Good afternoon Trojan fans.

After week long HostGator outage, MeridianFootball.com is back online… sorta.  All site structure and text content of the site is intact.  However, when the HostGator server went down, it took with it almost all of the photos that have been posted to the site since Dec. 2010.  We are working to get those back, but in all likelihood, many of them are unrecoverable.

On the bright side, we’re just a week or so from spring football.

1986 Game #2: Meridian 31, Nooksack 0

The Trojans met the Pioneers in their 2nd game of the 1986 campaign at their “home” field of Civic Stadium while the current stadium on campus was under construction.

The Trojans struck early, scoring on a short-field on their second possession, set up by a 48-yard punt return by sophomore Todd Pfannenstiel. Fellow sophomore Travis Bass scored on a 1-yard plunge to give the Trojans a 7-0 first quarter lead. The Trojan defense owned the rest of the half, holding the Pioneers to -7 yard of offense and no first downs. Senior QB Lance Scott extended the Trojan lead to 14-0 at the end of the half with a 3-yard run.

In a week of big news for Laurel’s Own Andrei Lintz, the best came today when ‘Drei was named to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame 2013 Hampshire Honor Society.

Former Washington State University wide receiver Andrei Lintz was named to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame 2013 Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF announced Thursday.

Designed to highlight football’s unique ability to develop tomorrow’s brightest leaders, The NFF Hampshire Honor Society honors the college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career.

Lintz was a three-time Pac-12 Conference All-Academic selection, earning first time honors this past season and second team accolades the previous two years. The Bellingham, Wash. native earned four varsity letters, appeared in 43 games and caught 10 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

…

Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include:
• Being a starter or a significant substitute in one’s last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university;
• Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and
• Meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements and graduation.

You can read more about the award from the National Football Foundation press release.

The Lynden Tribune reminds us that Andrei was a 3-timer on the All Pac-12 Academic team.

Congrats to Meridian alum Andrei Lintz on being named 2 the NCAA’s Hampshire Honor Society. Lintz was a 3 time Pac-12 All-Academic selection

— LyndenTribuneSports (@LyndenTribuneSP) May 3, 2013

Still to come, ‘Drei will get a chance to tryout in the New Orleans Saints rookie mini-camp May 10-12. KPUG interviewed Andrei this week about the challenges ahead. Get the MP3 here or listen below.

Good luck to Andrei on the tryout, and huge congratulations on the academic honors.

2004 Game #2:  Meridian 13, Bellingham 7

In the first-ever meeting of the two schools, the then-2A Trojans fought the then-3A Raiders down to the wire in an early-season non-league contest at Civic Stadium.

The Trojan defense yielded very little in the first half and thwarted Bellingham’s only 1st-quarter threat when Matt Hagen intercepted a Raider pass in the end zone.  The Trojan offense, meanwhile, drove repeatedly into Bellingham territory, but was forced to punt three times and surrendered the ball on downs twice inside the 50 in the first half.  After an incomplete Jordan Slesk pass on 4th down gave the Raiders the ball on their own 15 with just over 2 minutes in the first half to play, Bellingham scored the first points of the game on an 85-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass on a short slant pattern.

2010 Game 7:  Meridian 54, Lynden Christian 7

Mitchell Tripp

The second meeting of the season for these traditional rivals fell on Meridian’s homecoming and after the “Leaders and Legends” celebration, recognizing past heroes and contributors to the MHS football program.  The game to follow became historic as well, as Meridian’s victory over the Lyncs featured records in the rivalry for greatest margin of victory and most yards gained against the Lyncs by the Trojans.

Senior QB Zack Slesk tossed a long 65-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Tripp on the Trojans’ second play from scrimmage to stake the hosts to a 7-0 lead.  After a Casey Smith interception on the Lyncs’ second possession, Slesk hit Ryan Clark for a 46-yard touchdown on the Trojans’ first play of the ensuing drive.  After forcing a 3-and-out on the Lyncs’ next drive, Slesk and the receiver corps went back to work, capping the drive on a 1-yard toss to Clark for the score, following a 54-yard completion to Tripp.  Tripp capped his historic 1st quarter (a school-record 205 all-purpose yards in one quarter) returning the punt following the Lyncs’ next failed drive 69 yards for his second touchdown and a 28-0 1st quarter lead.

Earlier this spring, Steve Auld’s family and friends created the Steven Auld Jr Memorial Scholarship with the Meridian Public School Foundation.

Logo courtesy of Design Lair

In 2009, at the age of 23, Steven was diagnosed with colon cancer. After enduring a courageous three year battle, Steven Auld passed away on September 25, 2012. He left behind countless memories within the Laurel Community that he loved so dearly. It is the wish of his wife Whitney Auld, family members, and friends that his legacy live on through a Meridian Public School Foundation Scholarship.

Students with the following criteria will be given priority for this scholarship:

​Student has played at least two years on any Varsity sport.

​Student plans to attend Washington State, Western Washington, Eastern, Central
​or any Community College in the state of Washington.

​Student attends classes full-time at Meridian High School

Donations came be made via the MPSF’s Donation page.

I note with great amusement that the University of Washington is absent from the rest of the in-state priority schools.  Go Cougs, Steve.

