Coach: Curt Kramme, 26th season with Lynden (237-59)
Home Field: Rollie DeKoster Field at Lynden High School
Last Season: 6-4 (5-2 NWC)
Key Losses: WR/DB Jordan Wittenberg; QB Sterling Somers; OL/LB Jensen Maberry; K Per Wolfisberg; WR/DB Noah King; DL Nathan Gomes.
Top Returnees: G/DL Tanner Steele; WR/PR Rylan Severson; QB/RB Jacob Hommes; RB/ILB Brody Weinheimer; TE/DE Davis Bode; WR/CB Landon DeBruin.
HISTORICAL COMPARISON: James Marsh & Zach Vis
Even though Marsh is just a sophomore, his skill level gives him a chance to become a very special player. He will be worked in at quarterback and as a safety. He was a valuable piece of last years varsity basketball team as just a freshman.
Vis was one of the best players Lynden has ever produced in its rich history. So, the comparison is a lofty one. Though Vis was not a quarterback, he was a great safety that had tremendous instincts, speed and size.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3trqVdy4E
2015 RESULTS
King’s 21, Lynden 14
Lynden 53, Lakewood 0
Squalicum 27, Lynden 0
Lynden 52, Anacortes 20
Lynden 47, Sehome 14
Lynden 34, Burlington-Edison 16
Lynden 34, Ferndale 7
Sedro Woolley 32, Lynden 29
Lynden 37, Blaine 14
Sedro Woolley 21, Lynden 17 (District Playoff)
2016 SCHEDULE
09/02 – Terry Fox Secondary (BC) – 7 PM
09/09 – Ferndale – 7 PM
09/17 – Bellingham – 7 PM
09/23 – at Sedro Woolley – 7 PM
09/30 – at Lakewood – 7 PM
10/07 – Blaine – 7 PM
10/14 – at Anacortes – 7 PM
10/21 – Burlington-Edison – 7 PM
10/28 – at Sehome – 7 PM
Just because the Lions didn’t make the state tournament last season doesn’t mean that they were a bad team. They were actually a great team, with great players, that had a bad draw. Even though there are a lot of new faces on this year’s squad, the talent is there to make another deep run.
“The coachability, attitude and work ethic of this year’s team has been great,” Coach Curt Kramme said. “We always say that defense wins championships, and our defense will be key this year.”
If anyone knows what it takes to be a champion, it’s Kramme. His Lions have taken home the big trophy seven times, and he also was a big part of Whatcom County’s first ever state champion football team as an All-League 1st team quarterback and defensive back of the 1978 Blaine Borderites.
Senior Jacob Hommes and sophomore James Marsh will start the season as rotating quarterbacks. “Jacob has done a really nice job in the offseason and has put on about 25 pounds of muscle,” Kramme said. “He’s a senior that deserves his chance. But, when he’s not at quarterback he will play running back for us.”
Hommes averaged seven yards per carry last season, and scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Senior Brody Weinheimer has bulked up to 220 pounds and will get the “Lion’s share” (pardon the pun) of the carries.
Playing wide receiver for Lynden… now that looks like a lot of fun! Since changing to the spread offense in 2005 the Lions’ receiving statistics have ballooned, and they have produced some great ones. Gone are Jordan Wittenberg and Noah King (along with their 100 catches from last season), but Coach Kramme believes that he has a lot of weapons out wide this year. Junior Aaron Weidenaar will be joined by a trio of athletic seniors; Landon DeBruin, Rylan Severson and Connor Shine.
“Instead of having two really great players to throw the ball to, we’ll have a better balance of athletes that have to be accounted for,” said Kramme. “We’ll also play according to our personnel, which will result in us using more tight end sets.”
Senior Davis Bode is more comfortable back at tight end after splitting out at wide receiver last season. Either junior Trey LaBounty or sophomore Jacob Kettels will be snatched from offensive tackle to be a second tight end. Senior Jack Petersen is another tight end that will see some action.
Tanner Steele will be back to anchor the Lynden offensive line. Although he is currently being recruited to play center, he will likely play guard, or whichever tackle spot that would be vacated by either LaBounty or Kettels. Edward Andrews is back at center, and senior guards Brennan Roebuck and Ricky Lopez round out the offensive line.
It will be a typical Lynden Lion defensive line with a stout nose guard, a pair of quick slanting defensive tackles and two lanky defensive ends. Steele will line up at nose, with a rotation of Andrew and Lopez. Senior Tyus Wilson and junior Jordan Brockmeyer will man the defensive tackle spots. LaBounty and Kettels will be the defensive ends, as they are the last in a long line of great defensive ends in Coach Kramme’s 26 years at Lynden.
