Coupeville Sports

This is our gym. Not yours. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Danny Savalza has done a ton to build school spirit in Coupeville.

As the leader of the student cheering section which rocked the house at home volleyball games this fall, “Shaman” Savalza, in his thrift store dress and Bow Down hat, brought pride and joy to CHS — even when the Fun Police tried to sometimes stifle the antics of him and his crew.

Now, as volleyball fades away and basketball looms on the horizon — the first day of practice is two weeks away — I’m putting out a public plea to Mr. Savalza.

Keep the beat going this winter. Don’t let The Man stifle you. Don’t break up the band just because volleyball is done. Make sure the Wolf faithful is still loud and proud when Sultan comes oozing into town.

After several years of Coupeville sports, and its fans, languishing in a semi-stupor, Wolf Nation has risen again. Now is not the time to cede the night to the handful of fans that show up with rival schools.

A huge part of the Wolves regaining their full glory is the belief that they CAN win, they WILL win, they SHOULD win.

The days of whining about CHS being the smallest school in the Cascade Conference is done. That’s reality, and there aren’t many options out there which will put the Wolves up against teams from schools their own size any time soon.

Which doesn’t mean Coupeville can’t beat the snot out of the big boys (and girls). Or, at the very least, out-holler, out-dance and out-entertain the other team’s fans.

This is our gym, not theirs.

Keep the band together, Mr. Savalza. You’ll lose some of your die-hard volleyball rooters like Caleb Valko, Nick Streubel and Joel Walstad to hoops, but you can regroup, restaff with football players who will need something to do during those long winter nights.

Basketball needs the same commitment and mania that volleyball saw from its fans on a nightly basis.

It needs the support of the students. It needs the crazies. It needs the Wolf flag waving in mid-air (screw the WIAA), the brooms pounding on the floor (double screw the WIAA) and its shaman sliding from side to side, pulling the student section right, then left, then right-right-left before throwing your hat in the air.

Coupeville needs you, Mr. Savalza. Will you and your crew accept the call to duty?