POSTED: Monday, Oct. 13, 2008
MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: Pioneers only getting better
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closeAs well as the Nooksack Valley football team's offense has played through the first six games of the season the Pioneers are quick to point out there is still room for improvement.
Even after racking up nearly 500 yards of total offense, including 401 yards rushing in a win over Meridian on Friday, Oct. 10, the Pioneers think the best is yet to come.
"We can still do better," Nooksack Valley junior Nick deGrasse said. "We're still learning. We should be getting even more yards the more we run the offense."
This offseason Nooksack Valley switched from the Wing-T offense they had been running for a few years to a shotgun spread look. The change has created greater running lanes for the Pioneers, who still favor keeping the ball on the ground, and made the reads easier for the backs.
"I think there's tons of wrinkles and tons of stuff we can do with this offense," Nooksack Valley coach Robb Myhre said.
It's forced opponents to choose whether they will focus on stopping the run or the pass. So far, teams have leaned toward taking away the pass.
"The last couple weeks teams have really been intent on taking away the pass which has surprised me a little bit," Myhre said. "So we haven't thrown the ball a whole lot, but that's really let us see our own strength, and that's the running game.
"We're going to need to throw the ball here in the very near future. It's been two games in a row now where we haven't thrown our best pass plays. We're still working on finding that consistency."
JOE SUNNEN
LIONS SET AT QB
Lynden looks as if it's set for at least two more exceptionally productive seasons from its young quarterbacks following this year.
The Lions are off to a 4-2 start behind 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior Jordan Hastings, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 263 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Lynden's 57-12 victory over Sehome. In his first six varsity starts, Hastings has completed 68 of 128 passes for 872 yards and eight scores, and has been intercepted only four times, including losses to Class 3A Ferndale and Class 2A Archbishop Murphy, both second-ranked in their divisions.
Lynden's line offered Hastings ideal protection. He was not sacked, and he usually had more than adequate time to spot his targets.
Backup quarterback Cameron Canales, a sophomore who came to Lynden from Canada this fall, displayed his running ability when he scored on a 25-yard fourth-quarter scramble. That was especially impressive, because Canales had to recover from a 3-yard loss on the previous play, a fumble.
MICHELLE NOLAN
GOLDEN EAGLES HAVE OPTIONS
Spencer Hannah has done some amazing things for Ferndale this season.
The senior leads the Northwest Conference with 13 touchdowns and entering the game at Everett on Friday, he was averaging at least two touchdowns per game. But it was just a matter of time before a defense would find a way to take Hannah out of Ferndale's equation. And Everett was the one to do it.
The Seagulls held Hannah to 15 yards rushing on four carries and no touchdowns. Hannah also had 48 receiving yards, but still no score.
That was no problem for the Golden Eagles.
"That's one of things that we think is our strengths, is that we're able to go to other guys when teams try to shut things down," Ferndale coach Jamie Plenkovich said.
Jordan Finkbonner and Jeff Frost stepped up in a big way for Ferndale in its 41-7 win over Everett.
Finkbonner rushed for 103 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns. Frost finished with 103 receiving yards on three catches from Casey Locker for three touchdowns.
"Jeff made some huge plays on offense," Plenkovich said. "They did a good job taking away Spencer and Jordan comes in and does a great job of running the football."
SOMER BREEZE
MOUNTAINEERS STAYING POSITIVE
Mount Baker made just a handful of mishaps on Friday against Sedro-Woolley, but it was enough to cost them a victory.
Still, while the Cubs won the game 32-21, the Mountaineers showed why recent losses should turn into future victories. Trailing Sedro-Woolley 20-14 with 6 minutes, 38 seconds left in the game, quarterback Brian Marshall engineered a 15-play drive that led to a score - a 19-yard touchdown reception by Taylor Engels, his second of the day.
But for one play, the Cubs' Derek Garcia's 55-yard bomb to Ryan Morgan on fourth and 18, the Mountaineers' 21-20 lead likely would have been enough.
Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper sees a drive like the one his team made late in the game and knows they're on the right track.
"We've proven that we can put some things together ... we're just going to keep plugging," Lepper said.
BEN FLETCHER
CHAU TURNS IN BIG NIGHT IN LOSS
In a game with plenty of fourth-quarter and overtime big plays, Blaine's Trevor Chau made the first Friday against Squalicum.
After Blaine was held on its first fourth-quarter possession, the Borderites were forced to punt.
While on punt coverage, Chau pounced on a Storm fumble, giving Blaine new hope in a game it was trailing in 14-6.
Two plays later Chau made a nice grab on a fade route for an 18-yard touchdown. He added a caught on for a 2-point conversion, getting the Borderites even and eventually forcing overtime.
Those plays capped off what had been an outstanding night for Chau, as he caught eight passes for 110 yards.
"Trevor did a real good job for us tonight," Blaine coach Jay Dodd said. "He's got good size and athletic ability and can really make a difference for us."
Unfortunately for Blaine, Chau couldn't make a different on the 2-point conversion play Squalicum used in the third overtime to beat the Borderites 22-21.
DAVID RASBACH
ASPLUND WREACKS HAVOC ON SEAHAWKS
Though he's listed at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Bellingham's Jon Asplund does not have the bulky physique usually associated with defensive linemen.
Instead, Asplund uses his speed and leverage to make things tough on an opposing offensive line.
He certainly did that Saturday, Oct. 12, in the Red Raiders' 40-7 victory over Anacortes at Civic Stadium.
"The coaches told me he had 51/2 sacks, which is just amazing," Bellingham coach Doug Trainor said. "That gives him something like 14 for the season. He definitely coming into his own on the line."
Asplund's performance helped Bellingham hold Anacortes to 173 yards of total offense and without an offensive point.
DAVID RASBACH
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