Pride of a Nation

Ray Jefferson shakes off a Highland Christian defender en route to the end zone in the Blackhawks Sept. 5 win in Arlington.

Lummi rolls 82-68 in season opener; Dustin Tom throws 10 TD passes, or was it 12?

If you read Saturday's Bellingham Herald story about the Blackhawks' game you learned that the score was 84-68 and that Dustin Tom threw 12 touchdown passes. Neither of those statements was accurate, but it wasn't the newspaper's fault.

A couple of factors caused the misinformation. First, the camera Lummi used to film the game ran out of batteries in the second half. Coach Jim Sandusky planned on using the game film to compile the Blackhawks' statistics, so without tape of the entire contest he wasn't sure exactly who did what. He's still working on it, though, including talking to Highland coach Don Kurtzenacker about getting a copy of the game film from him.


Second, Lummi scored so much it was difficult to keep track of who all visited the end zone, and how often. Even the players weren't sure. Sandusky asked them after the game who had done the scoring but they couldn't give him an exact accounting. "You'd think if a kid scored a touchdown he'd know it," Sandusky said. You'd think, but the Blackhawks can be forgiven, especially Tom. On further reflection, it appears the senior quarterback (pictured above) threw for only 10 scores. He ran for one, as did Andre Revey. Ray Jefferson was on the receiving end of a bunch of Tom's scoring tosses, and Gale Jefferson caught a few, too.

After the game when it came time for Sandusky to call in the score to the Herald he could only make an educated guess. Stay tuned; the complete and accurate statistics should be forthcoming.

In the meantime. the Blackhawks are preparing for Saturday's 2 p.m. game against Tri-Cities Prep at Lummi. Tri-Cities whipped Echo, Oregon, 64-30 last week (check out video of the game on the Tri-City Herald Web site). Sandusky said the Blackhawks came out of the Highland Christian game with some bumps and bruises but with no serious injuries. They watched film and worked out on Saturday and will resume practicing Monday.

Ronumus Revey, left, and Kyle Finkbonner take a break during the first half of Friday's game.


Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Andre Revey heads for the end zone during an Aug. 30 intrasquad scrimmage.

Lummi football is a remarkable story. The Blackhawks play 8-man football in Washington state. The program has been in existence only seven years, but Lummi has established itself as one of the premier B-8 teams in the state. Last year the Blackhawks beat Crescent 118-72, tying the national record for most points scored by an 8-man team. They made it to the state semifinals, where they lost 80-50 to Almira-Coulee-Hartline. But the wins and the points are just part of the story.
Senior quarterback Dustin Tom is one of the team leaders and a captain, along with Ray Jefferson and Lonnie James.

Lummi High School serves students from the Lummi Nation Indian tribe in the Northwest corner of Washington state. The football team is coached by Jim Sandusky (below), a former Canadian Football League star, who also is the school's athletic director. When he began coaching the team in 2003, it played on a makeshift field in the front yard of his home in Ferndale, Wash. The team now uses a field adjacent to the new high school building, and this year lights are to be installed, allowing the team to play on Friday nights.

It is hard to overstate the challenges Sandusky faces in keeping the Blackhawks competitive. The Lummi school system — K through 12 — has an enrollment of about 320 students, 120 in the high school; so there aren't many boys from which to build a state-champion-caliber football team. Plus, some of his players come from broken homes, struggle with addiction or have run afoul of the law. Absenteeism is a problem, as is keeping players academically eligible. In that respect, Lummi is no different than many other schools, especially those in communities beset by poverty and inequity, but when your roster includes only 15 or so upper-classmen it is crucial to keep everyone eligible. Sandusky is enthusiastic about this year's team, but he acknowledges that the status of a handful of his players could make or break the season. "There's the potential to have the right mix for a state champion," he said the other day after practice.

Lummi opens its season Friday night in Arlington against Highland Christian Prep. The Blackhawks play host to Tri-Cities Prep — a state playoff team last year — on Saturday, Sept. 13, before traveling to Odessa on Sept. 19 to face perennial power St. John. "Our first three games are the toughest first three we will have ever had," Sandusky said.

Each week "Pride of the Nation" will post photos from the Blackhawks' games, plus provide insight into the team and its place in the larger tribal community. Check back regularly; it's going to be an interesting season.

Assistant coach Dean Pederson looks over the Blackhawks during a recent practice.