Following Ferndale football’s run to the 3A state quarterfinals in 2022 — its first appearance that deep in the playoffs since 2017 — the Golden Eagles’ future was murky.
Thirteen seniors graduated, three of whom were among the team’s championing leaders and went on to join NCAA Division I college programs in the PAC-12 (Landen Hatchett, University of Washington; Jake Mason, Washington; Isaiah Carlson, UCLA).
Worse yet, one of the team’s top weapons, now-junior Zach Nielsen, opted to play tennis this fall instead of football, and turnout numbers dwindled from 61 players on last year’s varsity roster to 49 in week one of this season.
Then they had to play reigning back-to-back 2A state champion Lynden in week one. The Lions, which had not lost since Sept. 10, 2021, possessed a 24-game win streak — the longest-standing streak in the entire state among high school football programs.
Ferndale put an end to Lynden’s previously untouchable streak, 17-14, on Friday, Sept. 1.
But Ferndale head coach Jamie Plenkovich — now in his 20th season helming the team — didn’t overthink their victory. The Golden Eagles’ identity doesn’t change, just the players who establish it. Ferndale was also the last team to beat Lynden nearly two years ago.
“We had a lot of guys that this is their first time under the lights in a big-time situation,” Plenkovich said after Friday’s game. “Our guys responded really well.”
Golden Eagles senior Conner Walcker, an Eastern Washington University commit, said he wasn’t even aware of the streak before the game. He was just there to get a win against Ferndale’s biggest rival.
“Man, it’s crazy because I have so many, like, brothers on Lynden. I have so many friends, and it’s just great to compete with them,” Walcker said after the game. “I had no idea about that win streak.”
Last year’s rising stars have become this season’s leaders. Walcker absorbs attention from the opponent’s defensive secondary with his speed and ability to make tough catches. Junior running back Talan Bungard, who had more than half the team’s rushing yards, is a bruising runner who will make you think twice before trying to tackle him.
Senior Swiss-army-knife Phoenyx Finkbonner kicked a would-be game-winning field goal and had 46 yards rushing, and senior quarterback Bishop Ootsey managed the offense and was a dual threat with his arm and legs.
Most important, perhaps, is how senior offensive and defensive lineman Camden Raymond has stepped into leading the team’s trenches — both units that were decimated by departing seniors.
Ferndale piled up 231 rushing yards via six ball carriers and 53 rushing attempts, a staple of the Wing-T offense that Plenkovich employs. Ootsey sprinkled in timely throws, connecting on 6-of-9 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Plenkovich and the team simply did what they’ve always done: Manage the clock.
The Golden Eagles’ defense was impenetrable, limiting Lynden to 35 yards rushing and 133 total yards of offense through the game’s first 46 minutes.
Lynden’s offense was never able to establish a productive drive until it trailed by 10 late in the fourth quarter, and Ferndale possessed the ball for more than 30 minutes of the game’s available 48. That is simply a product of well-designed game planning and a result that comes from players who understand how to execute it.
“Did I think we were going to score 14 tonight? No. I thought we could score more, but they limited us, so tip the hat to them,” Lynden head coach Blake VanDalen said after the game.
Ferndale may or may not replicate its success from last season, but it proved it can still break its opponents with the same gritty style of football it has continued to employ under Plenkovich.
“Beating a team like [Lynden] is definitely going to give you confidence,” Plenkovich said. “And we’re still going to learn some things when we watch the film.”
The Golden Eagles’ next test will come when they host Class 4A Glacier Peak on Friday, Sept. 15, a team that dismantled them at Lumen Field last season, 42-14. That will also be the team’s debut in its new on-campus stadium that has been under construction for the last two seasons.
Ferndale will then jump into the bulk of its league schedule, which is far from breezy. As the season progresses, we should quickly learn if the Golden Eagles are once again legitimate playoff contenders or simply Lynden’s kryptonite.
