The Borderites lost 41-7 in their home opener against Meadowdale Friday night, evening their record at 1-1. Blaine opened its season with a 42-7 win at Ilwaco on Sept. 5.
The Borderites' first drive was methodical, taking up most of the first quarter. A pair of juniors, quarterback Connor Brown and wide receiver Hunter Candanoza, capped off the drive with a 14-yard passing touchdown. But that was all the Meadowdale defense would allow.
Blaine coach Andy Olson said Meadowdale’s defense responded well to their opening drive.
The Mavericks adjusted their safety alignment which took away some of Blaine’s targets over the middle of the field, he said.
Coming into Friday’s game Olson knew that Meadowdale, a 3A school, would be a tough opponent (Blaine is Class 1A). He was interested in seeing how his team would respond if the Mavericks got out in front.
After a turnover on downs gave Meadowdale the ball on Blaine’s side of the field, Olson told his defense to “Find out who we are!”
Blaine trailed 21-7 at that point.
That drive, Candanoza, now playing cornerback, intercepted a pass in Blaine’s end zone with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.
But a few miscues in the fourth quarter allowed the Mavericks to start their drives with great field position. Meadowdale recovered an uncovered kickoff at the 2-yard line, which was quickly followed by a rushing touchdown.
Meadowdale put up 20 points in the fourth quarter, putting them ahead 41-7.
After the game Olson said that early in the season, especially against nonconference opponents, the final score doesn’t tell the full story. The score lies — in wins and in losses.
“It’s a process over product business right now,” he said.
Even in their dominant 42-7 win at Ilwaco, Olson said the game tape revealed several areas where the team needed to improve. He suspected that the tape against Meadowdale would do the same, but it’d also be more forgiving than the score implied.
In a tough 1A conference Blaine will need to to clean up some of its mental mistakes, and play hard for all four quarters, Olson said.
“You’ve got to be Iron Man,” he said.
The Borderites will play two more games against nonconference opponents before they take on Nooksack Valley on Oct. 2.
Blaine’s next game is at Bellevue Christian on Sept. 19 at 1 p.m.
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