Top 100 Players of 2017 – #10 – Gage Bates

GAGE BATES

 Lynden – Senior – #22

5’9” 165 lbs – LB


 156 tackles (113 solo) – 9 tackles for loss – 3 fumble recoveries – 1 sack

3 interceptions – 98 yards – 1 touchdown

How can a player make the Top 10 of this list and not even play one down of offense? Easy, just be as awesome as Gage Bates was on defense. After recording 113 solo tackles this season, he is now Lynden’s all-time leading tackler. And, he did it by playing in far less games than most of the other Lions that are high on the list of tackle leaders. He just has a nose for the football. Awesome instincts, and he can read a play and pursue perhaps better than anyone in the county. I consider him to be one of the best inside linebackers I’ve ever seen in Whatcom County. He was named All-Conference 1st Team at linebacker for the second consecutive year, and he was named All-State 2nd Team at linebacker.