Christmas break time in the state, and Northwest Conference teams are scattered all over the place. I’ll take a look at who did what this week and take a way-too-early peak at what the competition looks like, state-wide.
But first, let’s rewind to Monday. Lynden Christian entered the Arlington High School gym with a 7-0 record, averaging 77 points per game. The Eagles of the 4A Wesco Conference had a record of 5-2, scoring 65 points per game, but have a player who averages a fraction from a triple-double in each contest.
That player would be 6-0 senior guard, Leyton Martin, who was also tabbed as the Wesco Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year in football, three days earlier.
In the end, it was Arlington eking out a 92-90 win over the Lyncs. How many overtimes you ask? Well, none.
(NOTE: Not being able to attend the game in Arlington, I was able to watch the second half via the NFHS Network. Later, when I sat down to watch the game in its entirety, it was no longer on the NFHS Network. It somehow disappeared from the interwebs. Therefore, this game log information was gathered from notes on “X,” and the LC box score, thanks to WhatcomPreps.com. Oh, also a little bit from memory).
It would certainly be a guard’s game, as the Lyncs also have an abundance of talent in the backcourt, starting with the Dykstra’s, senior, Gannon, and sophomore, Gunnar. Add to that, sophomore Dawson Hintz, who came on very strong for the Lyncs, late last season. Hintz was playing his first game this season, after recovering from a football injury.
Arlington has been known to play various Northwest Conference teams in non-league games and are generally a very competitive program. If you like passing, watch the Eagles. They are always very good at it, and also known to add a little “flair” to the dish on occasion.
They lost to Garfield in last year’s first round of the State Tournament, in the Tacoma Dome.
This one turned out to be one for the record books, offensively speaking. The Eagles trailed the Lyncs through most of the first three quarters, finally pushing past the Lyncs in the first minutes of the final period.
The Lyncs led 52-38 at halftime, but the Eagles bettered that with a 54-38 reversal of fortunes second half. That included a 26-17 advantage in the fourth quarter. The Lyncs led by as much 18-points earlier in the contest.
The guards played as advertised, as Gannon Dykstra, as usual, led the Lyncs with 36 points. No defense yet has been able to make him have an “off night.”
Gunnar Dykstra came up with nine points for the Lyncs, but Hintz came through with 19 points in his first action, including five 3-pointers, with three of those from very long range in the fourth quarter.
Back to the passing expertise of the Eagles, in one transition down the left side of the floor, the ball was passed to the low post, then a quick behind the back bounce pass went across the key to a diving teammate, perfectly placed for an easy lay-in. However, the shot attempt was quickly recognized and blocked by an alert Kaden Veldman, the Lyncs 6-4 sophomore forward.
And for Martin? He filled the scoresheet with 45 points, 11 rebounds and four steals.
Despite their first loss, the Lyncs can take many positives out of this game. They added another quality player; played an outstanding game against a tough team on the road; and probably forced AHS to replace the singed nets before their next home contest.
Arlington will host Anacortes on Thursday, January 30.
The Lyncs rebounded quickly, gathering two more wins in a two-day basketball showcase at Mountlake Terrace High School. On Friday, they beat the host 3A Hawks, 59-39, then wiped out 4A Woodinville on Saturday, 76-53. The Lyncs are now 9-1 on the season, and “maybe” there is one other 1A team playing that well, or better. More on that later.
Also at Mountlake Terrace, Squalicum got a win over 4A Jackson on Friday, 64-46. On Saturday, the Storm took on 3A Inglemoor and got a 48-44 win. The Storm are now 3-5 on the season.
The SunDome in Yakima is always filled with state tournament hopefuls in their two-day event called the Wilbur-Ellis SunDome Shootout. Lynden and Lakewood made the trip again this year.
The Cougars took out 4A Lake Stevens on Friday, 61-49, then lost to Selah on Saturday, 65-58.
In that game, the Cougars trailed 20-4, but cut the Vikings lead to ten at halftime, and crept to within four points in the fourth quarter but could not get over the hump.
Funny things happen to offenses in the big mushroom, that’s why 1A and 2A state hopefuls want to experience those surroundings before it really counts.
Lakewood heads to the 2025 portion of their schedule with a record of 6-2.
No one is more familiar with the SunDome surroundings since the Sun Kings folded in 2008 than the Lynden Lions.
The Lions got a 2024 state championship game rematch with Grandview on Friday, and as offenses sometimes go, and don’t go, in the SunDome, the Lions edged the Greyhounds 46-41.
After leading 32-28 after three quarters, the Lions found themselves down 39-36 with four minutes to play. But a 10-2 run for the Lions the rest of the way kept their record perfect.
Both teams shot just 31 percent from the field, with 6-6 senior Brant Heppner scoring 18 points and collecting 11 rebounds.
Grandview responded well with a 69-51 beating of Bremerton on Saturday. The Greyhounds are now 8-2 on the season. Bremerton fell to 4-3, also losing to West Valley-Yakima, 82-59 on Friday. The Knights were the early season “darling” of the 2A classification, as they returned much of the team who lost to Lynden by a single point in last year’s state semifinals.
