March | 2014 | Coupeville Sports

Archive for March, 2014

Fun Police can’t stop Batman!!

Posted in Boys Soccer, Boys Tennis, Happy birthday, tagged CHS Wolves, Fun Police, Happy birthday, I'm Batman, Jason Knoll, Soccer, tennis on March 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Jason Knoll — The Man.

Jason Knoll doesn’t play by your silly rules.

Crack down on students dressing up at games and cheering for their classmates, and the Coupeville High School senior, who happens to be celebrating his birthday today, will arrive to save the day — and the school year– by dressing up as Batman and popping up at as many games as possible.

A triple threat (tennis, soccer, band) with Jack Nicholson eyebrows, Knoll is the last brave man fighting the good fight.

The Fun Police will never catch him, never shut him down, and his legend builds day by day.

Years from now, when CHS students are allowed to run free again in the stands, they will look back and whisper the name of the man who refused (with a smile on his face) to give in and be quiet.

And he’ll be there in the shadows, watching from above, and a low growl will trickle down on a new generation.

“I’m Batman!”

He fought for your freedom. He refused to bend his knee.

For Knoll lives by the creed you all should remember: “They can take our vuvuzela horns, but they will never take our freedom!!”

Shine on, you crazy genius.

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Get off the bus! It’s sprinkling!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Nooksack Valley, rainouts on March 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The ol’ ball coach, Willie Smith, works his magic with the umps. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Assistant coach Chris Tumblin prepares to massacre the ball. (John Fisken photo)

They obviously prayed for rain in Nooksack Valley, and it worked.

Finding the only way to avoid taking a beating at the hands of the Coupeville High School baseball squad, the Pioneers relied on weather to wash away their scheduled non-conference game with the Wolves Saturday.

The game has tentatively been rescheduled for Saturday, April 19.

If it’s played, Coupeville (3-1) will have another nine games under its belt at that point, with three-game Cascade Conference series against 2A teams Archbishop Thomas Murphy, Cedarcrest and Lakewood.

The Wolves then close the regular season with similar series against Granite Falls and Sultan.

The series against ATM, with road games in Everett Monday and Friday of next week and a home game Wednesday (4 PM), will pit Coupeville against the current league leader.

The Wildcats are 4-0 in league play, 4-2 overall, while the Wolves (2-1 in league play) are tied with Lakewood, a half game behind Cedarcrest (3-1) for second place.

Coupeville is a game-and-a-half up on South Whidbey (1-3) in the battle for playoff positioning between the only two 1A teams to play baseball in the conference.

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South Whidbey, you can’t handle the tooth!!

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged Cameron Boyd, CHS Wolves, rivalry win, Soccer, Zane Bundy on March 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Cameron Boyd (center) smiles through the pain of a broken tooth, while teammates Jared Dickson (left) and Brett Arnold join him in celebrating their win. (Sylvia Arnold photo)

Cameron Boyd (center) smiles through the pain of a broken tooth, while Jared Dickson (14) and Brett Arnold (5) join him in celebrating their win. (Sylvia Arnold photos)

Wolves rule, Falcons drool. Celebrating are (l t r)

Wolves rule, Falcons drool. L to r, Loren Nelson, Keegan Korteum, Dickson, Boyd, Tanner Kircher, Arnold, Jason Knoll, Sean Donley, Josiah Campbell and Gunnar Langvold.

Cameron Boyd gave his tooth for the cause, and his teammates responded.

Playing inspired defense, the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad pulled off a stunning 2-1 upset of visiting South Whidbey Friday night, knocking off a team that has openly talked of expecting to compete for a 1A state title.

According to a story in the South Whidbey Record, the Falcons end their practices with the chant “State on three: one-two-three, state!”

Friday that chant could have been replaced with “One-two-three, Wolves rule, Falcons drool!” or that old favorite, “What do Wolves eat? Falcon meat!!”

The best South Whidbey could do was to knock out one of Boyd’s front teeth in a late-game scrum. The Wolf senior took a knee to the face, but was still smiling as he and his teammates celebrated their huge victory.

After posing for pictures after the game, he had to go to the dentist. Boyd eventually had a new tooth put in, and temporary braces attached to a second tooth that was traumatized.

