Coach: Ron Lepper, 21st season with Mount Baker (146-67)
Home Field: Bob Tisdale Field at Mount Baker High School
Last Season: 10-2 (6-0 NWC)
Key Losses: OL/DL Chad Cohn; OL/DL Paul Lebedev; OL/LB Kolton Zender; QB/DB Mason Bass; RB/DB Vadim Kotsyuba.
Top Returnees: RB/LB Jed Schleimer; TE/DE T.J. Bass; WR/S Thomas Barbo; RB/CB Carson Engholm; K Jonathan Ehlers.
HISTORICAL COMPARISON: Carson Brandland & Galen Smith
Brandland comes into this season as a junior two-way starter. Although he will be learning a new position on offense (moved from quarterback to wing back), he’s picking it up quickly. He played a lot last year at outside linebacker, and will likely have a bigger impact as a starter this season.
Smith landed on the scene as a junior, and led the Mounties in tackles that season from his strong safety “monster” position. As a senior he was moved inside to play next to Lee Stavik forming one of the best inside linebacker duos of the 90’s. Smith also took on more responsibility at running back as a senior, rushing for 498 yards and six touchdowns.
https://youtu.be/Y4F8uNoYh5s
2015 RESULTS
Sedro Woolley 20, Mount Baker 7
Mount Baker 69, Oroville 14
Mount Baker 52, Cascade (Leavenworth) 0
Mount Baker 64, Nooksack Valley 30
Mount Baker 33, Meridian 28
Mount Baker 38, Lynden Christian 22
Mount Baker 57, Nooksack Valley 14
Mount Baker 36, Meridian 15
Mount Baker 27, Lynden Christian 15
Mount Baker 56, Sultan 7
Mount Baker 47, Kalama 42
Montesano 51, Mount Baker 21
2016 SCHEDULE
09/02 – at Roosevelt – 7 PM
09/09 – Kelowna (BC) – 7 PM
09/16 – Port Townsend – 7 PM
09/23 – Nooksack Valley – 7 PM
09/30 – at Lynden Christian – 7 PM
10/07 – Meridian – 7 PM
10/14 – at Nooksack Valley – 7 PM
10/21 – Lynden Christian – 7 PM
10/28 – at Meridian – 7 PM
The run that Mount Baker has put together over the past few seasons has been unprecedented in school history, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end any time soon. Coach Ron Lepper brings back a lot of key performers from last year’s squad, but he’s also stressing that it won’t happen again unless you put in the work.
“We believe that you still have to earn it” said Lepper. “Sure, we have some players coming back, but we have to fill a lot of spots, too. Guys have to believe that when it’s their turn to fill a spot, that they can add something to the program.”
Sophomore Kaleb Bass will take over at quarterback for his big brother Mason, and it might be the ideal situation for a first time varsity player to step into. “He won’t be asked to go out and win games for us on his own,” Lepper said. “He has guys around him that can help.”
In 2015, Jed Schleimer decided to take out his pen and completely re-write the school record book, and the All-State running back is back for an encore. He will continue the Schleimer legacy left behind by his brothers; Joe, Jim and Jake. Collectively they have ran for almost 13,000 yards and 172 touchdowns while wearing the red and black. Oh, and here’s a number for you… 7.4. That number represents how many miles they have ran for under the Friday night lights, and it’s ALSO the average yards per carry between them. “Little” Jed will look to add to those totals in 2016.
He will be joined in the backfield once again by junior Carson Engholm, who’s 883 rushing yards last season broke Jed’s school record for rushing yards by a sophomore. Junior Carson Brandland will be the wing back, moving from the quarterback position. Junior Thomas Barbo had a big year last season at wide receiver, and he has all the ability to do it again.
It’s rare when the biggest player on your offensive line is an eligible receiver, but this will be the case with senior tight end T.J. Bass. At 6-foot-5 and 266 pounds he supplies quite the target for his younger cousin. Senior Gene Fleming returns at left tackle after filling for the injured Paul Lebedev in 2015. Junior Luke Steeves takes over at left guard for the currently injured Will Hunter, and junior Michael Barton will start at center. The massive senior combination of Maxwell Tolman and Braxton Shannon round out the line at right guard and tackle, respectively.
The defensive line will be led by T.J. Bass, who was an All-State 1st Team selection last year and had 10 quarterback sacks. Fleming will be the other defensive end with Tolman and Shannon filling out the interior of the line. The inside linebacker spots will be rotated by Schleimer, Barton and sophomore Noah Rathjen. Brandland saw a lot of action last year as an outside linebacker, and will head up that group that welcomes junior Hayden Linderman and sophomore Jay Allen.
William Pilat is diminutive (5-5 136) but has shown significant flashes at camp over the summer, and he will be Baker’s main cover man. Engholm will also start at cornerback with Barbo at safety. Senior Jonathan Ehlers returns at kicker, and senior Jesus Torrero is back at punter.
The Mountaineers have a lot of tools in place to make some special things happen in 2016. Even though I’m a former Mountie, with family members on the team, I will remain objective. However, I hear Tacoma is pretty nice in late November/early December.
Prediction: 9-0
2016 Roster
NO. NAME POSITION HT. WT. YEAR
3 Kobee Malone RB/DB 5-7 141 10
4 Jed Schleimer RB/LB 6-2 203 12
5 Zandy Zender WR/DB 5-10 144 11
9 Carson Brandland QB/LB 5-11 154 11
11 Sergey Fandalyuk WR/DB 6-0 136 12
12 Kaleb Bass QB/DB 5-10 146 10
19 Michael Kentner WR/DB 6-2 167 10
20 Colten Harkness RB/LB 6-0 142 10
21 Jonathan Ehlers RB/DB 5-7 152 12
22 William Pilat WR/DB 5-5 136 12
24 Carson Engholm RB/DB 6-0 156 11
26 Junior Camacho RB/DB 5-8 156 11
32 Thomas Barbo WR/S 6-2 194 11
33 Sam Barrett RB/LB 5-9 162 10
39 Jay Allen RB/LB 6-1 176 10
41 Alex Kotsyuba RB/LB 5-10 156 10
44 Hayden Linderman TE/LB 5-10 173 11
47 T. J. Bass TE/DL 6-5 266 12
50 Ethan Miller OL/DL 5-8 186 11
52 Luke Steeves OL/DL 5-10 185 11
53 Michael Barton OL/LB 5-9 187 11
55 Noah Rathjen OL/LB 5-7 210 10
56 Braeden Shannon OL/DL 5-8 225 10
57 J.J. Kalsbeek OL/DL 5-9 191 10
58 Owyn Alvino-Vance OL/DL 5-7 175 10
59 Wyatt Marsing OL/DL 6-0 183 12
60 Roberto Garcia OL/DL 5-10 224 11
61 Will Hunter OL/LB 6-0 182 12
66 Gene Fleming OL/DL 6-0 196 12
67 Kyler Steeves OL/DL 5-11 166 11
73 Jordan Mitchell OL/DL 5-11 278 11
75 Maxwell Tolman OL/DL 5-11 236 12
77 Braxton Shannon OL/DL 5-10 231 12
79 Logan Sanday OL/DL 5-11 226 10
80 Chase Barter WR/DB 6-0 150 11
81 Noah Armstrong WR/DB 5-7 142 11
84 Jesus Torrero RB/DB 5-7 145 12
87 Chase Craiger TE/DE 6-0 174 10