Coupeville Sports

   Payton Aparicio is part of a group of fast-rising freshman tennis players. (John Fisken photos)

CHS coach Ken Stange launches a ball during practice.

“I love the game and I like sharing it with people who enjoy it.”

As he enters his 20th season of coaching tennis at Coupeville High School (10 years, with the boys in the fall and girls in the spring), Ken Stange has lost little of his boyish enthusiasm.

His passion for the game, and his ability to inspire his players, whether they are state tournament candidates or JV players on the very fringes, are keys to what has become one of the most inclusive, successful sports programs at CHS.

“Some kids hate it, but when someone gets bitten by the tennis bug, they just can’t get enough,” Stange said. “I’m lucky to get girls who are successful in other sports.

“They’ve always played soccer, volleyball, and basketball but not too many have played tennis. They show up thinking, “Oh. Tennis. This will be light and fun. I won’t have to run as much,” he added with a chuckle. “Then they see that they can apply the athleticism and tenacity that they apply in other sports to the tennis court.

“They turn it into a contact sport. I like it when they get competitive. I try to make them see that their best competition will come in practice, from the girls just in front and just behind them on the ladder.”

Regardless of the outcome, having a team that fights hard every day in practice is a bonus.

“They may win or lose big on match day, but the lessons will come in those closely contested challenges,” Stange said. “One thing about tennis is that beating up on teammates in practice never means sore players come match day.”

As he heads into his milestone season, the Wolf tennis guru would like to do something he’s never done before — qualify both boys and girls for the state tourney in the same school year.

In the fall, Aaron Curtin became the first male singles player to earn a trip to state during Stange’s tenure.

The Wolf girls, while minus now-graduated singles sensation Allie Hanigan, are talented and would like to hitch a ride with Curtin to Eastern Washington in May.

“My girls are greedy, and so am I,” Stange said. “We want to dominate the league tourney this season.

“If we can do that, our league tourney feeds four singles players and four doubles teams into the district tourney,” he added. “If we can pack the district bracket with our own players, we will increase our shot of sending kids to state.

“It’ll take a lot of effort, but I really think this group has a solid combination of talent and drive. Both are necessary.”

Senior Jacki Ginnings, who played #2 singles last year, leads a deep group of returning players that includes fellow seniors Micky LeVine, Wynter Thorne, Ivy Luvera, Ana Luvera and Haleigh Deasy.

Juniors Sydney Autio, McKenzie Bailey and Jazmine Franklin and sophomores Valen Trujillo and Bree Daigneault are also back, while three freshmen — Payton Aparicio, Sage Renninger and Mckenzie Meyer — have a strong shot to crack the varsity squad.

“Our strength has to be our depth,” Stange said. “For league matches, I’ll need three singles players. In non-league matches, we will sometimes use two to four singles players. I need some versatility there. I think I have it.

“My top doubles teams struggled a bit last season. Most of them are back, and they are joined by a feisty group of young players who came ready to compete, on day one,” he added. “I think we may have the cure for what ailed us at the top of the lineup last season.

“That cure would be experience mixed with new talent.”

The Wolves will be making their debut in the 1A Olympic League, with Klahowya expected to be the biggest rival.

With his boys’ squad having upended the Eagles in the postseason, Stange sees no reason his female netters can’t keep the trend going.

“I always have the expectation that the players will grow their games while enjoying a lifelong sport that they can play for decades,” he said. “This season, I’m adding the expectation of a league title.

“I’m not sure what Klahowya has to offer, but I don’t see why we can’t do what the girls hoops squad did (winning a league title at 9-0), although it would be difficult to win by such wide margins.

“This could be my best girls team ever!”