VANCOUVER, BC – The Lyncs were had high highs and low lows, but were ultimately able to come out on top with a 33-27 overtime win over Vancouver College at O’Hagan Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Fighting Irish kicked off the scoring with a 49-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, and Lynden Christian answered with a 26-yard field goal by junior Jackson Yun which cut the lead to 7-3.
In the second quarter, the Lyncs were able to force a punting situation, and when the Irish punter mishandled the snap and tried to pick up the first down, he was stopped by senior Chris Kooiman, which gave him and his teammates great field position.
A few plays later, Kooiman was able to cross the goal line and give the Lyncs a 10-7 lead.
LC was able to get into the red zone on its next drive, but a strip sack and recovery by Vancouver College stopped Lynden Christian’s scoring chance.
The Lyncs then forced another punt, and were able to drive down the field on their next possession, with a little help from a 31-yard pitch and catch from senior quarterback Dawson Hintz to senior tight end Kaden Veldman. Points were once again put on the board with a field goal as Yun punched one in from 39 yards out just before the half, and LC led 13-7.
Lynden Christian received the second half kickoff, but it was the luck of the Irish that struck first as two plays into the third quarter, an LC pass was tipped near the line of scrimmage, snared out of the air by a Vancouver College defender who raced 52 yards for a score, which flipped the lead back to the Canadians.
The Lyncs fumbled on their next drive, and Vancouver College recovered near midfield. Seven plays later, an 11-yard touchdown run by the Irish meant that Lynden Christian was looking at a 21-13 deficit halfway through the third quarter.
Both teams then traded punts, but it was a 34-yard punt return by senior Wyatt Kamphouse that set LC up for a much-needed scoring opportunity. Kamphouse was rewarded on the next play as Hintz’s swing pass found him in the flat, and the senior receiver sprinted through defenders and dove into the endzone.
The 2-point conversion failed, so the Lyncs were still down 21-19, and it looked bleak when Vancouver College ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Not all was lost, however, as Kooiman was able to break through and block the extra point, which still meant it was a one-score game for Lynden Christian, who were now down 27-19 with 10:35 left in the game.
LC then continued to ride Kooiman down the field, and the burly back barreled into the end zone from three yards out with 7:26 left in the game. Kooiman then had a very similar run on the 2-point try, which tied the game at 27-27.
Both teams had numerous possessions in the second half of the fourth quarter, but the Lyncs had the ball last, and they were lined up for a chip-shot 23-yard field goal attempt to win the game. However, an Irish player flew off the edge untouched, blocked the kick, and a scoop and score would have won the game for Vancouver College, but with all the excitement, he lost his footing and fell on the ball, which sent the game into overtime.
Lynden Christian had possession first, and just two plays into the extra period scored when Hintz kept his balance along the left sideline, and then powered his way in for six points. The daring 2-point try was denied by Vancouver College, which put more pressure on the Lync defense on the Irish’s OT possession.
Veldman knocked down the pass on first down, and then senior linebacker Eli Stamps sacked the quarterback for a five-yard loss on second down. Two incompletions later, the Lyncs had the victory.
Kooiman finished with 208 yards on 30 carries, and Hintz was 16-of-26 through the air for 183 yards.
Veldman led the defense with 6.5 tackles, two sacks, one tackle for loss and a pass batted down, while Kamphouse added eight tackles, four passes defended, as well as 54 kickoff return yards and 64 punt return yards.
Lynden Christian (2-0) will travel to Bellevue (1-1) on Friday to take on the Wolverines at 7:00.
Lynden Christian 33 Vancouver College 27 LC 3 10 6 8 6 - 33 VC 7 0 14 6 0 - 27 VC - 49 yard touchdown pass (kick good) LC - Yun 26 FG LC - Kooiman 2 run (Yun kick) LC - Yun 39 FG VC - 52 yard interception return for a touchdown (kick good) VC - 11 yard touchdown run (kick good) LC - Kamphouse 12 pass from Hintz (pass failed) VC - 80 yard touchdown run (kick blocked) LC - Kooiman 3 run (Kooiman run) LC - Hintz 11 run (run failed)
LC VC 46-258 Rush Att-Yards 23-120 16-26-1 Comp-Att-Int 14-29-0 183 Passing Yards 184 Individual Leaders RUSHING - LC: Kooiman 30-208, Hintz 15-50, Kamphouse 1-0. VC: N/A. PASSING - LC: Hintz 16-26-1-183. VC: N/A. RECEIVING - LC: Veldman 5-74, Kuik 5-51, Kamphouse 3-51, Yun 2-5, Kooiman 1-2. VC: N/A.
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