Coach: Robb Myhre, 17th season with Nooksack Valley (88-79)
Home Field: Sid Lambert Field at Nooskack Valley High School
Last Season: 1-9 (0-6 NWC)
Key Losses: QB/RB Joe McNeely; WR/DB Michael Jackson.
Top Returnees: WR/LB Kyle Veldman; QB Casey Bauman; OL/DL Kirk Veldman; WR/DB Michael O’Bryan; OL/DE Evan Blankers; RB/LB Colton Kautz; WR/DB Austin O’Bryan; WR/DB Tre Silva.
HISTORICAL COMPARISON: Kirk Veldman & Brad Holt
Veldman has been starting on the offensive line since his freshman year, and he was named All-League 1st Team as a sophomore last season. His steady improvement gives the Pioneers a 270-pound beast to run behind, as well as a personal protector for quarterback Casey Bauman.
Holt was similar in size to Veldman, maybe an inch or so taller, and he could clear a path with the best of them. Holt also got a little run as a goal line back… maybe we’ll see Veldman do the same?
2015 RESULTS
Anacortes 47, Nooksack Valley 33
Montesano 56, Nooksack Valley 0
Cascade Christian 42, Nooksack Valley 8
Mount Baker 64, Nooksack Valley 30
Lynden Christian 19, Nooksack Valley 14
Meridian 49, Nooskack Valley 28
Mount Baker 57, Nooksack Valley 14
Lynden Christian 35, Nooksack Valley 28
Meridian 42, Nooksack Valley 6
Nooksack Valley 51, South Whidbey 8
2016 SCHEDULE
09/02 – at Blaine – 7 PM
09/09 – Granite Falls – 7 PM
09/16 – at Coupeville – 7 PM
09/23 – at Mount Baker – 7 PM
09/30 – Meridian – 7 PM
10/07 – at Lynden Christian – 7 PM
10/14 – Mount Baker – 7 PM
10/21 – at Meridian – 7 PM
10/28 – Lynden Christian – 7 PM
It has to feel like Deja Vu for Coach Robb Myhre and the rest of his coaching staff, all 11 returns from both sides of the ball are back! That can only mean good things for the boys in purple.
“It’s really about developing that confidence this season,” Myhre said. “It’s going to be important for us to get off to a good start, and set the tone for the rest of the year. We need to know that we can compete with the rest of the conference.”
Junior Casey Bauman returns at quarterback after putting up very big numbers as a sophomore (60% completion percentage, 1736 yards, 14 touchdowns to just eight interceptions). At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds he’s already starting to get some looks from a few colleges. He also led the team in rushing last year with 276 yards and three more scores.
Senior Colton Kautz is back at running back after missing more than half of 2015 with an injury. He’s a 200-pound back that averaged 4.5 yards per carry last year, with 15 receptions and five total touchdowns. The Pioneers have a bevy of receivers that will rotate in and out. Usually with four on the field, they will go with Michael O’Bryan (51 receptions last year), Kyle Veldman (36), Tre Silva (36) and sophomore Austin O’Bryan, who was a back up quarterback last season.
The offensive line will be led by three-year starter Kirk Veldman at left tackle. Junior Luke Winter is back at left guard, with 225-pound senior Zach Daniels at center. 260-pound senior Tyson Mergel will man the right guard position, 220-pound senior Alex Boots is back at right tackle. Everyone is back in the same spots on the line, and everyone is a year better and a year bigger, averaging 241 pounds from tackle to tackle.
Coach Myhre is as excited about his front-four unit on the defensive line since his 2009 team. Mergel and Kirk Veldman will play in the middle with Winter on the outside along with Evan Blankers, who was an All-Conference 1st Team selection last season. Kyle Veldman is one of the league’s hardest hitters, and he’ll be back at inside linebacker. But, many players are in the running to play next to him. Senior Mark Coppinger missed all of last year, and he will be in the mix along with Kautz and senior Tanner Schoonover.
The outside linebackers will be Austin O’Bryan and senior Jeremy Dykes. Junior Levi Ten Kley is back as one of the starting cornerbacks with Silva on the other side. Michael O’Bryan will be the safety. Kautz will handle all of the kicking duties, and was the All-Conference punter last season. Silva and Michael O’Bryan will be returning kicks, as they did last season.
It’s always hard to predict what a team will do when so many players return. Even though they won one game last season, it was the last one of the year. I believe that they will win much more this year, and challenge for a playoff spot.
