FERNDALE – The Golden Eagles blasted out to a fast start, the Seagulls went on a little run, and Ferndale then finished strong to pick up the 34-12 win at home on Friday night.
When the Golden Eagles return the majority of their offensive line, it usually brings upon a strong season for Whatcom County’s lone 3A team, and it showed right out of the gate as senior running back Elliot Lenssen sprung the first play from scrimmage for 30 yards, and it was quickly followed up by a 20-yard blast by senior running back Wyatt Broyles.
Lenssen concluded the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, as he followed a strong down block from junior right tackle Peace Windwalker.
After forcing an Everett punt, the Golden Eagles elected to go to the air after 11 straight run plays to begin the game, and it worked out beautifully as junior quarterback Sawyer Saab’s deep pass found senior Jony Mahaffey for a 51-yard touchdown, and Ferndale was up 14-0 after one quarter of play.
The Golden Eagles’ third touchdown of the game came on a double handoff, which resulted with senior wingback Brock Heuck sprinting down the right sideline for 26 yards before crossing the goal line.
The Seagulls hit on a 73-yard touchdown pass late in the first half, but the extra point was blocked by junior defensive tackle Trey Munson and Ferndale held a 20-6 lead at the break.
Everett made it interesting in the third quarter when it scored on another touchdown pass to make it a one-score game, but the extra point was once again blocked, this time by senior Braeden Hendrickson, which seemed to rejuvenate the Ferndale sideline.
The Golden Eagle offensive front continued to lean on the Seagulls, as Lenssen and Broyles continued to pick up chunks of yards, and Lenssen was able to score his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter to make it a 27-12 lead for the home team. He finished with a game-high 173 yards on 24 carries.
Ferndale wasn’t done, as sophomore running back Bobby Kelly followed a kick-out block by Hendrickson, coupled with a powerful driving block from senior Braden Arps, as Kelly scored his first varsity touchdown on a 21-yard run.
The Golden Eagle defense held strong throughout the final quarter, and was led by junior linebacker Mason Butenschoen who had a team-high 8.5 tackles. Lenssen also registered eight tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Heuck and Arps had back-to-back sacks in the fourth quarter.
Ferndale (1-0) will travel to Edmonds-Woodway on Friday to take on the Warriors at 8:00.
Ferndale 34 Everett 12 EVR 0 6 6 0 - 12 FER 14 6 7 7 - 34 FER - Lenssen 2 run (McManus kick) FER - Mahaffey 51 pass from Saab (McManus kick) FER - Heuck 26 run (bad snap) EVR - 73 yard touchdown pass (kick blocked) EVR - 20 yard touchdown pass (kick blocked) FER - Lenssen 12 run (McManus kick) FER - Kelly 21 run (McManus kick)
EVR FER 29-127 Rush Att-Yards 48-318 7-17-0 Comp-Att-Int 3-6-0 139 Passing Yards 71 Individual Leaders RUSHING - EVR: N/A. FER: Lenssen 24-173, Broyles 14-79, Kelly 4-34, Heuck 2-33, Belyatskiy 2-3, Saab 2-(-4). PASSING - EVR: N/A. FER: Saab 3-6-0-71. RECEIVING - EVR: N/A. FER: Broyles 2-20, Mahaffey 1-51.
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