NWC Team Previews – 1A – Blaine Borderites

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here I will be continuing a new series of articles, featuring team previews for each team in the Northwest Conference. Not every team will have their own article, as I will be combining those teams in which I don't have much information on. I will be dividing this up by class, then by team within the NWC. The next team up is the Blaine Borderites.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blaine had a fantastic season last year, making the 1A state tournament. They finished the regular season at 14-7, as one of the top teams in the conference. Their head coach, Brett Farrar (Coach Farrar now coaches at Mount Vernon) won the NWC coach of the year award and his assistant won the award for assistant of the year. They beat Nooksack Valley, 58-37, in their first game during districts. With that win, they advanced to the district title game against previously mentioned team, Lynden Christian. The Lyncs took the win, but Blaine still qualified to advance to regional play. At regionals, they earned a spot in the state tournament with a win over Wahluke HS. They fell in the first round of the 1A state tournament to Quincy HS. They have a core of returning players and a new coach with a lot of knowledge coming in. They are still a team to watch this season in the NWC.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Graduated:</strong> Cole Thomas, Jaxon Kortlever, Scott Baldwin, Avery Dohner</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Returning: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1587990' first='Lucas' last='Smith'] ('23), Lawerence Creasey ('23), Mathew Russ ('23), Ethan Koreski ('23), Alex Censale ('23), [player_tooltip player_id='1416315' first='Carson' last='Lehnert'] ('23), Noah Travis ('24)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Breakout Player:</strong> Mathew Russ Other Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1416315' first='Carson' last='Lehnert'], [player_tooltip player_id='1587990' first='Lucas' last='Smith']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_634f810a475ee","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1580918"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Russ is extremely athletic, one of the most athletic players in the entire Northwest Conference. I watched him play multiple times over the summer and he can FLY! He attacks rim aggressively, embracing contact every time down the lane. Being so athletic, he can adjust smoothly in the air and finish around defenders down low. His jump-shot has been improving quite a bit and has proven he can't be left wide open, or he will sink the shot. He should be a main part of the offense for the Borderites.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1587990"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Lucas looks like he's grown a little bit since last season and is standing at roughly 6'4u0022. His game is versatile, as he can attack the bucket nicely or hit the jump shot nicely. He rises above defenders on mid-range shots quite often. His length helps him when finishing at the rim, being able to get his lay-ups over the bigs down low. Something Lucas has started to add to his game is more technique when playing down in the post. His shot is still as consistent as it has keep, so defenders must stay on their toes. He's done a great job at expanding his game and is poised for a big senior year as well.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1416315"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Carson is a player who we haven't been able to watch over the summer play AAU or even summer league action with Blaine. Lehnert is a great shooter, one of the best three point snipers in the NWC. He runs the floor well and can score at all 3 levels, excelling in the mid-range or from deep. On defense, his long arms are a problem for the opposing teams every game, as he can fill the passing lanes with ease. He's been recovering from a back injury, taking it slow in recovery so he can be fully healthy for his senior year. He is betting on himself to show off what he can do, and I think he'll do an amazing job.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":3,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Borderites team has a lot of seniors coming back who will play big roles and with a new coach, I think they will be a top team in the Northwest Conference and a problem within the 1A division in the long run. The teams chemistry should be good given that most of the role players last season will be returning, other than a few. Ethan Koreski is a big man to watch, he gives his all on the court every play and is very passionate about winning. Lawerence (Larry) Creasey is another gritty player on the team. He plays tough defense and matches up well with a lot of the players within the conference. Only time will tell us if Blaine will have another good season this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->