State-bound Wolf netters Aaron Curtin (left) and Ben Etzell celebrate with coach Ken Stange.
It could be a very busy spring for Ben Etzell and Aaron Curtin.
The Coupeville High School duo are expected to be the top pitchers for a Wolf baseball squad that hopes to make a long postseason run and revive memories of a state little league title won by them and many of their CHS teammates.
And now, after claiming third at the 1A Quad-District tourney in Seattle Tuesday, Etzell and Curtin have also punched their ticket to the state tennis tournament in May.
The wait is because not all Washington state schools play boys tennis in the fall.
The state tourney will be held in Yakima May 30-31, which is the same town where the 1A state baseball semifinals and championship game are held.
“Here’s to hoping that the CHS baseball team goes all the way to the final four in Yakima as well!,” said Coupeville tennis coach Ken Stange. “Then we can see the boys truly do it all!”
Etzell and Curtin became the first Wolf boys to qualify for state under Stange, who has taken three girl netters to the big dance previously. They did it by winning two of three matches, winning against teams from Charles Wright Academy and Vashon Island.
“I’m proud of the way Ben and Aaron played today,” Stange said. “They came out with the same fire that they had at districts a couple of weeks ago.
“At districts, I commented that they wanted it more than everyone else. That was true again today. They really wanted it,” he added. “They worked their tails off to chase down every stray ball. They hustled. They were amped up. They bounced back when they got down. They functioned as a single being.”
The duo were joined at Quad-Districts by sophomore singles player Sebastian Davis, and while he lost both of his matches to players who qualified for state, the day was a good learning experience.
“The experience of playing against two state qualifiers will benefit Sebastian in the future,” Stange said. “I look forward to two more strong years with Sebastian on our team.”
Complete results:
Singles:
Sebastian Davis lost to Jack Katzman (University Prep) 6-0, 6-0
Davis lost to P. Amick (Vashon) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles:
Ben Etzell/Aaron Curtin beat Sam/Iverson (Charles Wright Academy) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Etzell/Curtin lost to Grenley/Grenley (Charles Wright Academy) 6-1, 6-1
Etzell/Curtin beat Tillman/Jennings (Vashon) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
Coupeville Sports 
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