BELLINGHAM
BULLDOGS FOOTBALL
Bulldog’s Family Sponsors
Bill Magas, owner HOME • LIFE • AUTO • BUSINESS
Family Owned and Operated Since 1979 www.magasinsurance.com
(360) 734-0416
2615 Meridian • Bellingham
BRANDON NELSON PARTNERS R
E
2 | TEAM Magazine
A
L
T
O
R
S ®
TEAM Magazine | 3
BULLDOGS 2016 SCHEDULE SAT APR 30 WASH PREDATORS SAT MAY 7 S SOUND NIGHTHAWKS SAT MAY 14 @PUGET SOUND OUTLAWS SAT MAY 21 PUALLUP NATION KINGS SAT JUNE 4 WENATCHEE RAMS SAT JUNE 11 @SPOKANE WOLFPACK SAT JUNE 18 SNOHOMISH VIKINGS SAT JUNE 25 @WASH CAVALIERS SAT JULY 9 RENTON RAVENS SAT JULY 16 @ARLINGTON GRIZZLIES
TE #48 Billy Luckey LB #15 Buomkuoth Samuel DT #90 Cedric Reed DT #63 Christopher Tulloch
OG #78 Aaron Eriksen
LB #48 Colby Bellefeuille
WR #8 Austin Bava ro
WR #17 Coleman Paige
4 | TEAM Magazine
RB #7 Dajayin Mitchell
TE #88 Dustin Reimer
OT #51 Daniel Flynn
C #57 Gareth Mooreill
C #74 Danny Sequeira
OG #73 Ivan Yelfimov
GM CFO Don Oneida
K / WR #18 Jacob Bartel
FB #28 Donovan Dunmore
CB #31 Jason Walters
CB #23 Drew Jenkins
LB #22 Jay Robertson
TEAM Magazine | 5
Coach Jeff Wheeler
DE #52 Lopeti Takai
QB #16 John Montine
DT #92 Mathew Faatili
WR #80 Joseph Coulter
TE #87 Michael Evans
LB #41 Kaleb Heezen
WR #81
NT #64 Kelly Fee
RB #2 Nick Manchester
QB #1 Kyle Redmond
Defensive Coach Paul Coulter
6 | TEAM Magazine
Michael-Isaiah
Evans
FB #25 Quincy A Jackson
WR #82 Trevor Stack
LB #21 Rafael Bowzer
OT #58 Troy Stevenson
LB #55 Seth Antila
CB #4 Ty Williams
DE #5 Sheldon Hicks
WR #58 Wesley Keystone
CB #10 Terren Hooncoop
DE #11 Will Morrison
WR #83 Toby Seim
OT #67 William Craig
TEAM Magazine | 7
Head Coach
Brian Young Brian Young’s path to
coaching started by playing pickup with the neighborhood kids in the suburbs of Washington, DC. In high school, he played three sports – baseball, basketball and football, which led to college, Towson University in Baltimore, on a football scholarship. “It was a small FCS (1AA school),” Young said. “About 35,000 students, but quite a few NFL guys came out of there, including Dave Meggett, who played for the New York Giants, New York Jets and the New England Patriots.” 8 | TEAM Magazine
After college, Young left the East Coast, chasing his dream of playing professional football. That dream brought him to the West Coast, via Canada. “I had a cup of coffee experience with the CFL,” he remembers. “Went to a few camps, ran around with the Hamilton Tigercats for a bit. I wish I could have broken through, but even though I didn’t, it was an incredible time, and while I didn’t know it then, set the table for what was to come.” What was to come would have to wait for a while. Maybe it was the
disappointment of his potential professional career never taking off, or maybe he was just ready for a new path - Young took a sevenyear break from football and did other things, but eventually, found himself wanting to get back into the life he loved.
It was playing for the Eastside Hawks where Young started to turn his thoughts from playing to coaching. Young said he believes in “keeping the flow going.” In his mind, that meant transitioning from a player to another role in football – head coach.
“I still had a passion for the game in there,” Young said, pointing at his belly. “At the time, the passion was to continue playing.”
