Coupeville Sports

Senior Ema Smith is one of three captains for the CHS girls basketball team. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“We want to come into the league and show that we belong. We want to compete until the final buzzer, and, if we get beat, make the other team earn the win.”

After dominating the Olympic League, winning three titles in four years, the Coupeville High School girls basketball squad faces a big challenge this season.

With the North Sound Conference prepping for its first hoops season, the Wolves, who lost three varsity players to graduation, and another three to reasons such as family moves, will have to be ready to fight from day one.

That’s something CHS coach David King knows, and looks forward, to.

“We’re basically going back to the league we left five years ago,” he said. “A new league means we are coming in to unknowns with the other teams. There are new coaches we haven’t competed against, so there will be a learning curve through the first round.

“Each day at practice and each game we want to get better,” King added. “By the end of the year, we want to see the work we put in from the beginning show that we have improved. If we do this, we should be playing our best and earn a playoff spot.”

The battle for a conference title will go through Shoreline, where perennial state power King’s has added a freshman, Jada Wynn, who played in the Junior NBA World Tournament this summer.

But it should be more than a one-team race.

“We know King’s is the team to beat. They were very good last year and have an incoming freshman that could be their best player,” David King said. “Cedar Park Christian will have something to say about the standings. They have a college-type player that leads their team.

“South Whidbey always seems to be in the mix and the games between them and us are always a battle,” he added. “Granite Falls and Sultan are unknowns since we have not played them for the last four years.

“With King’s leading the charge and CPC right behind, it may be a jumbled group with the rest of the teams.”

Coupeville will jump into action with a small, but talented and feisty, core of players.

“The team and players we have is a team I want to go to war with!,” King said. “Dedicated and competitive as well.

“The leadership we have is second to none.”

Seniors Lindsey Roberts and Ema Smith and junior Scout Smith enter the new year as captains, and anchor the team.

“Lindsey has been on varsity all four years and has grown each year,” King said. “She is someone the incoming players can watch and see how a leader leads and works for her playing time.

“Ema and Scout are both vocal and keep the team upbeat and positive.”

Roberts is also a player who could make a deep run on the scoring chart in her final go-around.

With 298 career points, she enter the season in 36th place all-time among Wolf girls hoops stars, and seems primed to make a run at crashing at least the top 20 before she’s done.

Juniors Hannah Davidson and Avalon Renninger and sophomore Chelsea Prescott round out the returning varsity players, while senior Nicole Laxton and junior Tia Wurzrainer make the jump from JV.

“With this group, they are so versatile that we are opening it up on the offensive end and not putting players in “set” positions,” King said.

“All, with Hannah being the exception, will be able to lead us from the point and play on the wing, while Lindsey and Ema are able to add post play to their resume.”

Laxton and Wurzrainer offer valuable support.

“Tia’s strength is defense and hustle. She will fit in well with these skills,” King said. “Last year on JV she gained confidence and improved her shot and started looking to be a scorer.

“Nicole brings strength and height,” he added. “Her ticket to helping us is tough rebounding and improved effort on the defensive end.”

Sophomore Mollie Bailey, who has “been working hard throughout the summer and the first week of practice,” will round out the team while swinging between varsity and JV action.

However the lineup plays out, Coupeville will live and die as a team.

“We are a tight-knit group,” King said. “The players are competitive and willing to put the work in.”

That work extends to both sides of the floor.

“We are putting an emphasis on our offensive execution and court vision,” King said. “We are minimizing our offensive sets; this, in turn, will allow us to put in the time and effort every day to run our offense with confidence.

“If we execute correctly, we will have shots we are looking for.”

To get those shots, the Wolves want to force the action on the defensive end of the floor, which has been a Coupeville trademark during King’s time on the bench.

“Defense is a staple for us. Every year the players buy into our defensive schemes and bring the effort that allows us to excel on this end of the court,” he said. “This team is no exception and are proven defenders.

“Rebounding will be something we will need to get after every day,” King added. “We may not be the tallest team, so we will have to survive on desire and effort, especially on the defensive rebounds. Need to be tenacious.”

Another key area the Wolves will concentrate on is cutting down on errors of any kind.

“Minimizing turnovers, the unforced variety,” King said. “Last year and in years past, we struggled with being too loose with the ball.

“Concentrating on our execution and court vision and improving in these areas will help us improve and lower our turnovers,” he added. “If not, the turnovers lead to easy baskets going the other way.”

While the varsity squad enters the new season with a relatively short bench, there is depth at the next level. And opportunity for those younger players.

“Our incoming freshmen and new players are athletic and competitive,” King said. They are going to push our varsity players every day in practice to get them ready for our opponents.

“Our depth could be a hindrance. Foul trouble is a concern with the bench depth,” he added. “We are hoping one or more incoming players improve as the season progresses and earns some time on the varsity bench.”