On Saturday, the Lions scored just 46 points for the second day in a row, but held Bonney Lake to only 31, in a 15-point win, to go to 8-0 on the season.
The Lions were supposed to play 1A state favorite Annie Wright on Saturday, but the Gators were a late scratch as they opted to play in a tournament in Portland. Bonney Lake is now 4-5 on the season, which includes a loss to Zillah on Friday.
The Lions continue to adjust their lineup to deal with foot issues for 6-7 senior Jack Stapleton. His condition has been managed well over the past two seasons, and he was held out this weekend, and may not see action for a while longer. Sophomore guard, Malachi Koenen, moves into the Lions starting lineup.
Also in Eastern Washington, Sehome split two games at Central Washington University. The Mariners lost to Ellensburg on Friday, 56-39. The Bulldogs are 3-4 in the very deep CWAC.
On Saturday, the Mariners responded with a 52-38 win over 4A Eastmont. The Wildcats are 1-7, while the Mariners are now 4-5.
A little farther to the north, Anacortes visited Chelan for a pair of games and won both.
On Friday, the Seahawks beat 2B Liberty Bell, 56-44, at Chelan High School. The Mountain Lions were 5-1 entering that game and lost to La Center the following day.
On Saturday, the Seahawks were in a tight one with the host, Chelan. The 1A Mountain Goats were 7-0 on the season entering that game.
Trailing 41-37 after three quarters, the Seahawks took the lead for good on a 3-point shot by senior guard, Jake Andrew, with six minutes remaining, for a 42-41 lead.
The Goats first field goal of the fourth quarter came with 1:10 to play as a result of an offensive rebound. The Seahawks outscored Chelan 21-5 in the fourth quarter, which included a 16-1 run. The Seahawks finish 2024 with a 4-1 record.
Burlington-Edison got a couple wins at home on the weekend, first beating 1A Northwest House 71-55 (something about that team I like), and then our friends from Tamanawis of Surrey B.C., 66-64. The Tigers record improves to 8-1.
At Meridian, the Trojans fell short in the championship game of their tournament, losing 66-54 to 4A Kamiak. Before that, the Trojans got wins over Seattle Christian, 67-44, and Tonasket, 70-60.
Against Tonasket, the Trojans scored the first 18 points of the game, then led 40-16 at halftime. But the 2B Tigers crept back to find themselves down only 58-52 with under five minutes left. But the Trojans were able to weather the storm for the ten-point win. They are 7-2 on the season.
Bellingham went 1-2 in the same tournament, losing to 1A Overlake on Thursday, 57-53. They got a day-two win over Seattle Christian, 87-80, then fell on Saturday, 63-60 to Bellevue Christian. The Bayhawks are now 5-4.
Okay, with all the crisscrossing games this week, there is enough information out there to get a feel for who might be the top competitors for the big Gold Ball in March. Here goes:
1A:
Right now, it starts and ends with Annie Wright (8-0) and Lynden Christian (9-1). The Gators are still loaded from last year, and the Lyncs have reloaded.
Last season, the Gators edged the Lyncs by two points in the state semifinals, then lost by that much to Zillah in the title game. Annie Wright picked up three games in Portland this weekend, and the Lyncs did themselves well with scheduling, and still has the tough NWC to negotiate.
If one of those two fails to honor that badge, the next best contender is Zillah who is 7-2 after beating Kings on Saturday, 57-39. The Leopards losses are to CWAC powers Grandview and Prosser.
Some others that I expect to see in March in Yakima include: Meridian (7-2), Royal (7-0), Bear Creek (7-2), Kings (4-3), Overlake (5-2), Chelan (7-1), Bellevue Christian (6-1), and Riverside (6-2).
***I realize that there may be combinations from certain districts which may not have enough allocations to include all the teams I mentioned above.***
2A
Right now, the top of the heap in 2A is Lynden (8-0), and Grandview (8-2). Lynden is winning with defense and rebounding right now, and that’s not a bad combination. Plus, their recent and past history, they are a contender no matter how you slice it. The Greyhounds have the experience and the firepower to be there at the end.
On the next level, these teams are hard to differentiate, and they are not far behind the top two, if at all.
The CWAC, NWC, and the Greater Saint Helens League are, again, all quite deep with quality teams planning on a trip to Yakima.
On level two, even though they are only 4-3 so far, I think you have to include Bremerton but keep an eye on another from the Olympic league, Sequim, who is 7-0. Prosser (7-2) also spells trouble. And out of the Greater St. Helens League, it’s a coin-flip, and the current winner is Columbia River (6-2).
An inch behind that group is Mark Morris (9-1), and RA Long (7-1). Selah (6-2) is dangerous as they keep adding more “Pepper” to the recipe. From the NWC, Burlington-Edison (8-1), and Lakewood (6-2) are also in the fight.
***Same thing here, especially when you know that of all the state-quality teams in the NWC, only two will qualify for state, again this year.***
The upcoming week kicks into gear on Monday with a couple more non-conference games, and then goes dark for a few days. Be ready, because Friday and Saturday, this thing really kicks in to gear, and it’s only six weeks to the finish line.
~ Ted House
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