“Sam began to impart to me the vision of coaching,” Young said. “And I started seriously thinking that I wanted to do it.”
Young, now living in Bellingham, found a local minor league football team, the Bellingham Eagles, and playing for them led to an opportunity to play for ex-Seahawk Sam Adam’s Eastside Hawks.
Young said his first coaching opportunity was with the Skagit Valley Lightning in 2006.
“The Hawks went all the way to the championship,” Young said. “We were the number one ranked team in the country in 2004.”
“But after starting 1-3, I was fired. Shocking after such a small sample size, but it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.”
TEAM Magazine | 9
Turns out Coach Young had caught the eye of Bellingham’s Tom Abbott, whose son was a player on the Lightning. “Tom approached me with a question,” Young said. “What would it take to build a championship organization in Bellingham?” Young said they had a series of meetings and laid out a plan for what would become a second chance at being a head coach – with the 2007 Whatcom Raiders. “I certainly learned from the mistakes I’d made first time around,” Young said. “And we ended up becoming the Cascade Football League Champions. And the following 2008 season, we had the best team Bellingham has ever produced.” Young said Bellingham football has grown strong over the last eight years, and attracts from all over the region. “We get guys from Canada, Anacortes, Whidbey Island, Tacoma and even as far away as Yakima that want to play here.” Young thinks that’s because guys feel comfortable playing in what is really a family atmosphere. “A winning tradition helps too.” The 2016 season brought a big 10 | TEAM Magazine
change to the team now known as the Bellingham Bulldogs. After several seasons playing in the Pacific Football League (PFL), the Bulldogs changed leagues and now play in the Western Washington Football Alliance. “16 teams were playing in the PFL,” Young recounts. “We had to make four trips to Portland last year alone. That is way too much travel and sacrifice for a league where guys have families and full time jobs, and practice for games at night. We had to find a league where that could change.” That accomplished, Young said his focus is on doing what he does best. “I think everybody has gifts and talents,” he said. “My gift is being able to teach, and I hope, instill passion in guys to achieve to their potential. If I can teach a guy one or two things that’s going to make him better, and then watch him do it successfully, that’s powerful stuff. Someone did it for me once and I’m just giving back.” Young is quick to point out that he doesn’t do it alone. “I have great assistant coaches,” Young said. “Terry Toland is our Assistant Head Coach and Offensive
and Defensive Line guy, and really my sounding board. Joe Coulter is our Skills Coach with the wide receivers and special teams, and Paul Coulter is our Defensive Coordinator.” In addition, we added Jeff Wheeler as a defensive assistant. Besides his own Head Coaching responsibilities, Young is also a position coach at Squalicum High School, where he’s spent time coaching wide receivers, special teams and linebackers. “It’s helped me as a head coach,” he said. “I understand better how to prep my Bulldog assistant coaches. I communicate better now, and I’m giving better clarity. Really, my job is to coach the coaches.”
Young said minor league football is the hardest coaching challenge he’s ever faced due to the lack of proper practice time. “The players have jobs and families and outside commitments, and then on top of all that, we need to fit in practices, meetings and of course game days.” Young said it’s not uncommon to receive two or three phone calls on days of games from players who won’t be able to attend. “Try planning for that,” he said. “We’re often making adjustments on the ride to the game.” Of late, Young has also started to expand his sports world by taking on announcing assignments at TEAM Magazine | 11
both Western Washington University Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Basketball games. He also announces Women and Men’s Basketball at Whatcom Community College.
Young said his new experiences as a business owner are also helping to understand how to better market the Bellingham Bulldogs football team.
“My wife Katrina and daughters Mariah, Jadya and Teahna are all involved with me, and it’s so much fun to tap into their individual skill sets.” Bellingham Graphics offers custom screen-printing and sublimation, and for the most part, operates word of mouth and through the large number of contacts Young is making in the local sporting industry. www.bellinghamgraphics.com
Young said they will soon launch a new Internet show through the Bulldogs Facebook page called “Under the Helmet.”
“We clearly needed to do better Young is expanding his business making a bigger footprint withworld in Bellingham as well. A year in our community,” he said. “I’ve ago, he purchased Bellingham gotten the players more involved Graphics and turned it into a home meeting businesses in the combased, family business. munity.”
