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Lynden gets back to 2A state title game

Lions earn 23rd-straight win, cruise to 41-14 semifinal victory over Enumclaw

Lynden players celebrate after beating Enumclaw 41-14 in a state semifinal game on Nov. 26. The Lions advanced to the 2A state championship on Dec. 3.
Lynden players celebrate after beating Enumclaw 41-14 in a state semifinal game on Nov. 26. The Lions advanced to the 2A state championship on Dec. 3. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
By Connor J. Benintendi Sports Editor

Lynden is headed back to the 2A state championship game.

One year removed from their victory over Tumwater in the 2021 title game, the undefeated Lions will get a chance to defend their crown on the final day of the football season. 

Stacking wins is becoming a habit for Lynden. The No. 1-seeded Lions defeated No. 4 Enumclaw 41-14 on Saturday night in the 2A semifinals to earn their 23rd consecutive victory.

“It’s everything. It’s a dream come true,” said senior running back Campbell Nolte, who rushed for a career-high 181 yards in the game. “The dream came true last year, but we weren’t satisfied. We got a lot of guys back and it’s the same goal this year.” 

Lynden has scored at least 40 points in each of its three state tournament games this season. That dominance ports over to the defense, which hasn’t allowed more than 14 points during that stretch.

photo  Lynden’s Campbell Nolte dives in for a 37-yard touchdown in the third quarter. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)  

It’s all thanks to preparation, a sound gameplan and the players buying in, Lions coach Blake VanDalen said. This was another week of checking all three boxes.

“You put a gameplan out there, and you work your tails off all week — that was as close to perfection [as it gets],” VanDalen said. “We had a few mental mistakes, but I’ll tell you what, these kids came and got after it.”

Lynden’s goal-line defense was a brick wall. Enumclaw reached the Lions’ 2-yard line on each of its first two drives, only to be stopped short.

“I’m so proud of them,” Nolte said of the defense. “Every single week we know we’re going to face adversity, and we address that constantly … we knew our goal-line defense could take care of business, and they did.”


Senior running back Lane Heeringa put the first points on the board for Lynden via a 7-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. He picked up another late in the second period on a 22-yard gash of the Enumclaw defense to extend the lead. The extra point was missed to keep it at 13-0.

The end-of-second-quarter sequence set the tone for the rest of the contest. 

Enumclaw junior quarterback Gunnar Trachte found senior wide receiver Austin Paulson for a 5-yard touchdown with 23 seconds remaining in the half to make it 13-7. 

On the period’s final play, Lynden sophomore quarterback Brant Heppner aired it out to the sideline. Senior athlete Troy Petz went up, brought it down, tight-roped the boundary and rocketed off to a 54-yard touchdown. Another missed extra point made it 19-7 at halftime.

The second-half recipe for the Lions was simple: control possession.

A 19-play, 77-yard drive by Lynden drained nearly 11 minutes off the third-quarter clock to open the second half. Nolte finished it with a 5-yard touchdown dash.

“That 11-minute drive was the heart and soul of the game,” VanDalen said. “That’s just a great team drive.”

Lynden got fourth-quarter touchdown runs from senior quarterback Kaedan Hermanutz and Nolte, capping off the win. Trachte also scored on a short rush for Enumclaw. 

photo  Lynden’s Lane Heeringa runs in for a 22-yard touchdown in the second quarter. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)  

“I’m just proud of the team, how we’ve handled everything and how we keep getting things done,” Heeringa said. “A lot of it is all the brotherhood, like we’ve been saying all year.”

Heeringa rushed 17 times for 106 yards and two scores. He and Nolte create an unstoppable one-two punch that flourishes behind excellent offensive line play, and VanDalen loves the dynamic of his backfield.

“[Nolte] was the counterpunch to Lane [Heeringa],” VanDalen said. “Lane’s going to hit you right in the face, and then Campbell is going to come at you a little different. You think you’re going to get punched in the face, then he’s going to go by you, or over you. They’re just a great compliment [to one another].”

Heppner completed 4-of-7 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. Hermanutz rushed eight times for 24 yards and a score.

For Enumclaw, Trachte completed 12-of-25 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. Paulson had 102 yards receiving and a touchdown on eight catches. Junior Tristan Donovan led the Hornets in rushing with eight carries for 35 yards.

Lynden will face North Kitsap in the 2A state championship game on Dec. 3. That game will be held at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup at 5 p.m.

“We know they’re going to want it just as bad as us,” Nolte said.

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