Coupeville Sports

Coupeville Athletic Director Willie Smith giggles as he pulls off yet another schedule change. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The countdown has begun.

Yes, we’re still knee-deep in summer, which you can tell by the frequent rain storms. But, out there on the horizon, you can see the faintest rumors of the approaching fall sports season.

The first game — a non-conference road football clash Aug. 31 with Port Townsend — is 59 days away.

After that comes the first league battle (boys tennis Sept. 5) and the first home games (volleyball and girls soccer Sept. 6).

The new school year will bring a new league, as Coupeville has bolted from the 1A Olympic League after four years to get in on the ground floor of the new 1A North Sound Conference.

That means Klahowya is long gone, while Chimacum and Port Townsend remain only as the occasional non-conference entry on the schedule.

CHS will square off with South Whidbey, King’s, Cedar Park Christian-Bothell, Sultan and Granite Falls in the new league, though boys tennis will face a slightly different road than their fellow athletes.

The Wolf netters, along with South Whidbey, the only other North Sound Conference school to play boys tennis, will compete in the Emerald City League.

That pits the two Island schools against private school powerhouses like two-time defending state champs University Prep.

The league change also affects Coupeville’s middle school teams, as they get away from ginormous Stevens and Sequim, which fed 2A high schools, as well as leaving Forks, Chimacum and Blue Heron behind.

Sultan, Granite Falls, King’s and Langley form the core of the new foes, with Northshore Christian Academy also in the mix for some sports.

With some trepidation, I offer the schedules below, which cover five high school and three middle school programs.

While I’d like to believe these are the final, set-in-stone, schedules, I know that’s wishful thinking.

So, as we move forward, keep an eye on both the school and league sites, because things can, and will, change.

School calendar — http://coupeville.tandem.co/

League web site — http://www.nscathletics.com/index.php?pid=0.60.0.0.200

High School (* = league game):

BOYS TENNIS (Varsity & JV):

Sept. 5 – @ South Whidbey (3:30) *
Sept. 7 – Eastside Prep (3:30) *
Sept. 11 – University Prep (3:30) *
Sept. 14 – Bush (3:30) *
Sept. 15 – @ Chimacum (3:00)
Sept. 17 – @ Overlake (3:30) *
Sept. 19 – Bear Creek (3:30) *
Sept. 21 – @ Seattle Academy (3:30) *
Sept. 24 – South Whidbey (3:30) *
Sept. 26 – @ Eastside Prep (3:30) *
Sept. 28 – @ University Prep (3:30) *
Oct. 3 – @ Bush (3:30) *
Oct. 5 – Overlake (3:30) *
Oct. 10 – @ Bear Creek (3:30) *
Oct. 15 – Seattle Academy (3:30) * SENIOR NIGHT

CROSS COUNTRY (Varsity & JV):

Sept. 5 – @ Granite Falls (4:00) *
Sept. 8 – @ Sehome Invitational (9:30 AM)
Sept. 15 – @ Carl Westling Invitational (South Whidbey) (TBA)
Sept. 22 – @ King’s Roller Coaster Trail Run (Shoreline) (TBA)
Oct. 4 – @ South Whidbey (4:00) *
Oct. 6 – @ Nike Hole in the Wall XC Invitational (Lakewood) (9:00 AM)
Oct. 11 @ King’s (4:00) *
Oct. 20 – @ North Sound Conference Championships (TBA)
Oct. 27 – @ Districts (TBA)
Nov. 3 – @ State (TBA)

FOOTBALL (Varsity):

Aug. 31 – @ Port Townsend (7:00)
Sept. 7 – Vashon Island (6:00)
Sept. 14 – Friday Harbor (TBA)
Sept. 21 – @ La Conner (7:00)
Sept. 28 – King’s (7:00) *
Oct. 5 – Sultan (7:00) * HOMECOMING
Oct. 12 – @ South Whidbey (7:00) *
Oct. 19 – @ Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (7:00) *
Oct. 26 – Granite Falls (7:00) * SENIOR NIGHT

FOOTBALL (JV):

Oct. 1 – @ King’s (5:30) *
Oct. 8 – @ Sultan (5:30) *
Oct. 15 – South Whidbey (5:30) *
Oct. 22 – Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (5:30) *
Oct. 29 – @ Granite Falls (5:30) *

GIRLS SOCCER (Varsity):

