Week 1 Standouts in the NWC
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Week 1 action was ELECTRIC! It’s amazing seeing football back in all of our lives. Watching football under the Friday night lights last week was something I was missing a lot! The NWC has some stellar talent, all across the…
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Continue ReadingWeek 1 action was ELECTRIC! It’s amazing seeing football back in all of our lives. Watching football under the Friday night lights last week was something I was missing a lot! The NWC has some stellar talent, all across the board, all classes. I can’t include everyone, but here are 5 players who started their seasons off strong.
Max Malo
Max Malo
Max is an incredible athlete, I watched him fly all over the field last Friday night when Sehome took on Mount Baker. He plays the LB position as good as anyone else in the NWC. Malo reads offensives at a high level, being able to quickly know if it’s a run or pass play. He can play many different spots on the defensive end. He can line up at MLB, OLB, DE, or even DB if that’s what the team needs. His ability to tackle in the open field was very apparent after Max finished with roughly 8 tackles and 1 sack on the night. He lines up at TE on the offensive side of the ball and even had 1 catch during the game. This senior is destined for a big season.
Colton is not new to varsity football on Friday night lights despite being a ’25. Colton was a starter last year for the Pioneers as DB. He also got time last year as QB/RB as well. With ’24 QB Joey Brown rolling into the full time starting position, Lentz has shifted more to RB, and I think it’s right where he belongs. He’s still starting at DB, and is a ballhawk. But Nooksack Valley was able to get by 3A school Mountain View HS behind Colton’s 14 rushes for 138 yards and a score. Mountain View missing a last second FG also helped the Pioneers secure a 15-14 upset win. They are a team to keep an eye on in the 1A class.
Rex Larson
Rex Larson
Rex is a very underrated QB as he goes unnoticed quite a bit. Anacortes not being in a conference last year didn’t help with people knowing about this 2024 QB. Now with Anacortes back in the NWC, coaches need to take notice of Larson. His accuracy is up to par with the best QB’s within the conference and his athleticism helps him escape the pocket, if it collapses. Anacortes took on Oak Harbor last week and showed to everyone they are a team to watch. Rex facilitated the offense nicely, ending the game going 18/26 with 354 yards with 3 TD passes to go with it. He has MANY targets to go too, so don’t expect the yards to drop at all throughout the year.
Marcus Nixon
Marcus Nixon
Squalicum had a fantastic year last season, making it all the way to the 2A semi-finals. They were led by now Washington State RB Djouvensky Schlenbaker, who finished 3rd all time for rushing yards in Whatcom County history. This season, they are looking for who will be the playmaker out of the backfield behind their offensive line which returns 4 starters and sophomore Marcus Nixon appeared to take the lead in that search. Nixon ran the ball 28 times for 152 yards, sparking the Storm’s offense every time he touched the ball. The Squalicum backfield will be interesting to watch as the year goes on with Nixon and other RB Deandre Dunmore.
Troy Petz
Troy Petz
The Lynden Lions are ALWAYS preforming at a high level, taking home the 2A state title last year. Last week they opened their season against county rival 3A Ferndale HS. It was the game everyone in Whatcom County was talking about, as they are the top 2 teams in the area. Lynden took home the win 24-7 and had many players play well. The one player I want to highlight is 2-time all state punter, Troy Petz. Troy also serves as the kicker, plays some WR, and returns kick-offs for the Lions. Troy showed off his leg like he normally does, easily sinking a 40 yards FG in the first half and making both his PAT attempts. His 2 punts on the night went for 92 yards (46 yard average) but the play of the game came when Troy took off for a 64 yard TD after Ferndale broke through the line during a punt attempt. Troy is an ATHLETE and will be a name to watch all year, all over the field.