RECORD: 10-2 – COACH: Rollie DeKoster
LEAGUE: 8-1 (T-1st Place in the WCL)
CLASSIFICATION: “A” – Playoffs: State Semifinalist
POINTS PER GAME: 29.4 – POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME: 7.8
POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +21.6
GAME BY GAME:
Week 1: Lynden 34, Mount Baker 7
Week 2: Meridian 38, Lynden 33
Week 3: Lynden 28, Nooksack Valley 0
Week 4: Lynden 41, Blaine 0
Week 5: Lynden 19, Lynden Christian 6
Week 6: Lynden 27, Mount Baker 0
Week 7: Lynden 35, Meridian 8
Week 8: Lynden 47, Nooksack Valley 7
Week 9: Lynden 14, Blaine 6
State Playoffs: 1st Round: Lynden 54, Chimacum 0
State Quarterfinals: Lynden 7, Meridian 0
State Semifinals: Castle Rock 21, Lynden 14
Coming off of an appearance in the state championship game, Lynden was close to making it happen again. In Rollie DeKoster’s final season as head coach, the Lions narrowly lost to Castle Rock in the semifinals, which made the Lions lose to the eventual state champions for the second year in a row.
Senior quarterback Tim Goering had one of the best passing seasons that Whatcom County saw in the decade of the 1980’s. He completed 87 passes for 1336 yards. He also became the first player in Whatcom County history to throw over 20 touchdown passes in a season, as he finished with 22. He also ran for four touchdowns, and was named both All-League 1st Team and All-State 1st Team.
Senior running back Rene Silva had that special combination of speed and toughness. He totaled 847 yards on the ground (5.5 average) and eight touchdowns, and he was named All-League 1st Team. Joining Silva in the backfield was 6-foot-3 210-pound senior fullback Mike Cowin, and he was one bad dude. He ran for 763 yards (4.8) and seven touchdowns, and was named All-League 2nd Team. Senior Dan Parcher’s speed made a huge impact, averaging 10.5 yards per carry, totaling 220 yards and three touchdowns.
Junior wide receiver Aaron Crabtree was a big-play threat every time he caught the ball, and he was named All-League 1st Team. He finished with 25 receptions for 483 yards (19.3) and a team-high 11 touchdowns. Parcher caught 17 passes for 223 yards (13.1) and three touchdowns, while Silva had 14 receptions for 217 yards (15.5) and three scores. Seniors Craig Van Zanten and Ryan Hope each had a big role in the passing game as well, catching 14 and 10 passes, respectively.
The Lynden offensive line was senior-driven, and in the driver seat was 6-foot-4 210-pound tackle, Torrey Lautenbach. His size and strength allowed him to be named All-League 1st Team and All-State 1st Team. Kendall Burnett was a load at center, and the 6-foot-1 215-pounder was also named All-League 1st Team. Doug Clark (175 pounds) and Eddy Martin (195 pounds) were dominant at the guard position, with Clark being named All-League 1st Team and Martin All-League 2nd Team. They collectively blocked their way for over 3700 yards of offense and 48 touchdowns.
Lautenbach and Burnett let the defensive line. Lautenbach was named both All-League 1st Team and All-State 1st Team, and Burnett was named All-League 2nd Team. Cowin was possibly the most feared hitter in the Whatcom County League, and was named All-League 1st Team at linebacker for the second consecutive season. He was joined at linebacker by junior Troy Dykstra, who was named All-League 2nd Team. Parcher and Van Zanten led the secondary, with Parcher being named All-League 1st Team and Van Zanten was an All-League 2nd Team pick. The defense also scored four touchdowns, with Clark scoring a pair and Cowin and Burnett each scoring a defensive TD.
Goering booted 37 extra points, and he was named All-League 2nd Team as a kicker. Burnett had a booming leg, and he was named All-League 2nd Team at punter.