Anacortes wins first 2A Northwest Conference football title outright with late comeback at Lynden, 3 takeaways

Top-ranked Seahawks score game-winning touchdown on Brock Beaner's 1-yard run with five minutes to go in 15-8 victory over No. 2 Lions

LYNDEN, Wash. - The top-ranked Anacortes Seahawks made a loud statement Friday night that they are the team to beat for the upcoming WIAA playoffs.

Led by Brock Beaner's late touchdown, the Seahawks edged two-time defending Class 2A champion Lynden, 15-8.

Beaner capped the team's 52-yard march with his 1-yard score with 5:13 to go - and sophomore defensive back Luca Moore turned away a last-minute Lions' drive with his interception inside the Seahawks' 10-yard line.

After starting quarterback Brant Heppner suffered an ankle injury on Lynden's opening drive, he eventually gave way to backup Charlie Ayres for much of the second half.

WEEK 9 WASHINGTON FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

Ayres gave the Lynden offense a spark, rushing for 60-second half yards on 18 carries, including a 2-yard touchdown run (and conversion run) that gave the Lions an 8-7 lead at the 4:48 mark of the third quarter.

Beaner rushed for 61 yards on 20 carries. Anacortes quarterback Rex Larson completed 13 of 20 passes for 108 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown to Rylin Lang in the second quarter to give the Seahawks a 7-0 lead.

It was Anacortes' first victory over Lynden since 2003 - and the school's first outright title in the 2A Northwest Conference in school history.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Photo by Todd Milles

FIRST GOAL OF ANACORTES' REMARKABLE TURNAROUND COMPLETE

Back in 2019, Anacortes suspended varsity football because of low turnout numbers, and ended up playing a second-tier independent schedule in an effort to rebuild confidence within the program a year later.

And now, the Seahawks are champions of the toughest Class 2A league in the state.

"We are going to keep grinding, keep winning," Beaner said.

This wasn't a normal high-flying offensive script for the Seahawks on Friday. They were largely held in check.

"They had to deal with adversity," first-year coach Travis Anderson said. "Some stuff wasn't working. They had to stay patient."

After another failed Lynden fourth-down attempt in Seahawks' territory, the visitors finally got moving toward that game-winning touchdown as Larson made a couple of crucial plays with his legs before Beaner's score.

"It was tough - they are a great team," Beaner said. "Yes, we wanted to win this game, of course, but we are looking toward Dec. 2 (Class 2A title game). But this is a great step."

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RYLIN LANG EMERGED FROM OUT OF SHADOWS FOR SEAHAWKS

Beaner is well on his way to nabbing back-to-back MVP honors at Anacortes, and his brother, Brady, is one of the most exciting playmakers in the league.

But on Friday night, Larson's go-to performer was junior wide receiver Rylin Lang.

Mention Lang to any teammate, and the first thing he will say is, "Most underrated player in the state!"

He was fantastic in the biggest game of the year, hauling in six passes for 63 yards - including a 17-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone that required a great deal of concentration.

"The week before (against Squalicum), I had one like that, but I was out fo bounds," Lang said. "I had been thinking about it and was frustrated by it.

"I made sure to get my feet down this time.."

Lang also caught the two-point conversion pass after Beaner's touchdown run.

"He's a phenomenal football player who has grown up in Brock and Brady's shadow for years," Anderson said. "We knew him as one of our best football players ... and in big moments, he responds - and we go to him."

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BRANT HEPPNER'S EARLY INJURY HAD LYNDEN SCRAMBLING

It was obvious from the get-go that a big part of Lynden's game plan was unleashing junior quarterback Brant Heppner as a runner, allowing him to use his big frame and physicality to attack the middle of the Anacortes defense.

And after one of his early runs, he hobbled to the sideline, motioning that he had injured his right ankle.

Not only was he compromised the rest of the night - his injury left the coaching staff scrambling on how to adjust.

"I thought we could manage it with formation ... but we had no points in the first half," Lynden coach Blake VanDalen said. "We went with Charlie (Ayres)."

Ayres plays a number of positions for the Lions, including backup quarterback. And his ability to get to the outside sparked the offense, eventually leading to their only touchdown midway through the third quarter.

On Lynden's final series, VanDalen rotated both quarterbacks - Heppner purely as a passer and Ayres as a runner - hoping to create a little magic. And the Lions nearly pulled it off.

"I told those guys, this (loss) was on me," VanDalen said. "Adjustments needed to be made, and I didn’t make them quick enough."

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