The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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West Valley comes up short in state bid

Lynden
Lynden's Ryan Seto is forced out of bounds by West Valley's Brandon Funk after catching a pass during the third quarter of the state 2A high school football championship game in Tacoma. Lynden won 16-6. (John Froschauer / The Associated Press)
The Associated Press
TACOMA, Wash. — Brett Bajema caught a touchdown pass and ran for another score to lead Lynden to a 16-6 win over West Valley and a second consecutive Washington Class 2A state championship. Bajema scored in the second and fourth quarters Saturday as Lynden (13-1) rallied from a 6-0 first-quarter deficit to win its fifth state title. Lynden beat Prosser 35-34 (2 OT) for the 2008 title. The Lions also won the 2A crown in 2006 and have two 1A titles. West Valley (13-1), of Spokane, had hoped to win its first state championship since a 3A title in 1976. Bajema scored on a 2-yard run with 3:58 left in the game to clinch the victory. He rushed for 118 yards on 14 carries. Lynden quarterback Jordan Hastings tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Bajema with 50 seconds left in the first half. Santiago Lopez kicked the extra point to give the Lions a 7-6 halftime lead. Lynden set up the touchdown by forcing West Valley to punt from its end zone. An 11-yard punt return by Blair Bomber gave the Lions the ball at the West Valley 31. Hastings then fired a 20-yard pass to Ryan Seto prior to his touchdown toss. Hastings completed 13-for-27 passes for 152 yards. Seto had five receptions for 94 yards. Lynden notched a safety early in the third quarter to go up 9-7. The Lions tackled running back Krys Smith in the end zone for a 1-yard loss. The game turned sloppy in the third quarter as Lynden threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. West Valley threw an interception and later failed to convert on a fourth-and-one at the Lynden 35. Drew Clausen threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Sam Schoesler to give West Valley a 6-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Clausen completed 3-for-3 passes for 57 yards during the drive, including a 32-yard pass to Mitch Peterson. For the game, Clausen completed 10-for-15 passes for 112 yards. Lynden missed a 25-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter. West Valley missed a field goal from 38 early in the second quarter.