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River Simpson lets a free throw fly. (Aleksia Jump photo)

Tough finale, strong season.

Even with a narrow loss Friday in its last game, the Coupeville High School JV boys’ basketball squad has the most wins of any Wolf hardwood team this winter.

Despite falling 49-48 at Friday Harbor, the CHS young guns finish 7-3 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 8-8 overall, boding well for the future of Cow Town hoops.

Friday’s furious finale took some wild swings, as the momentum shifted back and forth between the teams.

Up 18-5 after a blistering first quarter, the hosts suddenly started clanking everything in sight just as the Wolves found their groove, going off on a 19-2 tear across the second frame.

That staked Coupeville to a 24-20 lead at the half, and things remained tense during a 13-10 third quarter mini-run, before Friday Harbor surged one final time to ice the come-from-behind victory in the final frame.

CHS spread out its offensive attack, with 8th grader River Simpson, playing in just his second high school game, torching the nets for a team-high 19 points.

He was backed up by Kamden Ratcliff (9), Nathan Coxsey (7), Ayden Warren (5), Liam Lawson (4), Trey Stewart (2), and Khanor Jump (2).

Brian Thompson and Trent Thule rounded out the rotation in the finale.

Khanor Jump looks for an opening in the defense. (Duke Kutz photo)

 

Final season scoring stats:

Jayden McManus – 124
Josh Stockdale – 103
Liam Lawson – 96
Khanor Jump – 79
Nathan Coxsey – 72
Carson Grove – 49
River Simpson – 32
Ayden Warren – 26
Brian Thompson – 13
Kamden Ratcliff – 11
Trent Thule – 8
Diesel Eck – 4
Chris Zenz – 4
Jaden Flores Garcia – 2
Trey Stewart – 2

Haylee Armstrong was on fire Friday, scoring 24 points. (Jackie Saia photo)

Sweet, sweet, consistent revenge.

The first time the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team squared off with Friday Harbor, the Wolves bolted out to a double-digit lead, before crumbling during their worst 10-minute stretch of the season.

Friday night, playing their regular season finale on the road, Scout Smith’s squad avoided any repeat stumbles and emerged with a very satisfying 52-42 win.

The triumph lifts the Wolves to 2-8 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 5-13 overall, snaps a four-game losing skid, and sends CHS into the postseason on a positive note.

Coupeville kicks off the double-elimination District 1/2 tourney Feb. 12, with six teams chasing three tickets to the state tourney.

Their opening opponent, and whether the Wolves begin at home or on the road, will be revealed Saturday night after the bracket is released.

Friday night was all about hitting the bottom of the net, as Coupeville had three players reach double-digit scoring.

Leading the way was Haylee Armstrong, who torched the net for nine points as the two teams battled to an explosive 16-16 tie through the first quarter.

The Wolves cracked the game open in the second frame, using a 19-7 tear fueled by five different gunners rattling the rim for points.

Teagan Calkins had the hottest hand in the quarter, rippling the net for seven points, but Armstrong was right on her heels, banking in another six.

From there, CHS stretched the advantage to 40-28 through three quarters, before coasting in for the win.

With very little help from the refs, apparently, but a lot from their hosts.

Friday Harbor was handed 15 free throw attempts, but clanked 10 of those, while Armstrong netted both of her shots during Coupeville’s one, and only, trip to the charity stripe.

The junior guard finished with a game-high 24 points, which lifts her to 290 career points, pushing her into a tie for #40 on the CHS girls’ career scoring list with … her current coach, Scout Smith.

Calkins knocked down 14 Friday, which moves “The Red Dragon” into #26 all-time for a Wolf program launched in 1974, leaving the senior just 11 points shy of reaching 400.

And the third Wolf to reach double digits?

That was sophomore Tenley Stuurmans, and with her 10 points Friday she becomes the 67th CHS girl to score 200 career points. She’ll head into the playoffs at #64 with 209 points and counting.

Kennedy O’Neill and Adeline Maynes both tossed in a bucket to round out the scoring, with Arianna Cunningham and Danica Strong bringing the defensive heat.

Willow Leedy-Bonifas clamps down on the ball during a tense moment. (Jackie Saia photos)

The record is deceptive.

While the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball squad finished with a 2-11 record, many of their games were like the barnburner played Friday night in the season finale.

