Coupeville Sports

   Birthday buddies Matt Hilborn (left) and Risen Johnson put in work. (John Fisken photos)

They are big reward athletes.

Risen Johnson and Matt Hilborn, who share a birthday today, are both guys who dance on the line between huge success and huge failure, but, more often than not, pull it off for the win.

Hilborn, who just wrapped his freshman baseball season at Coupeville High School by being tabbed as an All-League selection, compiled some astounding plays at third base for the Wolves.

Quick to charge the ball, quick to believe he could make any throw, even when the throw was going to have be a laser launched while Hilborn’s body twisted in mid-air, he had some slick glove moves.

Like most younger players, he had his ups and his downs, but when he was up he showed you just what rival coaches appreciated so much.

A key part of the first Coupeville baseball squad to win a league title in 25 years, Hilborn, who is also a rising star on the gridiron, has a bright future for the red and black.

Johnson, by contrast, just wrapped his run at CHS, graduating with the Class of 2016 a few weeks back.

Before he went, he gave us two electrifying seasons on the basketball hardwood, pulling off moves that few, if any, Wolves have ever been able to accomplish.

A point-scoring machine (and an underrated defender), Johnson could pull up and nail the jumper over outstretched arms.

But more often than not, he preferred to get his buckets by employing a heapin’ helpin’ of Showtime.

Ripping down court, slicing ‘n dicing backpedaling defenders, gliding through the air and somehow getting the ball to drop off the backboard when he threw it up through a maze of arms at the last second, he was flat-out fun to watch.

A soft-spoken fashion plate off the court, Risen always played with great joy, and the only downside is we didn’t get a full four years from him.

Maybe he’ll grow a beard and sneak back into school disguised as a foreign exchange student…

Except one whirlin’, twirlin’, eyeball-poppin’ display of mad hoops skills and everyone would know the truth. Oh well.

For now, we’ll just thank Risen for making the last two years a regular thrill show and wish him and Matt a happy joint cake day.

May your birthdays be as exciting as your style of play.