March | 2014 | Coupeville Sports

Archive for March, 2014

Hefflefinger has the magic touch!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU18 Whidbey Islanders, tagged GU18 Whidbey Islanders, Hunger Games, Jacalyn Hefflefinger, Micky LeVine, Sean LeVine, Soccer on March 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Jacalyn Hefflefinger is en fuego on the soccer field.

Jacalyn Hefflefinger is a young woman on fire.

And yes, I could have gone for the easy “Hunger Games” reference there, but Hefflefinger is no mere girl. She’s a goal-scoring machine tearing apart soccer foes in a way even Katniss Everdeen would respect.

Saturday she threw down two more goals, giving her four in her last three games, to spark the Whidbey Islanders GU18 select squad to a thrilling come-from-behind 2-1 victory over host NSC Evolution in Bothell.

Trailing at the half, the Islanders started feeding Hefflefinger in the second half, and her golden leg put the boom down.

Jenn Spark set her up on a corner kick for the tying goal, while Micky “Two Fists” LeVine out-battled the Evolution keeper in the box, winning the ball and putting it on Hefflefinger’s foot for the win.

Islander coach Sean LeVine, basking in the afterglow of his team’s third straight win, praised his players left and right, starting with his unstoppable striker.

“WOW! I don’t recall having a player with a stat line like that (four goals in three games),” he said. “She has been outstanding this season, but the move to striker is paying off!

“The downside for Jac, is now we expect her to score, ha!,” LeVine added. “Just kidding, keep working hard, you are an inspiring player for our team!”

The soccer guru also sidestepped tradition and gave a player of the game nod to his own offspring.

“I almost never do this (one of the many down sides of being a coach’s kid), but Micky cannot be denied today!,” LeVine said. “She was on fire at right mid today! Especially second half, she just seemed to win the ball and have a positive play every time she was near it.

“She played from their box to our box and saved us at least twice when the ball found itself in our box with only her and a white jersey near it!,” he added. “Great job today, Micky! By the way, you’re my favorite player and I love you!”

Capping the day’s strong team-wide performance was a surprise yellow card handed out to mild-mannered Erin Rosenkranz. While it caught LeVine by surprise, he liked the chippiness it rewarded.

“Erin’s yellow card was another inspiring moment,” LeVine said. “I think we were all too shocked and confused to argue with the ref about that, but I’m pretty sure he got that wrong.

“Unless she’s been secretly hitting people all this time and just not getting caught!,” he added with a laugh. “Hmmm, we’ll have to keep an eye on her…”

The Islanders will try to stretch their win streak to four when they hit the road again for a Sunday morning game against ISC Arsenal at Skyline Community Fields.

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It’s time … time for science!!

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, Sporty science, tagged Coupeville High School, Nikola Tesla is a dreamboat, Science Olympiad, Sebastian Davis, Zane Bundy on March 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CHS science warriors (l to r) Loren Nelson, Zane Bundy and Sam Wynn. (Janine Bundy photos)

CHS science warriors (l to r) Loren Nelson, Zane “Dreamboat” Bundy and Sam Wynn. (Janine Bundy photos)

Sebastian Davis (left) and Nick Dion hum “We are the Champions” as they head back to their seats.

Brandon Kelley — winning medals and taking names.

Bundy and Nelson, plotting to take over the world.

The combined brain power on display in this photo is staggering.

There was something for everyone.

Big wins. Big controversies. Groupies screaming.

Cause science.

Regionals for the Science Olympiad were held Saturday at Seattle Central Community College and the duo of Sebastian Davis and Nick Dion ruled in mag-lev.

I’m not going to pretend to know what that is, but the victory earned them and adviser Terry Welch a trip to the state meet April 12 at Eastern Washington University. A win there and they qualify for nationals, which are held at the University of Central Florida.

Wolf teammates Brandon Kelley and John McClarin placed third in their category, while Loren Nelson and Zane Bundy grabbed the spotlight two times.

First they became embroiled in a controversy over their Scrambler and had to have a volunteer coach come to their defense.

The coach was up to the task. If asked “What? Are you some kind of rocket scientist?” they would be one of the few people in the world able to respond “Why yes, yes I am.”

