Game Recap: Lake Stevens earns a hard-fought 38-7 win in Ferndale with Jake Locker Looking On

Big plays fuel road win for 7-0 Vikings. Seth Price: Seven catches for 203 yards, 3 TD.

Ted Kuhrau chokes off a Ferndale drive. J425 photo.

8:32 am - Updated with offensive stats.

FERNDALE — A year ago in Lake Stevens, the Ferndale Golden Eagles and Head Coach Jamie Plenkovich left a 62-6 road defeat feeling less concerned about the loss to the then-4A defending champion Vikings. It was the effort — or relative lack thereof — that wasn’t representative.

Fast forward a year to Ferndale last night and the visiting Vikings were met by a young, determined squad who took the fight to the 4A contender for 48 minutes

“A year ago we had JV out there by the second quarter. It wasn’t our best effort,” said Ferndale senior offensive lineman BRADEN HENDRICKSON, speaking with J425 after the game. “But this year was different.”

Seth Price and Dylan Phinney.

It wasn’t that different though, as in the end Lake rolled to a 31-point win, despite playing without starting wide receivers KEKOA OKIYAMA and MAX COOK — and also dealing with injuries to top linebackers KAYDEN BLANCHARD and KENNY BUCKMILLER.

“There’s a reason (Lake Stevens) is ranked where they are. That quarterback is something else. They have great skill kids. They’re really good on the defensive side of the ball, they play hard and they’re well coached,” Plenkovich said.

Lake Stevens head coach Tom Tri was complimentary of the young Ferndale team after the Ferndale Golden Eagles’ (3-4) hard-fought 38-7 loss to the #1 Lake Stevens Vikings (7-0, 4A) and Viking players were forming a line to see their trainer after this bruising affairinIf it seems contradictory to call a game with that margin hard-fought, it’s not.

Dylan Phinney celebrates his fourth quarter interception. J425 photo.

First, check the tape: the Golden Eagles were hand-fighting in the trenches until the final whistle.