Squaring off with host Friday Harbor, the young Wolves were a shot away from forcing overtime, but had the clock run out on them in a 32-29 loss.

That speaks well for a team which featured multiple 8th graders and showed steady progress all season long for coaches Alita Blouin and Lark Gustafson.

Friday’s finale featured the return of red-hot gunner Ava Lucero, who has been battling illness.

Back on the floor, the Wolf sophomore went off for a game-high 18 points to pace her team, with Cami Van Dyke nailing a pair of three-balls en route to six points of her own.

Anna Powers and Willow Leedy-Bonifas rounded out the attack with a bucket apiece, with Olivia Hall, Emma Cushman, Elizabeth Marshall, Zayne Roos, and Taylor Marrs also seeing floor time.

Elizabeth Marshall (23) and Anna Powers move in for the rebound.

 

Final season scoring stats:

Ava Lucero – 122
Cami Van Dyke – 56
Anna Powers – 45
Willow Leedy-Bonifas – 37
Zayne Roos – 22
Taylor Marrs – 20
Olivia Hall – 12
Finley Helm – 12
Emma Cushman – 4
Elizabeth Marshall – 3

Riley Lawless (34) ain’t letting anyone into the paint, no sir. (Aleksia Jump photo)

Dang those midrange jumpers.

Despite dominating from behind the three-point arc and at the free throw line Friday, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team couldn’t overcome a hail of old school field goals and lost a crucial one.

Falling 51-41 at Friday Harbor in the regular season finale, the Wolves slip to 4-6 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-11 overall and will likely open the playoffs on the road.

Coupeville won’t know its opening foe or the location until Saturday evening, when the bracket for the double-elimination District 1/2 tourney is released.

For now, Brad Sherman’s squad will have 24 or so hours to reflect on a game where it shot out to an early lead, before hitting some rough spots on offense down the stretch.

With Camden Glover splashing home a pair of three-balls in the early moments, CHS jumped out to a 17-12 lead at the first break and was still up 22-16 midway through the second frame.

But Friday Harbor made its move right before the halftime buzzer, hitting a field goal to snap a 27-27 tie.

From there the Wolverines pulled away in the second half, using a 13-7 run in the third to push the advantage to 42-34 and never giving back the lead over the game’s final 16 minutes.

While Coupeville ultimately lost on the scoreboard, it did win the three-ball battle 6-2, while hitting 11 of 18 free throws while Friday Harbor was just 1-4 at the charity stripe.

Chase Anderson popped for a game-high 17 points to pace the Wolves, with Camden Glover (14), Davin Houston (8), and Malachi Somes (2) also getting their names in the book.

Carson Grove, Liam Blas, Aiden O’Neill, and Riley Lawless also saw floor time for CHS.

Two Wolves hit personal milestones in the game with Houston cracking the 100-point club — he has 103 and counting — and Anderson moving from #9 to #8 on the Wolf boys career scoring chart.

The Coupeville senior has tallied 920 points and passes ’90s star Pete Petrov (917) with his performance on Friday Harbor.

CMS 8th grader Zayne Roos (12), seen here in a high school game, will get a second hoops season this winter at the middle school level. (Jackie Saia photo)

Five days until tipoff.

Coupeville Middle School kicks off a new eight-game season of girls’ basketball this coming Wednesday, Feb. 11, when the Wolves host South Whidbey.

CMS coaches Brooke Crowder and Kassie O’Neil currently have a 29-player roster to draw from, including four eighth graders who also stepped up and played for the high school JV team earlier this winter.

That quartet is comprised of Anna Powers, Finley Helm, Cami Van Dyke, and Zayne Roos.

 

The opening day roster:

 

6th grade:

Halle Black
Ellie Callahan
Juniper Dotson
Nikolas Dunham
Danielle Halsing
Leah Hernandez
Daisy Leedy-Bonifas

 

7th grade:

Sophia Burley
Laurel Crowder
Ruby Folkestad
Reagan Green
Autumn Hunt
Bella Sandlin
Milly Somes

 

8th grade:

Ava Alford
Amira Anunciado
Annabelle Cundiff
Aubrey Flowers
Emma Green
Finley Helm
Addison Jacobson
Sabrina Judnich
Claire Lachnit
Kaleigha Millison
Anna Powers
Emily Rains
Zayne Roos
Cami Van Dyke
Arianna Vinson