Later the dandy duo had to beat off the fans with a stick, as a band of girls swooned over Bundy like he was the second coming of ion-charged dreamboat Nikola Tesla.

Cause science.

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“I will never stop playing basketball, even if it kills me!!”

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged basketball lifer, CMS Wolves, Mia Littlejohn on March 1, 2014| 1 Comment »

Mia Littlejohn is about to break both your ankles, on the same play. (John Fisken photo)

Mia celebrates a soccer trophy in 2011. (Photo courtesy Dawn Hesselgrave)

Littlejohn celebrates a soccer trophy in 2011. (Photo courtesy Dawn Hesselgrave)

“I have played basketball ever since I can remember.”

Leaving a trail of broken ankles behind her, as she bobs and weaves, stutter-steps and then blows past foes with a nasty cross-over, Coupeville Middle School 8th grader Mia Littlejohn is a gym rat, through and through.

She plays other sports, such as select soccer, but it’s hoops that she lives for, and hoops where she’s making a name for herself, even at a young age.

“I will never stop playing basketball, even if it kills me,” Littlejohn said. “I will continue to play AAU ball if possible and mom allows and cannot wait to play with Makana (Stone), Julia (Myers) and the other high school players .

“It will be awesome!”

Following in the footsteps of older brother Zepher Loesch, a former CHS roundball star, she is usually the most electrifying player on the court.

“I started playing after watching Zepher play and seeing how much fun it was,” Littlejohn said. “I decided that I wanted to play too. Basketball was my brother’s passion and it has become mine, too.

“I live to play guard and wing because there is a lot of action and I get to drive the basket,” she added. “I enjoy the action and aggressiveness, the want for the ball. I like to be on the wing so once that you get the ball you can head fake it then drive, putting you ahead of the person who was guarding you.”

A point guard who can score as well as pass, Littlejohn realizes the importance of setting up her teammates “(I want to assist each of my teammates to score 30 points — 15 baskets — for the season”) while never being afraid of putting up the ball herself.

“My strength is driving to the basket, giving direction, and getting around people while going up the court,” she said. “All you have to do is look and lean one way, but quickly change and go the opposite direction.

“I need to look out because once I “suck in the defense” over to me, than everybody else (my teammates) is open.”

A virtual year-round player — she has done time with a Mukilteo AAU feeder team, a Snohomish AAU team and the Oak Harbor Catz travel squad — Littlejohn wants to tweak some parts of her game. Little things that can change the outcome of a game.

“I definitely have to work on free throws, those can make or break games,” she said.

Away from the court, she enjoys PE and math, helping her mom, Dawn Hesselgrave, cook and art projects. She also does volunteer work with younger sister Kalia.

A big fan of the movie “Frozen” (“It is really funny”), she favors old school beats from the likes of KISS, AC/DC, Journey and The Scorpions.

“I rock like my mom!”

Like virtually all successful young athletes, she has benefited from a strong support group, not only for rides to practice but for inspiration along the way.

She credits step-brother Wiley Hesselgrave (“He has the best aggressive defense I have ever seen”), CMS teammate Lauren Rose (“Such a good friend”) and Loesch (“The one who inspired me to even play. He was always popping up three’s and it was so exciting to watch him play ball”) as her personal heroes.

The backbone of the family, however, remains her parents.

“My mom is the person who has, and does take me to all my practices over the years, and my dad (Mark Hesselgrave) has started helping with off-Island AAU practices these past two years,” Littlejohn said. “I love them so much for encouraging me to play sports.”

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Littlejohn’s her name, but her game is big!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged Basketball, CMS Wolves, Dawn Hesselgrave, Kalia Littlejohn, Zepher Loesch on March 1, 2014| 1 Comment »

Kalia Littlejohn (Dawn Hesselgrave photos)

Kalia and Mia hanging out with big bro Zepher Loesch, circa 2008.

Kalia and Mia Littlejohn hanging out with big bro Zepher Loesch, circa 2008.

Kalia Littlejohn, the fiery spark-plug who kick-starts the 7th grade offense. (John Fisken photos)

“This is my court, fool!!” (John Fisken photo)

Kalia Littlejohn never stops moving on the basketball court.

