Coach: Jamie Plenkovich, 13th season with Ferndale (106-31), 17th season overall (132-43)

Home Field: Ferndale High School

Last Season: 7-4 (5-2 NWC)

Key Losses: OL/DL Chris Hernandez; FB/LB Taylor Bellefeuille; OL Nick Bartel; RB/DL Austin Honeycutt; QB/DB Kyler Schemstad

Top Returnees: RB/OLB Ben Broselle; RB/S Justice Powell; QB/CB James Hinson; FB/S Cole Semu; WR/CB Jacob Kildall; OL/DL Winterhawk Leighton

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HISTORICAL COMPARISON: Winterhawk Leighton & Pat Humphrey

A former tight end, Leighton has been moved inside to play offensive tackle. He should also continue his dominance from the defensive tackle position, where he’ll be starting for the third consecutive year.

Humphrey was the main lineman of the 1994 team that helped re-juvinate the Golden Eagle program. His AP All-State selection that season was the first for an offensive lineman in school history.

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2015 RESULTS

Ferndale 35, Kamiakin 34

Oak Harbor 31, Ferndale 28

Ferndale 34, Blaine 20

Ferndale 20, Burlington-Edison 10

Ferndale 55, Anacortes 14

Squalicum 12, Ferndale 7

Lynden 34, Ferndale 7

Ferndale 49, Sehome 7

Ferndale 20, Sedro Woolley 16

Ferndale 49, Marysville-Pilchuck 20

Bellevue 41, Ferndale 7

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2016 SCHEDULE

09/02 – Vancouver Academy (BC) – 7 PM

09/09 – at Lynden – 7 PM

09/17 – South Kitsap – 4 PM

09/23 – at Arlington – 7 PM

09/30 – Marysville-Pilchuck – 7 PM

10/07 – at Stanwood – 7 PM

10/14 – Oak Harbor – 7 PM

10/22 – at Squalicum – 7 PM

10/28 – Marysville-Getchell – 7 PM

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Although they have always been a 3A team, the Golden Eagles will now welcome a full 3A schedule. Playing a schedule filled with larger schools is also something that Coach Jamie Plenkovich is familiar with, when he was an assistant at Sehome in the late 90’s when they were playing in the 4A WesCo League.

“After playing in the Northwest Conference for so long, you get to know the other coaches really well,” Plenkovich said. “Now there’s a new group of coaches, and teams, that you don’t know as well, as far as tendencies and stuff like that. But, they won’t know us as well, either.”

Junior James Hinson returns for his second year as the starting quarterback. Last year he threw for 939 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he will have a lot of his weapons back. He will be backed up by sophomore Conner Obergotsberger.

Gone is the massive running back Austin Honeycutt, and his 1246 yards and 14 touchdowns, but Coach Plenkovich believes he has the most talented group of running backs he’s had in a while. Justice Powell had 827 yards and eight touchdowns last season, while fullback Cole Semu ran for 424 yards and five scores. Ben Broselle was injured in week one (where he had 150 yards and a TD on just eight carries), and is a very dynamic player. They will be backed up by juniors Alfonso Billy and Gabe Zwade, as well as sophomore Gader Fox.

Senior Jacob Kildall caught 11 passes for 212 yards last season, and he will be looked upon as the number one target for Hinson. He will be backed up by junior Jared Emmert. Senior Sky Freeman led Ferndale with 15 catches last season and will return to the lineup after healing from an injury. Junior Carter Colon and senior Jordan Cristelli will be the tight ends.

The offensive line may not have the size that it did in 2015, but it’s more athletic. Senior Nate Slaton will start at center, junior Alex Cleary and 6-foot-4 235-pound freshman phenom Geirean Hatchett will play guard. Senior 255 pounder Winterhawk Leighton moves from tight end to play tackle, and junior Mikhail Varetskiy will be the other tackle.

Leighton returns for his third year as a starting defensive tackle, and he will be joined by 230-pound senior Jack Bartram at tackle. Hatchett and Varetskiy will be the defensive ends. Other defensive tackles include Slaton as well as senior Kahlao Young and sophomore Darius Washington. Zwade and Fox figure to get into the mix at defensive end.

Cleary will play middle linebacker in Ferndale’s 4-3 defense, and he will be flanked by Broselle and Colon. Cristelli will also get valuable time at outside linebacker. Hinson has been starting at cornerback since his freshman year and will lead the secondary. Kildall will be the other corner, with Semu and Powell playing safety. Backups include Emmert and Sequoyah Julius at corner, with Obergotsberger and Watiko Leighton at safety.

6-foot-3 senior Patrick Hegarty will do the kicking, and has worked hard in the offseason to be a really great kicker. Hinson will handle the punting with Powell, Broselle and Semu returning kicks.

