Coupeville Sports

   Brisa Herrera fought like a wild woman for every loose ball Saturday. (John Fisken photo)

It wasn’t perfect, maybe, but it was full of positives.

A year after a very polished squad rolled through much of its competition, this year’s version of the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball squad was much more of a work-in-progress.

With a roster that included six freshmen, several of whom hadn’t played before, the young guns showed improvement every week, and that’s all that coach Amy King asks.

While Coupeville fell 47-31 to visiting Klahowya Saturday, the Wolves finished 7-11, including a strong 5-4 in league play.

They never had anything longer than a two-game losing streak, and featured several players who should be making the jump up to help the varsity in the coming years.

One of the first who could get the call up to the big leagues is freshman Sarah Wright, who capped her season by pounding away in the paint for a game-high 10 points Saturday.

A ferocious rebounder and enforcer, she’s joined in the let’s-pound-folks department by Brittany Powers.

Listed at a mere five-foot-two in the program — she ties Lauren “Mouse” Rose as the smallest Wolf — Powers spends her time on the floor thrashing people up one side of the court and down the other.

Saturday night was a prime example, as she twice exited, applied ice to another place she had been whacked by rogue Eagles, then charged right back on the court to repay the experience, earning a smile and nod from her coach.

The two mighty mites both tallied seven points apiece, with Powers twice taking the ball coast-to-coast for buckets, while Rose pulled off the game’s best move, slicing the defense for a runner, then tacking on the ensuing free throw.

Allison Wenzel added three, while Skyler Lawrence and Nicole Lester rounded out the scoring with a bucket apiece.

Ashlie Shank and Maddy Hilkey pushed the ball all night, running the Wolf offense, while Lindsey Laxton and Brisa Herrera both shone on defense.

Herrera, in particular, spent most of her time on the floor ripping the ball loose from Eagles hands, making sure every called jump ball she was involved in actually ended with her hands alone on the ball.