The Mountaineers’ Cinderella story has turned to a fresh page: the 1A state championship game.
Just over a month ago, Mount Baker was 3-4 overall and searching for any form of momentum that might propel it to the postseason. Two straight wins and a Kansas tiebreaker later, the Mountaineers secured their spot in the state tournament.
Now they proceed to the 1A state title game for the first time since 2013 — when coach Ron Lepper and his Mountaineers lost 31-13 to Freeman — and Mount Baker has won five straight following a 14-13 win over Nooksack Valley on Saturday night.
“The bottom line is our journey through the regular season is what gave these guys the strength to do this, the belief in this,” Lepper said. “The kids have got to buy into it.”
The win also gave Lepper his 200th win as a head coach, reaching the milestone in his 27th season at the helm. That achievement made the win even more special, he said.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget this one,” Lepper added.
It was far from certain throughout for the No. 10-seeded Mountaineers, as they never held a lead over the No. 3 Pioneers until the clock ticked below 30 seconds remaining in the game.
Stuck firmly in a defensive battle with its in-county rival, Mount Baker mounted a 20-play, 80-yard drive with just over 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter while trailing 13-7.
The game was on the line as the Mountaineers approached the line of scrimmage on 4th-and-2 from the 4-yard line.
Mount Baker senior quarterback Landon Smith ran the first of three consecutive Zero Wedge plays — essentially a quarterback sneak with two running backs split behind Smith, motioning in a third just before the snap who all help to push him forward. He got just enough to pick up a 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard mark.
On the third one, Smith logged a 1-yard touchdown run. The ensuing point-after attempt made it 14-13 with 26.7 seconds remaining.
Smith had a hand in the decision to go back to the same play multiple times in a row.
“I told coach [Lepper] I trusted my guys,” Smith said, and the coaxing paid off.
NV wasn’t quite done, as a few quick chunk plays set the Pioneers up with a manageable 29-yard field goal attempt with 2.1 seconds remaining in the game. Junior kicker Jorgen Vigre’s kick was blocked by Mount Baker sophomore linebacker Dylan Moa, and the Mountaineers’ sideline erupted.
“This is what I’ve been dreaming of since peewee football,” Smith said. “It’s a great feeling.”
The Pioneers scored the game’s first points on a 5-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Colton Lentz. Mount Baker senior running back Marcques George evened the score at the outset of the second quarter on a 1-yard touchdown rush.
With 42 seconds remaining in the first half, NV junior quarterback Joey Brown found senior wide receiver Bennett DeLange on the sideline. DeLange slipped two would-be tacklers and weaved to the middle of the field before turning on the afterburners for a 47-yard touchdown catch.
The extra point was no good, and that wound up being a game-deciding moment with the Pioneers leaving a point off the board.
“I’m super proud of the kids — nobody expected us to be here,” NV coach Craig Bartl said. “We’re here, and in the end, we put ourselves with a chance to win. That’s all you can ask for.”
George finished with 71 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Senior running back Wilhem Maloley totaled 14 carries for 85 yards, while Smith piled up 12 carries for 53 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
NV was led by Lentz, who finished with 79 yards rushing and a touchdown on 16 carries. Brown completed 6-of-8 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed seven times for 14 yards.
The Pioneers completed their season 9-3 overall and will graduate seven seniors ahead of next season. Bartl said it’s never easy to end up one game short of a chance for a title, but he wishes Mount Baker the best next week.
“We have so much respect for [Mount] Baker,” Bartl said. “They’ll represent our community and our league well.”
Bartl added that a season of this caliber is a building block for the NV program that will hopefully pour over into future seasons.
“You see a lot of teams that get here and then become satisfied,” Bartl said. “We can’t let that happen — we can’t be satisfied with what we just did.”
Lepper and Mount Baker will face No. 1 Royal in the 1A state championship game on Dec. 3. That game will be at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood at 3 p.m.
“Craig [Bartl]’s done a great job with that team, they’re going to be really good the next couple of years,” Lepper said. “I didn’t think the game would come down to this — it was pretty wild.”
