BY JEFF WOOD – For Whatcom Preps
FERNDALE – It was the home opener for Ferndale, and the Golden Eagles did not disappoint the large home crowd at Memorial Field, cruising to a 41-14 victory over Marysville-Getchell.
The Chargers received the kick and did not manage a first down before being forced to punt. Starting its drive in plus territory on the 45, Ferndale took just six plays to score on an Elliot Lenssen two-yard run.
A second consecutive 3-and-out by Getchell was followed by another Golden Eagle TD run, this time a one-yard dive by senior fullback Jon Stanek. It was 14-0 Ferndale with 3:12 to play in the first quarter.
Not wanting to be left out, the Ferndale defense contributed the next scoring play. Senior defensive back Ryder Beavan stepped in front of a Brody Olsen pass and took it 35 yards to paydirt. This third touchdown in the opening quarter let the Ferndale faithful relax a bit as the Golden Eagles were controlling the game by a score of 21-0.
The Chargers did put together a penalty-aided drive, but it ended in an interception, this one snagged by junior defensive back Parker McManus. The favor was returned however as Getchell grabbed an interception of its own three plays later.
The turnover fest continued with a fumble by Charger receiver Kaleb Christy after a 35-yard reception. Settling down a bit, the Ferndale offense got to work with a methodical 10-play drive that ended in another short touchdown plunge by Stanek. The PAT was blocked, and the Golden Eagles went into halftime with a 27-0 halftime lead.
The second half began just as the first half ended with an 8-play touchdown drive by Ferndale. It was capped off by a 10-yard run by senior wingback Cooper Vincent who outran the defense to the wide side of the field. Getchell moved the ball into Ferndale territory on their next drive but a sack by junior defensive end Jaden Johnson-Pruitt ended that hope.
A final touchdown was put on the board by the Golden Eagles, this one credited to senior center Kulshan LaValley who fell on a fumble in the end zone. Just 26 seconds into the fourth quarter the clock started running as it was a 41-0 advantage for the home team.
The Chargers scored twice to make the final score 41-14 as Ferndale was subbing liberally on defense. The Golden Eagles played well in all phases with a convincing win over the Chargers and sit at 2-1 on the season, and will host Mount Vernon (2-1) on Thursday at 7:00.
Ferndale 41 Marysville-Getchell 14 MG 0 0 0 14 - 14 FER 21 6 7 7 - 41 FER - Lenssen 2 run (McManus kick) FER - Stanek 1 run (McManus kick) FER - Beaven 35 interception return (McManus kick) FER - Stanek 1 run (kick blocked) FER - Vincent 10 run (McManus kick) FER - LaValley recovered fumble in the end zone (McManus kick) MG - 78 yard touchdown run (kick good) MG - 5 yard touchdown run (kick good) MG FER 29-155 Rush Att-Yards 35-269 7-18-2 Comp-Att-Int 5-7-1 112 Passing Yards 75 Individual Leaders RUSHING - MG: N/A. FER: Stanek 18-133, Lenssen 7-79, Merwin 4-21, Vincent 2-29, Broyles 1-9, Moreno 1-6, Boleak 1-0, Chavez 1-(-8). PASSING - MG: N/A. FER: Boleak 5-6-1-75, Saab 0-1-0-0. RECEIVING - MG: N/A. FER: Vasak 2-10, Mahaffey 1-42, Lenssen 1-22, Beaven 1-1.
