With the first frost of the year arriving, so too is the Blaine high school winter sports season. There are plenty of (relatively) new faces this season, with athletic director Chas Kok taking the reins as head coach of the boys basketball team, and an almost-entirely new roster for Vic Wolfis’ girls basketball squad. There’s sure to be drama and intensity this winter as five Blaine teams vie for the state playoffs.
Boys Basketball
In head coach Chas Kok’s first season coaching the Blaine boys basketball team, he’ll be coming into the new gig with the advantage of working as the school’s athletic director for the past three years.
Kok grew up in Lynden and played for the Lynden Lions, including the 2007 Class 2A state champion team his senior year, and played collegiately at multiple Pacific Northwest universities. He then went on to coach the Burlington-Edison boys team for three seasons before coming to Blaine.
He knows the athletes on this team already, and said he believes they have completely bought in to his program that is built upon three pillars: accountability, hard work and energy.
“Early on in the season, it’s been really great,” Kok said. “We’re a team right now, but we’re hoping to be a much better team when districts come in February. That’s when you want to play your best basketball.”
The Borderites are looking for a better season than last year, when the team finished 4-17 with a 2-13 Northwest Conference (NWC) record. The team has multiple returning upperclassmen, including seniors Josiah Weeda, Abdul Kanagie and junior Kai Kerwin.
Weeda, along with fellow senior Jacob Dohner and junior Landon Melton, were elected as captains by their teammates. Kok said he has high expectations for all of them, but particularly for Weeda, who missed a big chunk of last season due to injury.
“Josiah Weeda is somebody who’s a returner that we’re relying on to be kind of a leader and hold some of our teammates accountable when they do make mistakes,” Kok said. “He has the respect of his teammates. It’s not just about scoring and box scores, but huddling your teammates, handing the ball to the official and doing the little things that we want our program to be about.”
The long high school basketball season is already underway, with Blaine earning a tough 58-48 win on the road against La Conner. Melton led the box score for the Borderites with 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, with Kanagie adding 12 points along with six rebounds.
The Borderites also did a good job stopping La Conner’s most dangerous scorer, senior Brayden Pedroza, from taking over the game.
“We knew coming in, [Pedroza] can really give teams fits. He was a big focal point for us,” Kok said. “While I was proud of the 58, I’m more proud of the 48 because defensively in transition, we did a very good job.”
The first game of the season is in the books, and the Borderites will come home to host Friday Harbor on Wednesday, December 4 at 5:30 (after press time) and Tamanawis on Thursday, December 5 at 7:15 p.m.
“Games against La Conner mean just as much as games against Meridian, games against Lynden Christian,” Kok said. “Each game is an opportunity for us to improve.”
Girls Basketball
The Blaine girls basketball team went through a massive transformation since the end of last season. The team lost its entire starting five over the offseason with multiple seniors graduating, and head coach Vic Wolfis worked tirelessly to recruit athletes from other sports for this year’s team.
The only returning player from last year’s team is sophomore Marcella Bring, with eleven newcomers joining the 2024/25 team.
It will surely be an uphill battle for Wolfis and company in a tough NWC, but the longtime Whatcom County coach should be equipped to get this team improving as the season goes on.
Last year, the Borderites finished 11-11 overall with a 6-9 conference record. The only real comparison that can be made between that team and this year’s team (beside Wolfis and Bring) is the word “Blaine” on the front of the jersey.
But that should excite fans of Borderite basketball. Wolfis is a veteran coach with state championship wins under his belt, and while postseason glory may be out of the question, this team will certainly be well-coached and have chances to upset good teams like defending state champions Lynden High School.
There’s certainly no shortage of competitors on this team, with Wolfis successfully recruiting athletes from other Blaine sports, especially the girls soccer team.
Blaine didn’t start the season off the way it wanted, losing 48-27 to La Conner on December 2, but still saw solid offensive performances from Beatrice Dickson – eight points – and Aaliyah Bowman – six points, five rebounds, five steals.
Blaine will face Friday Harbor for the home opener on Wednesday, December 4 at 4 p.m. (after press time), before going back on the road for games against Orcas Island and Bellingham.
Stats provided by
WhatcomPreps.com
Boys Wrestling
Boys wrestling will start its season without a few of its standout seniors from the previous year, but is still hoping to send as many wrestlers as possible to district and state postseason play.
After eleven seniors departed the team due to graduation last season, there’s a lot of fresh faces coming to the team this year, and plenty to look forward to.
Last season, seniors Cal Fitzgerald and Victor Gervol placed in the top-five in the Mat Classic XXXV at the Tacoma Dome, leading a stellar group of senior wrestlers. Head coach Tom Hinz knows there’s a lot to replace, but told The Northern Light in February that the upcoming group is solid.
“I think we have a really good team that’s returning,” Hinz said. “I’m definitely going to miss the senior class, but what we’re refilling with is a bunch of really good kids and a really good atmosphere and family feel in the locker room.”
The Borderites start the season on December 4 against Ferndale, and the first home meets will take place on December 18 at 6 p.m. against Nooksack Valley.
Girls Wrestling
The girls wrestling season is already underway, with the Borderites playing a season opening tournament at Meridian on November 30, and the first pair of home matches scheduled for December 10 at 6 p.m. against Anacortes and 7:30 p.m. against Meridian.
Last season, the Borderites sent three wrestlers to the Mat Classic XXXV at the Tacoma Dome, with Makenna Lausier and Claire Hume expected to return for another season of solid wrestling with hopes set on another postseason appearance.
Blaine will have another home meet later in the season, on January 21 against Mt. Baker at 6 p.m.
Girls Bowling
The girls bowling season began in mid-November, and the Borderites already have a team win under the belt, beating Meridian by at Mt. Baker Lanes on November 18 by a combined team score of 1511-1202.
The team has plenty of returning bowlers, including Ainslee Ellis, who set a Blaine record with a 179 point game against Everett.
The team was also named the WIAA 1A Academic State Champions last season, and surely hope to repeat that amazing feat again.
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