Richmond Bandong and friends want to retain ownership of The Bucket. (Jackie Saia photo)
One night, a million things to do.
Friday night is the final home game for the Coupeville High School football team, and the schedule is packed.
It’s Homecoming, Senior Night, and The Battle for the Bucket, all wrapped into one.
The third of those three might be the biggest, as the annual rivalry game between the Wolves and South Whidbey, set for a 7 PM kickoff, carries with it a dented, but highly sought-after trophy.
Painted with CHS colors and logo on one side, and SWHS colors and logos on the other, it’s awarded to the night’s winner, and remains in that town’s trophy case for a year.
CHS assistant coach Alex Turner, a former Falcon player, has been on both sides in the rivalry. (Jackie Saia photo)
The 2026 clash is the 17th time The Bucket — which survived a losing South Whidbey coach kicking it during a hissy fit — will be up for grabs.
And while the Falcons hold an 11-5 lead overall, Coupeville has current possession after romping to a 35-6 win last season.
CHS gridiron guru Bennett Richter will be going for back-to-back wins, with hopes of joining former Wolf head coaches Tony Maggio and Jon Atkins as a two-time champ in the spotlight game.
And for old school folks out there who don’t remember a trophy, that’s because it didn’t debut until 2009 in response to an incident in another sport.
The “original” bucket once held licorice but was filled with water by a frisky Coupeville student, who dumped it on yappy South Whidbey fans at a volleyball match, setting off a near-riot.
Looking to turn a negative into a positive, athletic directors Willie Smith (CHS) and John Patton (SWHS) transformed the weapon of mass hydration into a trophy, and a new age was born.
As we head towards Friday, here’s a look at the history of The Battle for the Bucket:
2009 — SW 28-6
2010 — SW 33-7
2011 — SW 35-0
2012 — CHS 18-13
2013 — SW 57-33
2014 — CHS 35-28
2015 — SW 27-14
2016 — CHS 41-10
2017 — CHS 18-0
2018 — SW 48-20
2019 — SW 35-7
2020 — No game (Covid)
2021 — SW 33-7
2022 — SW 47-28
2023 – SW 48-28
2024 – SW 30-26
2025 — CHS 35-6
Liam Blas and Bennett Richter reigned supreme last fall. (Kevin Blas photo)
