Lynden football engineered a game-winning drive with two minutes to play as the Lions downed rival Ferndale with a 28-24 non-league road win in both teams’ season opener Friday, Sept. 6.
The Lions have now won six of the last 11 matchups with the Golden Eagles.
“That is why this rivalry is great,” Lynden coach Blake VanDalen said. “Every other year is a punch and counter punch. There is so much respect and it came down to who had the ball last.”
With Ferndale leading 24-21 and four minutes remaining in the game, Golden Eagles quarterback Nolan Borleak fumbled, giving Lynden the ball on its own 44-yard line.
Gallery: Lynden football outlasts Ferndale
A few plays later, facing a fourth-and-three, Lynden quarterback Brant Heppner found tight end Isaiah Oudman for a 4-yard completion and the first down.
A few plays later, Oudman caught a 27-yard pass that brought the Lions to the 2-yard line, setting up running back Maximus Assink’s game-winning touchdown run to secure the 28-24 victory.
Oudman, an Eastern Washington University commit, said he knew he had to suck it up and play until the final whistle on that last drive.
Oudman finished with 12 catches for 221 yards and two touchdowns. He also tallied two sacks and one pass breakup on defense. Heppner finished 23-for-34 for 341 yards and three touchdowns.
Ferndale held the lead throughout most of the game, and went up early with a 42-yard field goal on the opening drive. During that drive, running back Talan Bungard rushed eight times for 51 yards. He finished with 29 rushes for 195 yards.
Lynden responded with 30 seconds left in the first quarter when Sam Arango caught a 6-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-3. In the second quarter, Ferndale’s Eli Kennerley caught a 31-yard touchdown pass to help the Golden Eagles take a 10-7 lead. Zach Nielsen then scored on a 17-yard pass from Boleak to put Ferndale up 17-7.
Lynden later had a fourth and goal on the 1-yard line but Heppner was tackled short and Ferndale held the 17-7 lead into halftime.
“We came out at half and knew we had to change the momentum,” Oudman said.
Heppner connected with Oudman for a 15-yard touchdown to pull the Lions within three at 17-14, but Ferndale’s Elliott Lenssen responded with a 7-yard jet sweep touchdown. As the time expired in the third quarter, Oudman broke two tackles at Lynden’s own 20-yard line and scored on an 80-yard reception.
“The biggest play of the game was the first stop of the third quarter,” VanDalen said. “They got us one more possession and you don’t want to give Brant and Isaiah another chance.”
Ferndale’s offense fell apart in the fourth quarter. Lynden’s Brody Price tipped Borleak’s pass and Jaydin Oaks intercepted it. On the next Golden Eagles drive, Borleak fumbled and Lynden scored to secure the win.
“The film is going to be rough on Monday,” VanDalen said. “A little less rough since we won.”
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