The Golden Eagles could have something really special this year, especially if their three running backs have the kind of year that they are capable of having. Ferndale has such a rich football tradition in Whatcom County, it’s time to see what kind of damage they can do against some other schools outside of the county.

Prediction: 6-3

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2016 Roster

First	Last	Number	Grade	Height	Weight	Off.	Def.
Sky	Freeman	2	12	6′ 0″	190	RB	DB
Orlando	Alacron	3	12	5′ 10″	155	WR	DB
Patrick	Hegarty	4	12	6′ 3″	180	K
Marcos	Ortiz	5	11	5′ 8″	145	WR	DB
Jacob	Kildall	6	12	6′ 1″	180	WR	DB
Watiko	Leighton	7	10	6′ 0″	165	WR	DB
Nathan	Howlett	8	10	5′ 8″	155	QB	K
Justice	Powell	9	12	6′ 2″	190	RB	DB
Cole	Nickerson	11	10	5′ 8″	145	WR	DB
Jared	Emmert	12	11	6′ 0″	160	WR	DB
James	Hinson	13	11	6′ 2″	195	QB	DB
Carson	Moyes	17	10	5′ 8″	140	QB	DB
Conner	Obergotsberger	18	10	5′ 8″	170	QB	DB
Ben	Broselle	20	12	6′ 1″	190	RB	LB
Cole	Semu	21	11	5′ 10″	190	RB	DB
Mikhail	Balko	22	10	5′ 9″	145	RB	DB
Sequoyah	Julius	22	10	6′ 0″	160	WR	DB
Gabe	Zwade	23	11	5′ 10″	185	RB	DL
Jacob	Lamphier	24	10	5′ 7″	120	WR	DB
Andrew	Ryan	25	11	5′ 11″	170	RB	LB
Sean	Gomes	26	11	5′ 6″	160	RB	LB
Gader	Fox	29	10	6′ 0″	200	RB	DL
Philip	Valdez	30	12	5′ 9″	150	WR	DB
Logan	Otway	31	12	5′ 6″	125	RB	DB
Jaden	Schwartz	32	10	5′ 8″	150	RB	LB
Carter	Colon	34	11	6′ 3″	190	TE	LB
Alfonso	Billy	35	11	5′ 7″	145	RB	DB
Jaden	Brown	36	10	5′ 10″	150	RB	DB
Bryan	Ebe	38	10	5′ 8″	140	RB	DB
Dillon	Snook	40	10	5′ 9″	145	RB	LB
Jarid	Poole	42	10	5′ 9″	155	WR	DB
Brett	Westford	43	10	5′ 11″	175	RB	LB
Dalton	Cristelli	45	12	5′ 9″	160	RB	LB
Jordan	Cristelli	47	12	5′ 9″	180	TE	LB
Jeremy	Ericson	50	10	5′ 9″	180	OL	DL
Winterhawk	Leighton	52	12	6′ 3″	255	OL	DL
Uriah	Guilory	53	10	5′ 10″	200	OL	DL
Jack	Bartram	54	12	6′ 1″	230	OL	DL
Kahlao	Young	55	12	5′ 8″	205	OL	DL
Alex	Cleary	56	11	6′ 0″	185	OL	LB
Nate	Slaton	57	12	6′ 0″	230	OL	DL
Jurshawn	Pina-Wilson	58	10	5′ 8″	170	OL	DL
Spencer	Crosswhite	61	11	5′ 11″	210	OL	DL
Patrick	Willett	63	11	6′ 0″	290	OL	DL
Nick	Slaughter	64	10	5′ 7″	215	OL	LB
Geirean	Hatchett	66	9	6′ 4″	235	OL	DL
Morgan	Mastorovich	67	11	5′ 11″	250	OL	DL
Kyle	Ruiz	69	12	6′ 2″	280	OL	DL
Isaac	Martin	70	10	5′ 4″	163	OL	DL
Logan	Hildebrand	71	10	6′ 3″	195	OL	DL
Shawn	Godinez	72	10	5′ 9″	180	OL	DL
Darius	Washington	73	10	5′ 10″	260	OL	DL
Kody	Gunderson	75	12	6′ 0″	215	OL	DL
Mikhail	Varetskiy	76	11	6′ 2″	205	OL	DL
Anthony	Barrera	78	10	6′ 1″	260	OL	DL
Austin	Roughton	80	11	5′ 9″	145	WR	DB
Joey	Thompson	81	11	5′ 10″	145	WR	DB
Taylor	Lupo	82	10	5′ 4″	110	WR	DB
Caleb	Long	84	10	5′ 7″	145	WR	DB
Darius	Walker-Perkins	85	11	6′ 2″	215	TE	DL
Tyler	Hoffmaster	87	10	5′ 10″	175	TE	LB
Micah	Oostra	88	11	6′ 1″	155	WR	DB