When they weren’t sacrificing their molars, the Wolves shattered the Falcons with a stellar defense anchored by senior defender Brett Arnold and junior goaltender Joel Walstad.

“We had an outstanding group effort, playing with intensity and tenacity,” said CHS coach Kyle Nelson. “Joel had an outstanding performance in goal, making some spectacular saves.”

CHS surrendered a goal early, then frustrated South Whidbey the remainder of the game.

Coupeville answered with goals of its own, one from senior Josiah Campbell and one from sophomore Zane Bundy, who found the back of the net for the third straight game this season.

Now 2-1 overall, 1-1 in Cascade Conference play, the Wolves will venture on the road for the first time this season Tuesday, when they travel to Lakewood.

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Russian Wolf rushin’ around the track!!

Posted in Track, tagged Alex Prudnikov, CHS Wolves, Russia, Track on March 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Alex Prudnikov (and associate).

Prudnikov on wharf duty. (Mekare Bowen photo)

Alex Prudnikov decided to go for a run (or two) during his senior year of high school.

Having turned out for track for the first time, the native of Russia is currently competing in the sprints, relays, long jump and triple jump for Coupeville High School.

Prudnikov made the decision for several reasons.

“I have never ran track before” he said. “I sustained a shoulder injury and thought it would be a good way to stay in shape.

“I enjoy track as it is mostly a sport where the only person you have to compete with is yourself,” Prudnikov added. “That allows me to focus on getting better, not just showing off, as some sports do.”

He’d like to hit 34-35 feet in the triple jump (he needs about two feet) and knock his 100 time down to 12.5 seconds (he’s less than a second off that right now).

Whether he reaches his goals or not, he’s thrilled with the chance to try.

“I think my biggest strength is that I am new to track and can improve all my times a lot,” Prudnikov said. “I would like to work on everything, as is it my first year.”

This is his first try at a school sport (“I enjoy working out and staying active”) and he credits his mom with being his biggest supporter.

The duo emigrated together from Russia and she “plays the biggest part (in my life).”

After high school, and his brief encounter with organized sports, he intends to devote his time to the study of the human body. Prudnikov wants to eventually become a physical therapist.

Until then, he’s always looking for a new challenge, whether on the track oval or in real life.

“I enjoy pretty much anything that’s fun and exciting.”

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Track stars pile up top times!!

Posted in Track, tagged CHS Wolves, Lauren Grove, Makana Stone, Marisa Etzell, Sylvia Hurlburt, top 1A times, Track on March 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Marisa Etzell thunders down the backstretch. (John Fisken photos)

Jake McCormick is part of the 7th fastest 4 x 400 relay squad in District 1.

OK, calm down, there are still two months to go, but … right now, this moment … Makana Stone would be a state champion.

The Coupeville High School sophomore has run the fastest 400 time of any girl in 1A, 2B or 1B this season, clocking in at 61.46 at the Seattle Academy Relays Mar. 22.

Three meets into the season, Stone appears four times on the 1A girls Top 10 lists, with top-five times in the 200, 400 and as a member of the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 relay teams, where she’s joined by Marisa Etzell, Sylvia Hurlburt and Lauren Grove.

None of those four Wolves are seniors, either, with Etzell the oldest as a mere junior. Continued good times should be ahead.

The CHS boys don’t have any athletes in the Top 10 currently, but they do have a fair amount making the list if you take one step down and look at the top performers in District 1.

Current Top 10 performances:

1A girls:

200 — Makana Stone (4th) 27.22

400 — Stone (1st) 61.46

4 x 100 Relay — Marisa Etzell, Stone, Sylvia Hurlburt, Lauren Grove (5th) 53.21

4 x 200 Relay — Grove, Stone, Hurlburt, Etzell (4th) 1:51.58

District 1 girls:

100 — Stone (8th) 13.57; Hurlburt (10th) 13.60

200 — Stone (1st) 27.22; Hurlburt (6th) 28.42; Grove (10th) 29.24

400 — Stone (1st) 61.46

100 Hurdles — Carlie Rosenkrance (8th) 53.21

4 x 100 Relay — Etzell, Stone, Hurlburt, Grove (4th) 53.21