Coupeville Sports

Ben Etzell delivers the high, hard cheese. (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Josh Bayne sneaks behind a runner. A runner who needs to pull his dang pants up.

Drew Chan leads a saucy tango.

Kyle Bodamer (10) and Randy Payne race to retrieve a fouled-off ball.

It’s been five years.

You have to go back to 2008 to find the last time Coupeville High School hosted a home baseball playoff game. And while the 2-1 defeat at the hands of Lynden Christian Wednesday will sting for awhile, just earning the chance to be there was an accomplishment.

The 1A Wolves won five of their final six regular season games, all against 2A schools, and held off arch-rival South Whidbey to claim the game. The Falcons had to hit the road and got bounced 16-8 at Mount Baker.

By the bottom of the seventh Wednesday, with the Wolves staging a final rally, the stands were full and a rapidly-growing overflow crowd spilled out in all directions.

The sun was out. The sky was blue. There was nary a gust of wind on the prairie for the first time this spring.

This is the way CHS sports should be.

And, even in defeat, Coupeville plays on, with a 1 PM Thursday loser-out game in Blaine against Nooksack Valley.

Hope lives. Always.