12 | TEAM Magazine
“It gives our more than 2500 followers a chance to meet and get to know the guys,” Young said. “We have a fan base that can grow in Ferndale and Lynden too. This is a football town that just needs to know we’re here.”
Lisa Vaughn
CHEERS!
It’s not surprising that an only child, an only grandchild, a girl that grew up with no siblings on a small island, might be drawn to seek endeavors where she felt surrounded by people. Lots of people. People she would come to think of as her huge extended family. Lisa Vaughn was born in Bellingham, but grew up on Lopez Island. In high school, she developed her love of sports, lettering in five – volleyball, basketball, cheer, track and golf. After high school, she decided to move back and settled in Bellingham. She graduated from Western Washington in 2013 with a degree in Early Childhood Education and now coaches at Bellingham High School. Along the way, Vaughn’s love of cheer reappeared in her life. “A girl I cheered with in high school had moved to Bellingham and had gotten involved with the Avalanche football team,” Vaughn said. “She encouraged me to join her, so I contacted the coach and attended tryouts.” This is where it gets a little complicated. “I was not on the team the first season,” Vaughn explains. “The Avalanche existed for a season, then in 2008, became the Bulldogs. The Whatcom Raiders (different team) had a TEAM Magazine | 13
dance team, which developed into the Bellingham Blitz Cheer Team. In 2012, The Blitz and Bulldogs merged (staying the Bulldogs) and the Bulldog Cheer program continued. With one big change; by the time it became the Bulldogs Cheer program, Lisa Vaughn was in charge. Vaughn said being the head coach of a cheer squad is no different than being the head of any entity. It requires major organization skills. “I organize practice schedules, choreograph dance routines, manage the overall flow on the sidelines during games, and communicate with all team members to make sure everyone feels included, understood and safe.” Vaughn said the 2016 squad is rounding into a very exciting group. “We have 19 ladies and 7 men, “ Vaughn said. “We’ve eliminated the typical high school type of cheers, and have replaced them with new dances and stunts.” Vaughn said the cheer squad faces the same challenges as the Bulldogs football team, limited practice time with a lot of ground to cover. 14 | TEAM Magazine
“It’s hard to get the whole group together at the same time, but everyone is committed to once a week on Sunday nights.” she said. “But frequently, smaller groups will get together to practice or really, just hang out with each other.” Vaughn said the squad has been together since November and has developed into a very close group of friends. Vaughn’s experiences as head coach of the cheer program has had additional benefits to her overall life plan – she has launched and is building two small businesses in Whatcom. “Beachbody Online Health Coach is my attempt to help and support anyone hoping to begin or continue a healthy life through accountability and motivation,” Vaughn said. “Sincere Event Planning mainly focuses on weddings. I have a passion for weddings and what they stand for.” Vaughn said both businesses share a common feature – helping peoples dream days come to life.
A special thanks to:
For capturing the spirit of the Bulldogs.
TEAM Magazine | 15
CALIBER
HOME LOANS
Let Us Guide You Home When you're ready to buy a home, the experienced, friendly staff at Caliber Home Loans, Inc. is ready to help. From the beginning of the loan process until closing, your Loan Consultant will work closely with you, helping you make informed decisions that can make the home ďŹ nancing process smooth, simple, and stress-free. Call us today to get started.
Scott Ask
Branch Manager NMLS ID 149028 2200 Rimland Drive Suite 110 Bellingham, WA 98226 Direct 360-398-5832 Scott.Ask@caliberhomeloans.com www.ScottAsk.com
Caliber Home Loans, Inc., 3701 Regent Boulevard, Irving, TX 75063 NMLS ID #15622 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). 1-800-401-6587. Copyright Š 2016. All Rights Reserved. This is not an offer to enter into an agreement. Not all customers will qualify. Information, rates, and programs are subject to change without prior notice. All products are subject to credit and property approval. Not all products are available in all states or for all dollar amounts. Other restrictions and limitations apply. Washington Consumer Loan Company License No. CL-15622