SPORTS
by Jack Kintner

Tough loss to the Mounties

The Borderites lost to the Mt. Baker Mounties 36-18 on the strength of Mt. Baker’s unanswered four touchdown second period romp. They also lost their chunky sophomore lineman, 5-8 210 lb. Mike Bird, for the rest of the season to a dislocated right knee and fractured right femur.
The game, played at Deming’s Bob Tisdale Field, lasted well into the warm Indian summer night due in part to the long second quarter injury time out. After two Mounties rushing touchdowns put Mt. Baker up 20-6, a strong Mt. Baker rush ended in a pile that, when untangled, left Bird on the turf, his right leg in considerable pain.

Trainer Dan Persse and his four student trainers labored over Bird for 20 minutes, immobilizing the leg before sending him south to St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. “I guess that’s it for the season,” Bird said Sunday afternoon, still groggy from surgery the day before. He expected to spend a few more days in the hospital.

“We can’t say enough about Dan Persse and his trainers,” said Bird’s mother Denise. “They did everything exactly right, and Mike’s going to be 100 percent back in four to six months,” she said. Bird will undergo physical therapy, she said, in hopes of returning to play first base and catch for the Borderite baseball team in the spring.

Blaine’s defense ran in place during the delay to stay warm and limbered up, but when play resumed Mountie quarterback Tyler Murray hit senior wide receiver Kyle Kinder for a 22-yard touchdown pass. Kinder put pressure on the Blaine secondary all night with his four-inch height advantage over Blaine’s hardworking safety Matt Christion, who held him to one first half score by literally playing over his head.

Blaine’s running game was stymied by Mt. Baker’s two 200 plus lb senior linebackers Pete Galbraith and Guy Gates. Blaine’s backfield workhorse Michael Poitras was held to under 40 yards rushing, leaving the ground game up to quarterback Doug Goldsby who tallied 78 on the evening.

Blaine’s performance, while occasionally lacking focus, had bright spots: as with last week’s opponent Meridian, Blaine came back gamely after halftime to shut down the Mt. Baker offense, intercepting Murray on the first Mountie possession, forcing six fumbles and holding them scoreless while scoring two passing touchdowns, one in each quarter, to Joey Paciorek and Bryan Galbraith. In the first half Blaine put together a workmanlike 11-play ground campaign that led to a Michael Poitras one-yard plunge.

Blaine, 2-3 (1-3), is on the road tomorrow night against Granite Falls and the following week against Lynden Christian before returning for their October 22 homecoming game against Nooksack. This team could win all three.

Slivers from the bench

The Borderite girls dropped their second road game in as many starts last Thursday in losing 3-1 to the Volunteers at Nooksack. Lori Robertson scored the lone Blaine goal in the first period to tie the score after Nooksack’s first goal. A free kick by senior Kayla Vermelen that deflected off a Blaine player gave Nooksack the lead which they never relinquished.
Blaine played at Mt. Baker Tuesday and is home against Meridian Thursday, October 7 beginning at 4:30 at the Pipe.

The Blaine Barracuda Wrestling Club is hosting an information and registration night for wrestlers from six through 18 years old Tuesday, October 12, in the middle school cafeteria at 6 p.m. The first practice is on October 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the high school wrestling room. Wrestlers may register for the season at any of the Tuesday or Thursday 6 to 7:30 p.m. practices; the cost is $50. For more information call coach Craig Foster at 332-9835 or Janice Belding at 371-7556.

The Borderites’ starting defensive end and starting offensive tackle Mike Bird, sidelined in the Mt. Baker game last week with a broken leg, was at home resting comfortably at press time and hopes to be back in school by the time you read this. “I just kind of got stuck in a pile and some guys fell on my knee,” he said. Bird said because the break is clean he’s able to get by with a brace and not a cast, and plans to be at the game Friday in Granite Falls.