The Coupeville Middle School 7th grader, who is celebrating her birthday today, zips back and forth relentlessly when she is in a game.

Whether running the Wolf offense from the point, where she is a constant danger to slash to the bucket, or playing an elbow-swingin’ defense that results in more than her fair share of picked off passes, balls knocked out of bounds and frustrated foes, she’s dynamic.

It’s a family style, as older siblings Mia Littlejohn (a CMS 8th grader) and Zepher Loesch (a former CHS standout) play the same way.

An in-your-face, what-you-gonna-do-about-it-cry-to-your-momma style that looks like they just stepped off a street court in Jersey, injecting a nice shot of grit and confidence into laid-back Coupeville.

Kalia developed her style trying to keep up with her older brother, who went on to play ball after high school (“I have played basketball for a very long time. Zepher would always play with us outside.”) and has grown to love the game.

“What I enjoy the most about basketball is the feeling you have when you have that lay up or that shot and you just hope it goes in, that challenge to get the ball in that basket,” Littlejohn said. “Oh, and I “LOVE” defending. I think one of my strengths is defending.”

While she’s already ahead of the average player at her grade level, she’s always looking to get better.

“What I want to work on is everything,” Littlejohn said. “Because I think there’s always room for improving.

“What I want to improve the most is dribbling and shooting.”

Basketball is not her only sport, as Littlejohn and her older sister have both played select soccer for many years. She also played volleyball for CMS and plans to run track in the spring.

A big fan of hip hop and country, she picks math as her favorite class “because it’s challenging” and enjoys “spending time with family, listening to music or sleeping.”

With a family full of athletes (step-brother Wiley Hesselgrave, a sophomore at CHS, is a football and basketball star as well), Littlejohn gets tremendous support, allowing her to stay dedicated to her sports.

“My whole family has been an impact on the person that I am today,” she said. “My brother, Zepher, has been a huge impact in basketball. Also my dad was a big impact in my sports.

“My mom (Dawn Hesselgrave) takes me everywhere we need to go and has been a big help in soccer,” Littlejohn added. “But she can still beat me in soccer, sadly.”

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“I love the games! I love being aggressive!!”

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged Allison Wenzel, Basketball, CMS Wolves, Rachel Wenzel on March 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Allison Wenzel on vacation. (Susan Wenzel photo)

Allison Wenzel gets ready to lay down some beats.

Wenzel gets ready to lay down some beats. (John Fisken photo)

Allison Wenzel is keeping alive a proud family tradition.

Every time the Coupeville Middle School 8th grader takes the basketball court, she’s following in the footsteps of her aunt Rachel, a former high school and college player who now coaches at Ocosta High School.

“I played basketball because I wanted to try all the sports. I heard basketball was a lot of fun,” Wenzel said. “I love the games. I love being aggressive and getting the ball and making baskets.”

She’s made her mark on the defensive side of the ball so far (“People tell me I play hard defense, but I need to work on making baskets”), but is excited to progress in every aspect of the game.

“My goal is to grow stronger in my dribbling and making baskets,” Wenzel said. My dad is painting a regulation-sized key in our driveway, so I can practice at home too.

“Oh yes, I plan to play in high school!,” she added. “I enjoy the sport and high school is the next level for me – a greater challenge.”

A busy young woman — she plays volleyball and runs hurdles in track (“my goal last year for hurdles was to not trip and I didn’t, so this year my goal is to get faster”), while also finding time to play the French horn in the CHS/CMS band.

“I love to play in pep band, festivals and honor band and march in parades,” Wenzel said.

A world traveler at a young age (she was born in Japan), she loves to “travel and explore the outdoors.” A cruise to Alaska last summer, during which she took a train to Denali and went whitewater rafting, was a highlight.

At school, she enjoys band and gym (“I like gym because I can see how I am improving my fitness level”), while always knowing that those at home are her biggest fans.

“My family – my mom and dad and sister Rachel and my Uncle Miles and Aunt Rachel – and my friends, encourage me to try new things and always be the best that I can be.”

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