BY JEFF WOOD – For Whatcom Preps
FERNDALE – It was all Liberty Patriots for the first 2:29 of the game at Ferndale’s Memorial Stadium on Friday night. Unfortunately for the visiting team, the next 45 minutes were dominated by the Golden Eagles and the home team won comfortably, 49-6.
In an auspicious start, the opening kickoff was fumbled by Ferndale, and the Liberty offense took over on the Golden Eagle 44-yard line.
Seven running plays later Liberty found the end zone and took a 6-0 lead. However, the touchdown came at a high cost as senior nickel back Brock Heuck put a solid hit on the Patriot quarterback who was shaken up and could not return to the game.
Heuck finished the game with eight tackles, and 1.5 stops for loss, to lead the defense.
The momentum began to shift to Ferndale as Liberty’s PAT was missed, as the first half was played in gale force winds.
Liberty’s defense was loaded up to stop the Ferndale Wing-T rushing attack and forced two third down and long situations during the Golden Eagles’ first offensive possession. Both times Ferndale went to the air effectively as junior quarterback Sawyer Saab completed consecutive passes for first downs. Both routes were short throws to open receivers in the flat.
The first conversion was to junior tight end Chance Hatchett. The next reception was a 14-yard touchdown catch and run by senior fullback Wyatt Broyles. With the wind at his back placekicker Rons Alvraez made the first of seven PAT’s. At 6:02 remaining in the first quarter, Ferndale took a lead that it would never relinquish, 7-6.
Defensive Coordinator Sky Freeman made the correct changes on defense as Liberty was only able to muster 33 total yards on its next five possessions of the first half. Ferndale’s ground and pound offense began to take over, led by their strong but agile offense line. A workman like drive of 12 plays was capped by an Elliot Lenssen three-yard touchdown run which gave Ferndale a 14-6 advantage just 13 seconds into the second quarter.
Then Lenssen, on what will most likely be his last home game, treated the crowd with some impressive long runs. The first was a 60-yard touchdown down the west sideline, which was followed by a 41-yard carry on the next drive. He capped it off with a 70-yard burst that put an exclamation point on a fine career. Lenssen finished with 300 yards rushing and now has 2081 on the season.
With a 35-6 lead at halftime, the Golden Eagles were able to salt the game away quickly after the break. Another Saab touchdown pass went to Broyles and sophomore running back Bobby Kelly concluded the scoring with a with 33-yard touchdown run.
The final score of 49-6 may help the Golden Eagles (8-2) when the state tournament is seeded on Sunday, but they will most likely be on the road for the round of 16. They will go as far as the legs of one of the best running backs in school history, Elliot Lenssen, will take them.
Ferndale 49
Liberty 6
LIB 6 0 0 0 - 6
FER 7 28 14 0 - 49
LIB - 1 yard touchdown run (kick failed)
FER - Broyles 14 pass from Saab (Alvarez kick)
FER - Lenssen 3 run (Alvarez kick)
FER - Lenssen 60 run (Alvarez kick)
FER - Lenssen 3 run (Alvarez kick)
FER - Lenssen 70 run (Alvarez kick)
FER - Broyles 27 pass from Saab (Alvarez kick)
FER - Kelly 33 run (Alvarez kick)
LIB FER
38-161 Rush Att-Yards 41-459
1-6-0 Comp-Att-Int 4-7-0
5 Passing Yards 83
Individual Leaders
RUSHING - LIB: N/A. FER: Lenssen 21-300, Kelly 4-66, Mahaffey 4-50, Broyles 5-23, Larson 4-19, McKay 2-3, Diaz 1-(-2).
PASSING - LIB: N/A. FER: Saab 4-7-0-83.
RECEIVING - LIB: N/A. FER: Broyles 2-41, Hatchett 1-21, Ebbesen 1-21.
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