LYNDEN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS INFORMATION

September 18th, 2009                                          Advisor: Mr. Blake Van Dalen

 Co-Editors: Ryan Seto and Lucas Jacob

 Lions Seeking to Earn Second Conference Win

 The Lions will search to go 2-1 as they head to civic this Saturday to take on the Bellingham Red Raiders. Last week, Lynden had a good showing against Squalicum taking a 42-17 win at home but the Lions feel they are still capable of playing at an even higher level. The Bellingham Raiders are coming off a 0-14 loss to Mt. Baker which put them 0-2 overall. This will be their home opener, so they will likely be pumped and ready to go in front of a home crowd against the state champions.

 Game Capsule:  The Lynden vs. Bellingham clash will likely display a good amount of both run and pass. The Red Raiders have a great line with many returners but they are also quite able to go to the air if needed. In their last showing against the Mountaineers, Bellingham struggled to find rhythm on offense, but they will surely be geared up to prove themselves when facing the Lions this Saturday. Bellingham is also trying to prove they have a strong backfield after they graduated their entire starting backfield last year.

 What’s At Stake: This game comes out to be a must win for the talented Lion squad. They have two great teams approaching on their schedule in Ferndale and Blaine, so the Lions need to take advantage of this game and gain as much experience as possible. The Lions also want to continue to prove they are one of the best in the state and a decisive victory would only help this confirm this statement. Bellingham, on the other hand, will look for a win against a much respected team. It would be a huge victory for the Raiders, and an upset that could significantly help set them up for a district playoff spot.

 What to expect: Producing a great game offensively last week, the Lions will try and make greater gains defensively. Lynden didn’t play terrible last week on defense, but they still gave up 17 points. The Lions know they acquire enough talent on that side of the ball to be one of the best in the conference. They will try and demonstrate this skill against a proficient Raiders offense, and regain their dominance on both sides of the ball.