Coupeville Sports

   These days he’s a dad, a coach and a member of the school board. But Chris Chan used to be a hoops star. (Photo courtesy Beverly Chan)

The last great run.

This March will make it 37 years since a Coupeville High School boys’ basketball squad won a game at the state tourney.

On Mar. 1, 1979 the Wolves bounced Montesano 62-51 for the second, and, so far, final victory on the big stage for the boys’ program.

The ’78-’79 squad, which was nipped 53-51 by Carroll on opening day, then bounced back for the W before bowing out 65-53 on day three against Nooksack Valley, joins the ’75-’76 team as the only CHS boys hoops teams to win a game at state.

They capped a run in which Coupeville made it to state four times in the 1970s.

Since that time period, only one Wolf boys squad has headed to the big dance, with the ’87-’88 team dropping both games it played.

As we wait for another CHS squad to catch the same magic, marinate in the photo above, which comes to us courtesy Beverly Chan, who ended up marrying the guy cutting down the nets in the newspaper article.

And, this thought just hit me.

The article clearly states the ’78-’79 team was the Cascade League champion.

Where is their banner on the CHS gym wall?

Every time I look up and see the first title banner being from 1990, I roll my eyes a little, because I know for a fact there were great teams well before that.

This is proof.

Dang it CHS, honor your past!