Random Recap: 1980 Game 4, Meridian 13—Nooksack 7

From the Bellingham Herald

by Connie Tedrow of the Herald Staff

 

Meridian “Incredible” in upset of Pioneers

It was the Meridian Trojans’ own version of “That’s Incredible.”

With a defense that did nothing short of the inconceivable, Meridian scrambled to a stunning 13-7 Whatcom County League upset of the Nooksack Valley Pioneers Friday night.

“We shut ‘em down, we just shut ‘em down,” grinned ecstatic Trojan coach Bob Ames.  ”Our defense did a super job; they’ve been playing well all year.  But, people don’t notice that when you lose.”

The Trojans held the 2012 a week ago or so, and Laurine Tilbury has posted a photo album on the event.

2012 Football Banquet

2001 Game 3:  Meridian 34, Blaine 0

The Trojans and Borderites met in the 3rd game of the season with both clubs harboring postseason aspirations.  The Borderites featured a strong running game led by Zeth Simpson, while the Trojans were coming off runaway wins against Sultan and South Whidbey.  The Trojans at home struck just a minute and a half into the game with Colin Morris scoring on a 21-yard run.  A failed running attempt left the score at 6-0.  The Trojans would stifle the Borderite offense in the first quarter and forced a fumble to set up a 22-yard Mark Simmons toss to Sean McKinnon.  A Simmons-to-William Wantz two-point conversion pushed the 1st quarter score to 14-0.  Simmons and McKinnon connected again in the 2nd quarter from 10 yards out right before halftime to increase the Trojan lead to 21-0.

The Trojan defense squelched any Borderite hope for momentum coming out of the break with a Jon Murray interception on the Borderites’ first post-half possession.  The resulting drive produced a 1-yard Jesse Alderson touchdown run and a 28-0 lead.  The Trojans’ “D” responded with another forced fumble takeaway in the quarter, with Alderson sprinting to a 47-yard touchdown on the next drive to send the game into the 4th quarter with the Trojans leading 34-0.  The fourth quarter produced no fireworks, with the defense limiting Blaine to just 7 yards in the quarter and the offense grinding out the clock.

For the game, the Trojans held the Borderites to just 87 yards rushing on 33 attempts and just 5 yards passing on 3 completions in 15 attempts for a total of just 92 yards in the game.  Offensively, Simmons eclipsed 200 yards passing the first time in his career and Alderson posted his 3rd consecutive 100-yard rushing game and added 73 yards receiving for 175 scrimmage yards.

Stat Stars

Mark Simmons
Passing:  14-25, 229 yards, 2 tds, 1 int

Jesse Alderson
Rushing:  14-102, 2 tds
Receiving:  2-73
Kick-off Returns:  2-9

Sean McKinnon
Receiving:  5-64, 2 tds

1978 Game #1:  Meridian 6, Lynden Christian 0

From The Bellingham Herald:

Nightingale paces Trojans by Lyncs
Herald Staff Reporter Craig Bennett

A football coach’s philosophy about playing in inclement weather is usually that both teams have to play in it, so let’s make the best of it.

Meridian head coach Bob Ames can afford to hold to that philosophy as long as he has Dudley Nightingale to run the ball for him.

Nightingale personally accounted for 133 of the Trojans’ 158 yards of total offense and scored the game’s only touchdown as Meridian defeated the Lynden Christian Lyncs, 6-0, Friday night.

“Neither team looked like they really knew what they were doing out there,” Ames related.  ”With our inexperience I expected that, but hey, both these teams are gonna improve.  Lynden Christian has some good players.”

Unfortunately, the Lyncs standouts, Larry Vander Veen and Chuck Te Velde on defense, and quarterback Jerry Scholten could do nothing to stop the rampaging Nightingale.

Five times in the first half, Meridian took possession deep in Lynden Christian territory, but could only cross the goal line once when Nightingale took a short Brett Biesheuvel punt and returned to the Lyncs six.  On the following play, Nightingale followed the right side of his offensive line into the end zone.

“Our offense was inconsistent,” Ames admitted, “but we did move the ball up the middle quite well.  It’s a shame we couldn’t get outside though, but with the slippery turf it just was not effective.”

Totally ineffective was the best description for Lynden Christian’s offensive efforts.  They could only muster 51 yards of total offense, just 14 in the first half when Scholten was intercepted twice and running back Doug Vander Pol lost the handle on the ball two times.

The first half was simply a battle of field position, Meridian clearly winning.  The Lyncs’ best starting point in the first 24 minutes was their own 30.  ”We did look a little rough out there,” Lync mentor Fred Ypma said.  ”It was our own mistakes that hurt us, no them sticking it to us.”

Perhaps the line offensive shining star for Lynden Christian was quarterback Scholten who, despite his three interceptions, led the club well.  ”We were a little leery about him, but he held up well,”  Ypma stated.

Ypma’s charges were in the game to the final play, but a halfback pass by Biesheuval went awry when he slipped trying to find firm footing to deliver the toss.

“We hope it will be different next time out,” Ypma said.

Stat Stars

Dudley Nightingale
Rushing:  29-133, 1 td
Punt Returns:  2-42
Kick-off Returns:  1-16
Punting:  3-98

Jon Maulin
Interceptions:  3-36