Weinheimer will play inside linebacker and will be joined by the junior tackling machine, Gage Bates. DeBruin will start at one corner and on the other side will be junior Cory Warner, who Coach Kramme said has been the surprise of camp so far. Weidenaar and Shine will start at safety, with Marsh the super-sophomore waiting in the wings.
Senior Nick Parris will handle the kicking duties along with junior Isaiah Baseden. Sophomore Trevin Melendez will be the punter. Severson will be the main return man for the Lions with DeBruin helping on kickoffs and Hommes on punts.
Going into the summer, I wasn’t as high as usual on Lynden football for 2016. And then I went to practice. Seeing the size, the athleticism, the enthusiasm… I realized that Lynden doesn’t rebuild, they re-load. They will have a very strong year, and will challenge for yet another NWC title.
Prediction: 8-1
2016 Roster
|
NUMBER |
FIRST NAME |
LAST NAME |
CLASS |
|
1 |
AARON |
WEIDENAAR |
JR |
|
2 |
JACOB |
HOMMES |
SR |
|
3 |
RYLAN |
SEVERSON |
SR |
|
4 |
ELIJAH |
VANDER HAAK |
SOPH |
|
5 |
BO |
BOVENKAMP |
JR |
|
6 |
PRESTION |
KING |
SOPH |
|
7 |
ZJ |
MILLS |
SOPH |
|
8 |
KOBE |
ELSNER |
SOPH |
|
9 |
LANDON |
DEBRUIN |
SR |
|
10 |
NATHAN |
DOERING |
SOPH |
|
12 |
OWEN |
BODE |
SOPH |
|
13 |
SUNNY |
BRAR |
JR |
|
14 |
CORY |
WARNER |
JR |
|
15 |
PABLO |
MARTINEZ |
SOPH |
|
17 |
ERIC |
MARTIN-MANN |
SOPH |
|
18 |
JAMES |
MARSH |
SOPH |
|
20 |
CONNOR |
SHINE |
SR |
|
21 |
BLAKE |
SILVES |
SOPH |
|
22 |
GAGE |
BATES |
JR |
|
24 |
GABRIEL |
GOMEZ |
SOPH |
|
27 |
GRANT |
VANDER YACHT |
SOPH |
|
29 |
TREVIN |
MELENDEZ |
SOPH |
|
30 |
CODY |
SWENDT |
SR |
|
33 |
KAIDEN |
VANDALEN |
SOPH |
|
34 |
BRENDON |
KLEINDEL |
SOPH |
|
35 |
BRODY |
WEINHEIMER |
SR |
|
36 |
BRADEN |
BLACK |
SOPH |
|
37 |
JORDAN |
BROCKMEYER |
JR |
|
38 |
PAYTON |
SCOTT |
SOPH |
|
39 |
ANTHONY |
BAIRD |
SOPH |
|
42 |
NICK |
PARRIS |
SR |
|
43 |
ISAIAH |
BASEDEN |
JR |
|
44 |
ADRIAN |
VELASQUEZ |
SOPH |
|
45 |
ADAM |
PAYNE |
JR |
|
46 |
JORDAN |
PETERSON-SCOTTER |
SR |
|
47 |
TERRELL |
PEAVY |
SOPH |
|
50 |
COOPER |
BROWN |
SOPH |
|
51 |
URIAH |
MCSORLEY |
SOPH |
|
52 |
BRET |
HEPPNER |
SR |
|
53 |
TANNER |
STEELE |
SR |
|
56 |
KADEN |
MAYBERRY |
SOPH |
|
58 |
MICAH |
SMITH |
SR |
|
59 |
CAUY |
SHAGREN |
JR |
|
60 |
EDWARD |
ANDREWS |
SR |
|
67 |
ALEX |
PETERSEN |
SR |
|
68 |
DJ |
DAHLGREN |
JR |
|
69 |
BAILEY |
TOTTON |
SOPH |
|
71 |
COLE |
CRASS |
JR |
|
72 |
KEVIN |
ANTONIO |
SOPH |
|
73 |
JACOB |
KETTELS |
SOPH |
|
74 |
BRYCE |
BOSMAN |
SOPH |
|
75 |
DORIAN |
LANDRY |
SOPH |
|
76 |
TREY |
LABOUNTY |
JR |
|
77 |
BRENNAN |
ROEBUCK |
SR |
|
79 |
RICKY |
LOPEZ |
SR |
|
82 |
CARSON |
BODE |
SOPH |
|
83 |
TYUS |
WILSON |
SR |
|
85 |
DERRIC |
LLOYD |
JR |
|
88 |
JACK |
PETERSEN |
SR |
|
98 |
LAYNE |
SMITH |
SOPH |
|
99 |
DAVIS |
BODE |
SR |