Coupeville Sports

 Joel Walstad (far right) can now stand with the big boys (l to r Drew Chan, Caleb Valko and Nick Streubel). (Shelli Trumbull photos)

       Here, Walstad celebrates Coupeville’s streak-busting win. Tuesday he celebrated his varsity debut.

You find your positives where you can.

Tuesday night, capping a brutal six-game, three-week road trip minus four players, the Coupeville High School boys’ basketball squad was out-matched in Sultan. Out-classed, never, but out-matched, yes.

Beset by injuries and illness and missing Carson Risner, Ben Etzell, Gavin O’Keefe and Josh Wilsey, the Wolves gave sizable chunks of playing time to three JV players — two who swing between varsity and JV and one making his debut with the big boys — in a 71-27 loss.

And they all contributed, as Morgan Payne pumped in six, Anthony Bergeron netted a bucket and Joel Walstad, officially becoming the third kid in his family to step on a court in a varsity hoops game (after older siblings Tim and Bessie) torched the nets for five.

The look at the future, and the fight still left in older players (team scoring leader Nick Streubel hammered home eight, while Aaron Trumbull banked in four and senior Caleb Valko tossed in two) speak well for the Wolves, who now return home for two of their final three.

Unfortunately, even that is stacked a bit against them, as the home games — Friday, Jan. 25 against Archbishop Thomas Murphy and Friday, Feb. 1 against King’s — pit the Wolves against two of the Cascade Conference’s best teams.

The face-off with King’s will be Senior Night for the Wolves, who will honor Valko and scrappy guard Drew Chan for their service.