphouse, and junior guard, Cole Coppinger. The two combined for nine points in 85 seconds to close the gap to three points.
Junior guard Paxton Booth, then drained a long 3-pointer for the Tigers at the end of the shot clock, giving them a 23-17 lead at halftime.
A Heutink bucket inside, followed by a Coppinger 3-pointer out of the gate in the third quarter got the Pioneers to within a point. The Pioneers took their first lead of the game on a volleyball line 3-pointer by Heutink at the 5:50 mark of the third quarter.
The teams exchanged leads throughout the rest of the third quarter, and through most of the fourth. Heigert scored to give the Tigers a 46-43 lead, but that would be their last points of the contest.
A breakaway lay-in by senior guard Corey Olney gave the Pioneers the lead, 47-46, with 2:20 left.
With the Tigers coming up with empty possessions, senior post Brady Ackerman scored inside for a 3-point lead. The Pioneers added free throws in the final minute to put the game away.
Heutink scored 14 of his team-high 18 points in the second half. Coppinger was next with nine. Heigert scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half. Junior guard, Madden Whitlock, was next with nine points for the Tigers.
That’s the second straight NWC win for the Pioneers (2-5/6-5), who are finally getting over the hump and winning close games, as they have had several of close league losses, so far. It was the third straight loss for the Tigers (3-4/8-4).
It doesn’t get easier, as the Pioneers host Meridian in a pivotal 1A contest on Monday. The Trojans (5-2/9-3) knocked off Anacortes, 57-46, on Thursday, on the Seahawks floor. That’s not an easy thing to do.
The Trojans slowed the pace, as much as you can while still having to shoot every 30 seconds. (Sometimes I miss the old Dean Smith four-corner days).
After an 8-8 tie after eight minutes, the Trojans broke loose in the middle two quarters, outscoring the Seahawks 29-16. Both teams broke loose offensively, in the final quarter, but the Trojans were able to tuck away a comfy win.
The senior scoring duo of Jaeger Fyfe and Talon Jenkins led the Trojans with 16 and 14 points, respectively. They got great help from senior post James Hedahl, who tossed in 11 more.
Junior forward Micah Dickison had a 20-point night for the Seahawks.
In Monday’s Meridian-Nooksack Valley matchup, it’s the boys first at 5:40pm, followed by the girls varsity contest at 7:15p.
Just as big on Monday, is Lakewood’s trip up the I-5 to play the Bellingham Bayhawks. However, both teams are coming off losses.
Sedro-Woolley picked up where they left off against Lynden, as they cruised into Lakewood and came away with an 80-73 win on Friday.
The Cubs broke away from the Cougars in the final minute of the first quarter. Over an eight-minute span, the Cubs went on a 26-6 run for a 44-23 lead. The Cougars took some momentum into halftime, as they scored the final six points of the half.
Over a six-minute span in the late third quarter and early fourth quarter, the Cougars went on a 19-5 run to come within a point of the Cubs, 66-65. But the Cubs never surrendered the lead, and improved to 4-3 in the NWC, and 5-4 overall. The Cougars fell to 5-2 and 8-4.
Bellingham also fell to 5-2 in the conference and 7-5 overall in a 76-46 loss at Lynden on Saturday.
The Lions stayed undefeated (7-0/12-0) as they hit 13-23 from 3-point land. Senior Brant Heppner hit 5-8 and scored 23 points, while junior Spencer Adams was 4-6 for 18 points. Sophomore Malachi Koenen also hit 2-4 3-pointers for ten points.
Junior Joe Harward had 11 points for the Bayhawks, while senior guard Fabian Singh hit 3-5 3-pointers, also scoring 11 points.
Back to Friday, in Oak Harbor, the Wildcats got their first NWC win of the season, defeating Sehome 68-57.
The Wildcats led the whole way, taking a double-digit lead in the third quarter. The Mariners cut the gap to just three points with 1:30 left but could get no closer.
The Wildcats are much improved since last season, and it’s hard to believe that’s their first NWC win.
The Lyncs and Lions are separating themselves from the pack at the present time, as we will cross the halfway point of the conference season this week. Four teams have two losses in a bunched-up battle for third.
There are several juicy games in the coming week. Number one on my list is Meridian at Nooksack, and it’s the first game of the week. (Remember the 5:40pm start time). I vividly remember both of their match ups last season. The Trojans are in that clump of 5-2 teams, while the Pioneers are up to 2-5, but may have rounded that long bend. Looking forward to that “Old School” WCL rivalry!
~ Ted House
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