Archbishop Murphy edges Lynden, moves on to 2A state football semis

Published 4:48 pm Saturday, November 23, 2024

FERNDALE — The Archbishop Murphy High School football team tamed the Lynden Lions, 10-9, on Saturday to earn a spot in the Class 2A state playoff semifinals.

Senior running back Jevin Madison and his offensive line performed the bulk of the work for the Wildcats (10-1 overall). Madison carried the ball 27 times for 188 yards, and offensive lineman Justice Williams scored on a 1-yard plunge for his team’s only touchdown.

The Wildcats will play No. 1 Tumwater at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Tumwater District Stadium.

Archbishop Murphy kicker Kyler Phillips connected on a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter to complete the scoring for the Wildcats.

As it turned out, that’s all they needed.

Trailing 10-3 with just under five minutes remaining, Lynden 6-foot-6 senior quarterback Brant Heppner hit receiver Brody Price for a 57-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The Lions went for a two-point conversion and were denied when the Wildcats intercepted a pass attempt.

Archbishop Murphy junior defensive back Jordan Rife intercepted a Lions pass and recovered a fumble to lead a stingy Wildcats defense.

It was another low-scoring game for two teams accustomed to putting up big numbers. Lynden averaged 37 points in its first 11 games, while the Wildcats averaged 43. Back on Oct. 18, Lynden (10-2 overall) handed Archbishop Murphy its only loss of the season, 7-3. While a rainy day and a sloppy field seemed to be to blame that day, Saturday’s matchup on a nearly-new artificial turf field at Ferndale High School again featured some sloppy play and stout defenses.

It was the Wildcats, however, who won Saturday’s slugfest.