Coupeville Sports

McKayla Bailey and Co. are state-bound. (Robert Bishop photos)

The Wolves fuel the fire between playoff games. Left to right are Madeline Roberts, Madeline Strasburg, Haley Sherman and Hailey Hammer.

OK, you might need to be a few minutes late to work.

Better yet, just take the day off.

Thursday morning you need to get yourself to the Coupeville High School gym by 9:45 AM or so, as we rally in the parking lot to give the Wolf softball squad a proper send-off to the state tourney.

The team that wouldn’t give in or back down, the team that baked and bought me more cookies than all the other CHS sports combined, departs for Richland and the 1A championships at a few minutes after 10 AM.

14 girls and two coaches making a trip that Coupeville hasn’t taken in 12 years, since the glory days of 2002, when the Wolves finished 3rd at state in their first-ever appearance in the fastpitch era.

Tennis players Ben Etzell and Aaron Curtin and track sensation Makana Stone also depart for various Eastern Washington locales tomorrow morning, hopeful of bringing home their own state trophies.

Golfer Christine Fields is a little closer to home, playing Wednesday and Thursday in Lake Spanaway for a state title.

And, of course, Wolf baseball made their own trek last weekend, though going to Anacortes was a little shorter trip. If they had made it through to the Final Four and were headed to Yakima, we’d do the same for them.

The seniors on this year’s team (Breeanna Messner, Haley Sherman and Madeline Roberts) were six the last time Wolf softball went to the Big Dance.

There are no guarantees of a return trip.

Granite Falls stormed through the Cascade Conference this season, winning the regular season title with only one league loss. But they’re sitting at home now, as the 2A state tourney gears up to start without them.

This is special.

It would be great if the Wolves went back every year, but there’s just as much chance these young women will be approaching 30 the next time a CHS squad gets this far.

Don’t miss what could be a one-time opportunity to send them off in style.