‘We’ve got to be proud’ — Nooksack Valley falls just short in semifinal heartbreaker

Nooksack Valley’s football team has never suffered so much heartache, yet has never achieved so much success.

Sixth-seeded Nooksack’s 24-23 loss in overtime to second-seeded Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) Saturday at Union Stadium was the Pioneers’ second consecutive one-point defeat in the State Playoffs 1A semifinals.

Even so, the seniors and several younger standouts became the first Nooksack players to qualify for consecutive semifinals in the 50-year history of the playoffs. The Pioneers went 18-6 over that span, with only one loss by more than two points.

The Pioneers (9-3) fell agonizingly short of earning a berth in the school’s first state final. The sobs and tears of numerous seniors told that story.

Last year’s Nooksack senior class endured similar emotions with their 14-13 loss to Mount Baker, which went on to finish second to Royal. Lakeside will play for the state title against three-time defending champion Royal, a 42-0 winner over Seton Catholic.

As parents and other relatives and fans waited to console their heroes, head coach Craig Bartl and each of his assistants provided their personal perspectives and, to a man, they told the Pioneers how proud they were of them and how meaningful their semifinal appearances had been.

“The job’s not finished though,” said junior wide receiver/defensive back Cory Olney, who had Nooksack’s only interception and caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brown against Lakeside (12-0), which had not given up more than 21 points all season. Nooksack finished with 568 points.

“A lot of our young guys worked their butts off on the scout team and they’re going to show it next season,” Olney said. “One hundred percent.”

When the game ended 17-17 in regulation after the Pioneer held the Eagles to 13 net yards on their final three possessions combined, sending the game to a Kansas Tiebreaker, Lakeside won the coin flip and deferred to Nooksack.

Beginning with the ball on the 25 and each team guaranteed a possession, fiery junior running back Colton Lentz rushed for 11 yards and then scored from the 14 behind effective blocks by every Nooksack lineman for a 23-17 lead.

It was Lentz’s eighth touchdown in three playoff games and enabled him to finish with a game-high 142 yards on 25 carries and more than 1,400 yards rushing for the season, according to statistics kept by the Whatcom Preps website. He wound up with a school-record 25 touchdowns rushing and 28 in all, giving him a school career record 45 touchdowns on the ground and 48 in all.

Senior kicker Jorgen Vigre, who earlier booted his sixth field goal of the season and two conversions, then missed only his second extra point kick in 70 attempts — perhaps the best percentage in country history for anyone with more than 50 attempts.

When offered consolation, Vigre was asked if he wanted college scouts to consider him. “Sure,” he said without a smile, realizing that one kick would not define such a consistent prospect who finished as the county’s kick-scoring champion with 86 points.

But Lentz, Olney and more than four dozen other non-seniors will have to wait until next season for a state title shot.

After a brilliant tackle against Lakeside by senior linebacker Skyler Whittern made it third-and 8 at the 23-yard line, a pass interference penalty put the Eagles on the 12. Senior quarterback Calvin Mikkelsen immediately shot a 12-yard touchdown pass over the middle to untouched Luke Pedersen for his only catch of the game and senior kicker Noah Hamilton kicked the game-winning extra point.

“We’ve got to be proud of where we’ve come as a program,” said Bartl. “We made a few too many mistakes in a game like this. But I’m absolutely proud of them. Our seniors have brought us here with hard work day-in and day-out for two years.”

“We had a great accomplishment,” said all-league offensive lineman Dalton Hickey. “We’ve got a lot to be proud of.”

Nooksack took a 7-0 lead with a 14-play, 59-yard drive capped by all-league senior lineman John Stremler’s 4-yard touchdown run untouched out of the team’s special late-season jumbo package.

Early in the fourth quarter, following Whittern’s 33-yard burst, Stremler rambled 43 yards for his team’s longest play of the game. But Lakeside stiffened and four more plays netted zero yards.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our guys,” said Stremler, who has been in contact with Eastern Washington University. When it was suggested that he was such a bright and serious leader that he would someday be mayor of Everson, he just grinned through his sorrow.

Hamilton and Vigre traded field goals of 25 and 39 yards, leaving Nooksack ahead 10-3. Olney’s interception then set up a 50-yard, eight-play drive ended by Olney’s nine-yard touchdown grab for a 17-3 advantage. It was Brown’s 15th scoring pass of the season and 24th touchdown produced by passing or running.

Brown completed 9 of 18 passes for 94 yards to finish with more than 1,900 yards total offense.

“I can’t say much right now,” said Nooksack’s fourth-year leader with eyes reddened by tears. “But yes, I am very proud of our team.”

Mikkelsen, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 201 yards, pulled Lakeside within 17-10 on Hiro Patterson’s leaping 23-yard touchdown pass with 1:06 left in the first half. Patterson caught eight passes for 59 yards.

Lakeside’s only interception against Brown was by Patterson at midfield. After a 27-yard pass from Hamilton to Jett Winger on a fake punt, the Eagles tied it at 17-17 on a 5-yard by Patterson and Hamilton’s conversion kick with 2:19 left in the third quarter.

Lakeside’s plays of 49, 34, 27 and 23 yards provided nearly half of the Eagles’ 307 yards on 46 plays. Lentz and Whittern — who finished with 60 yards on 10 runs to wind up with more than 1,200 yards — enabled the Pioneers to wind up with 365 total yards on 65 plays including two turnovers.

Nooksack endured a major loss when quick two-way backfield standout Jackson Bennett could participate in only a handful more plays after limping off with an ankle problem suffered on the Pioneers’ third play from scrimmage. Fellow receiver/defensive back Evan Bravo could not play in overtime after being injured on the second of two catches on the Pioneers’ last drive in regulation.

FERNDALE HONORS

Running back/safety Conner Walcker and two-way lineman Camden Raymond won All-Wesco Conference honors on both offense and defense for Ferndale, which competed with 13 other schools for the votes of coaches.

Ferndale’s honors:

First Team Offense

RB — Conner Walcker, Sr.

OL — Camden Raymond, Sr.

First Team Defense

LB — Talan Bungard, Jr.

DL — Raymond.

DB — Walcker.

Second Team Offense

RB — Bungard.

OL — Kellan LeFave, Sr.

Second Team Defense

DL — LeFave.

LB — Jacob Gandy, Jr.

Honorable Mention

Phoenyx Finkbonner, RB and DL.

Bishop Ootsey, QB and DB.

Kulshan LaValley, OL.

STATE PLAYOFF SEMIFINALS

(12 GAMES)

4A

Lake Stevens 48, Kamiakin 7

Graham-Kapowsin 27, Eastlake 24

3A

Yelm 7, Eastside Catholic 0

Bellevue 21, O’Dea 17

2A

Anacortes 34, Enumclaw 20

Tumwater 19, North Kitsap 17

1A

Lakeside 24, Nooksack Valley (overtime)

Royal 42, Seton Catholic

2B

Napavine 36, Onalaska 26

Okanogan 21, Northwest Christian 0

1B (Eight-Man)

Liberty Bell 64, Neah Bay 34

Wilbur/Creston/Keller 66, Mossyrock 22