Prediction: 4-5
2016 Roster
| H# | A# | Name | Height | Weight | Position | Year |
| Clancy Coppinger | 6′ 0″ | 135 | WR/LB | 9 | ||
| Mason Lentz | 5′ 8″ | 190 | OL/DT | 9 | ||
| 1 | 1 | JEREMY DYKES | 6′ 1″ | 170 | WR/LB | 12 |
| 2 | 2 | Casey Bauman | 6′ 5″ | 210 | QB/LB | 11 |
| 3 | 3 | Kyle Long | 5′ 6″ | 130 | WR/LB | 9 |
| 4 | 4 | Brenan Blankers | 5′ 7″ | 130 | WR/LB | 11 |
| 5 | 5 | Austin O’Bryan | 5′ 7″ | 165 | WR/LB | 10 |
| 7 | 7 | EVAN NEITLING | 5′ 6″ | 135 | RB/DB | 10 |
| 10 | 10 | Keldon Weidkamp | 5′ 7″ | 150 | QB/DB | 9 |
| 11 | 11 | Halston Boersema | 6′ 0″ | 140 | WR/DB | 10 |
| 12 | 12 | Logan Clabaugh | 5′ 7″ | 110 | WR/DB | 9 |
| 13 | 27 | KYLE VELDMAN | 5′ 11″ | 185 | WR/LB | 11 |
| 14 | 14 | BAYLOR GALLEY | 5′ 7″ | 125 | WR/DB | 10 |
| 15 | 15 | Michael O’Bryan | 5′ 10″ | 165 | WR/DB | 12 |
| 18 | 18 | Zach Johnson | 5′ 11″ | 140 | QB/LB | 9 |
| 20 | 20 | Conner Passe | 6′ 0″ | 150 | WR/LB | 11 |
| 20 | 82 | JORDAN VEENING | 6′ 4″ | 180 | WR/DB | 11 |
| 21 | 21 | Cameron Bauman | 5′ 7″ | 130 | WR/LB | 9 |
| 22 | 22 | Devin Lackey | 5′ 6″ | 145 | RB/LB | 10 |
| 23 | 23 | Braden Leyba | 5′ 6″ | 130 | RB/LB | 9 |
| 25 | 25 | Tre Silva | 5′ 9″ | 155 | WR/DB | 11 |
| 28 | 28 | Ryan Veening | 6′ 1″ | 170 | WR/LB | 9 |
| 31 | 31 | Travis Cunningham | 5′ 8″ | 150 | WR/DB | 9 |
| 32 | 32 | MARK COPPINGER | 5′ 11″ | 175 | WR/LB | 12 |
| 34 | 34 | Cole Eldridge | 5′ 11″ | 160 | WR/DB | 9 |
| 44 | 44 | Colton Kautz | 6′ 1″ | 200 | RB/LB | 12 |
| 50 | 50 | Alex Boots | 6′ 2″ | 220 | OL/DE | 12 |
| 51 | 51 | Hayden Hester | 5′ 9″ | 210 | OL/DT | 10 |
| 52 | 52 | LOGAN RODRIQUEZ | 5′ 10″ | 190 | OL/LB | 12 |
| 53 | 53 | Evan Blankers | 6′ 2″ | 175 | OL/DE | 12 |
| 54 | 54 | Easton Zylstra | 5′ 11″ | 200 | OL/DE | 9 |
| 55 | 55 | Luke Winter | 6′ 1″ | 230 | OL/DE | 11 |
| 56 | 56 | Zach Daniels | 5′ 10″ | 225 | C/DT | 12 |
| 57 | 57 | JORDAN PRINK | 6′ 0″ | 210 | OL/DT | 10 |
| 60 | 60 | Levi Harlan | 6′ 2″ | 210 | OL/DE | 9 |
| 62 | 62 | Cy Encinias | 6′ 1″ | 205 | OL/DE | 10 |
| 64 | 64 | Hunter Morgan | 5′ 5″ | 160 | C/DT | 9 |
| 65 | 65 | LANDON BRULAND | 6′ 2″ | 165 | OL/DE | 10 |
| 66 | 66 | Conner Bruland | 5′ 8″ | 140 | OL/LB | 9 |
| 68 | 68 | KIRK VELDMAN | 6′ 1″ | 270 | OL/DT | 11 |
| 69 | 69 | Dane Winter | 5′ 6″ | 155 | OL/LB | 9 |
| 71 | 71 | Tyson Mergel | 5′ 11″ | 260 | OL/DT | 12 |
| 74 | 74 | Joey Leazer | 6′ 1″ | 110 | OL/DT | 10 |
| 78 | 78 | Cooper Clawson | 5′ 8″ | 175 | OL/LB | 10 |
| 79 | 79 | DEVON HUSKEY | 5′ 10″ | 250 | C/DT | 11 |
| 81 | 81 | Adam Dugger | 6′ 0″ | 180 | WR/LB | 10 |
| 85 | 85 | Tanner Schoonover | 6′ 1″ | 170 | WR/LB | 12 |
| 86 | 86 | LEVI TENKLEY | 5′ 11″ | 155 | WR/DB | 11 |
| 88 | 88 | NICK AVERYS | 5′ 9″ | 150 | WR/DB | 10 |