Footballs are streaming through the air, volleyballs are getting smacked into hardwood courts and soccer balls are careening through the back of nets as fall sports kick off around Whatcom County.
High school football practices began statewide on Aug. 17, while volleyball, girls soccer, girls swim and dive, boys tennis, and boys and girls cross country all began Aug. 22.
Whatcom County continued its state tournament dominance last fall with three teams capturing state championships: Lynden football, Sehome girls cross country and Squalicum boys cross country. And all three are primed to run it back again.
Here’s a quick look at the top returning teams and players in each sport.
Football
Lynden football returns all five starting offensive linemen, its starting quarterback (Kaedan Hermanutz), both running backs (Lane Heeringa and Campbell Nolte) and its all-state kicker/punter (Troy Petz).
Squalicum could also make another deep run after making it to the 2A state semifinals last season, and returning four of five starting offensive linemen.
Bellingham and Lynden Christian each have new coaches in Adam Leonard and Greg Terpstra, respectively, which should mix things up a bit in the 1A and 2A Northwest Conferences.
In Class 1A, Lynden Christian seeks to capitalize on a state semifinal run, while Class 3A Ferndale looks to utilize star lineman Landen Hatchett, a University of Washington commit.
Volleyball
In volleyball, No. 16 Lynden Christian put on Cinderella slippers to knock off top-ranked Overton in the opening round, then continued its improbable state tourney run before the slipper finally fell off in the title match.
Meridian placed third in the 1A state tournament and will have six seniors to vie for another trophy. Ferndale also placed third at state in Class 3A and has a group of five seniors to lead the way back to state.
Girls cross country
Sehome upset top-ranked and district champion Anacortes, 64-65, to capture the 2A state title. All seven of Sehome’s runners placed top-39 to help the Mariners clinch the program’s 11th state championship.
Now, the Mariners lose just one senior, bringing back six of those seven runners, making them contenders to win back-to-back championships this fall.
“It’s going to be close,” said Keenan Gray, a prep cross country analyst and owner of The Runner WA. “Currently, Sehome has the better five-girl spread. Bellingham is not too shabby either.”
Boys cross country
Squalicum had six runners place in the top-46 to take down Selah, 77-99, for the 2A state championship. The Storm now return five of their top-7 runners and could make a serious push for a repeat title — that is if Bellingham doesn’t catch them.
“In the hypothetical meet, filtering out seniors, I don’t see why Squalicum can’t have three runners in the top-10,” Gray said. “Bellingham is up there, too. It boils down to what Bellingham provides. Will Giesen had a really good spring. Can’t see why those two teams don’t go 1-2 at state next season.”
Girls soccer
Two county teams made their respective state tournaments, Class 2A Sehome and Class 3A Ferndale, both losing in the first rounds. Area teams are looking to put the county on the soccer map this year.
Sehome has to reload after graduating a huge, 11-senior class, while Ferndale hopes a talented and experienced junior class can help its seniors take the next step.
Bellingham fell in a loser-to-state game and lost just five seniors, while Lynden loses just one senior from a squad that went 11-6, falling in the district tourney’s consolation semifinal.
Girls swim and dive
Area 2A teams saw the most success at the state tourney last fall, with Sehome placing third, Squalicum ninth, Lynden 22nd and Bellingham 29th.
Top returners include Sehome’s Luna Le, who helped the Mariners’ 200-yard medley relay place third. Squalicum’s Mia Eide and Avery Allison were on the Storm’s seventh-place team in the same relay.
Sehome’s Maddi Ferrari placed third in 1-meter diving, while Squalicum’s Kenna Andersen was 13th.
Ansley Hardy and Jordis Darroch helped the Mariners place fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay, while Squalicum’s Mackenzie Millican and Mia Eide were part of the Storm’s seventh-place finish in the same relay. Darroch also swam in Sehome’s third-place showing in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Boys tennis
Bellingham tied with three teams for sixth in the 2A state tourney and Sehome was 12th to lead local teams.
Bellingham duo Clive Iwersen and Isaac Knickrehm were the top local finishers, taking home a fourth-place trophy in doubles. Sehome freshman Zach Chai was the only other local placer, finishing sixth in singles.