Sept. 4 – @ Meridian (4:00)
Sept. 6 – Friday Harbor (4:30)
Sept. 11 – King’s (6:45) *
Sept. 13 – Sultan (6:45) *
Sept. 15 – @ Chimacum (3:00)
Sept. 18 – @ Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (6:00) *
Sept. 22 – @ Mount Vernon Christian (12:00)
Sept. 25 – @ South Whidbey (6:00) *
Sept. 27 – Granite Falls (6:45) *
Oct. 2 –  @ King’s (6:00) *
Oct. 4 – Port Townsend (6:15)
Oct. 9 – @ Sultan (7:00) *
Oct. 11 – Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (6:45) *
Oct. 15 – South Whidbey (6:45) * SENIOR NIGHT
Oct. 17 – @ Granite Falls (6:00) *

GIRLS SOCCER (JV):

Sept. 11 – King’s (4:00) *
Sept. 13 – Sultan (4:00) *
Sept. 18 – @ Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (4:00) *
Sept. 25 – @ South Whidbey (4:00) *
Sept. 27 – Granite Falls (4:00) *
Oct. 2 – @ King’s (4:00) *
Oct. 9 – @ Sultan (5:00) *
Oct. 11 – Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (4:00) *
Oct. 15 – South Whidbey (4:00) *
Oct. 17 – @ Granite Falls (4:00) *

VOLLEYBALL (Varsity):

Sept. 1 – @ Oak Harbor Jamboree (9:00 AM)
Sept. 6 – Friday Harbor (4:30)
Sept. 8 – @ South Whidbey Invitational (9:00 AM)
Sept. 18 – @ Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (7:00) *
Sept. 25 – @ South Whidbey (7:00) *
Sept. 27 – Granite Falls (7:00) *
Oct. 2 – @ King’s (7:00) *
Oct. 4 – Port Townsend (6:15)
Oct. 9 – @ Sultan (7:00) *
Oct. 11 – Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (7:00) *
Oct. 13 – @ Wenatchee Invite (8:00 AM)
Oct. 15 – South Whidbey (7:00) *
Oct. 17 – @ Granite Falls (7:00) *
Oct. 23 – King’s (7:00) *
Oct. 25 – Sultan (7:00) * SENIOR NIGHT

VOLLEYBALL (JV):

Sept. 1 – @ Oak Harbor Jamboree (9:00 AM)
Sept. 6 – Friday Harbor (6:15)
Sept. 8 – @ South Whidbey Invitational (9:00 AM)
Sept. 18 – @ Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (5:15) *
Sept. 25 – @ South Whidbey (5:15) *
Sept. 27 – Granite Falls (5:15) *
Oct. 2 – @ King’s (5:15) *
Oct. 4 – Port Townsend (4:15)
Oct. 9 – @ Sultan (5:15) *
Oct. 11 – Cedar Park Christian-Bothell (5:15) *
Oct. 15 – South Whidbey (5:15) *
Oct. 17 – @ Granite Falls (5:15) *
Oct. 23 – King’s (5:15) *
Oct. 25 – Sultan (5:15) *

Middle School:

CROSS COUNTRY:

Sept. 15 @ Westling Invitational (South Whidbey) (TBA)
Sept. 20 @ Lakewood (3:30)
Sept. 22 @ King’s XC Invite (TBA)
Oct. 2 @ Granite Falls (3:30)
Oct. 6 @ Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational (Lakewood) (9:00 AM)
Oct. 9 @ Sultan (3:30)
Oct. 17 @ League Championships (TBA)

FOOTBALL:

Sept. 13 – @ King’s (3:30)
Sept. 19 – Sultan (3:45)
Sept. 26 – @ Langley (3:30)
Oct. 4 – @ Sultan (3:30)
Oct. 10 – King’s (3:45)
Oct. 17 – Langley (3:45)

VOLLEYBALL:

Sept. 18 – Sultan (3:00)
Sept. 20 – Lakewood (3:00)
Sept. 25 – @ Northshore Christian (3:15)
Sept. 27 – @ Granite Falls (3:00)
Oct. 2 – @ King’s (3:15)
Oct. 3 – Langley (3:00)
Oct. 9 – @ Sultan (3:15)
Oct. 11 – Northshore Christian (3:00)
Oct. 16 – @ Langley (3:30)
Oct. 18 – Granite Falls (3:00)