Drew Chan drives past his defender. (Shelli Trumbull photos)
Not even injuries, or pesky photographers, slow Chan down.
Away from the court and the smile comes back out, as he hangs out with big sis Laura.
Drew Chan is not six-foot-five.
He doesn’t have blinding speed or killer hops.
But he doesn’t need those, because what the Coupeville High School senior does have matters far, far more.
He has heart, he has grit, he has determination, he has drive, he has that spark you want to see in a team leader.
Tonight, when he and fellow senior Caleb Valko lead their Wolf teammates onto the hallowed floor of the CHS gym for a final time, we will be watching the final moments of a Wolf legend.
His stats may not be overpowering and Coupeville has struggled to win games in the past two years as it rebuilds the program.
Doesn’t matter. Chan is a legend.
He never stops. He sacrifices for his team. He leads by example. He is a captain in the best sense of the word.
In the first game of the season, Blaine was in town and the Wolves were sick. I mean, really, really sick. Bad hamburgers had given most of the squad nasty food poisoning, and viral crud had already been circling through the town.
Several Coupeville players never even made it out of their homes that Saturday afternoon — strong players who have fought all season — and those that were there looked bleak.
The garbage cans in the stands meant for trash had been commandeered, and the air smelt like … well, you don’t want to know what it smelt like.
As the JV game played out, with Coupeville’s only five standing players facing off with Blaine’s 25, Chan was flat on his back behind the bench.
He looked dead. Not sick. Dead.
But when the ref threw the opening tip skyward for the varsity game, Chan, in all his bright green glory, was in uniform and on the floor, leading by example.
It has been that way all season, through bad times and good times.
He is a leader. He is THE leader for the Wolves.
Others may score more, but no one bounces off the floor more and keeps on going. No one refuses to back down more. No one exemplifies more what a Wolf is, can be, and should be.
There are still at least two playoff games after tonight, but any postseason bouts will be on the road for Coupeville.
Tonight, for one final night, Drew Chan will pick up a basketball, squeeze it, pound it hard, pause, and then lead his men out the door from the locker room to the court — his court.
And, in the stands, we will pause and take note, because a legend has passed our way.
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