Coupeville Sports

Seeded #4, Coupeville’s 5th/6th grade boys SWISH basketball team brought home a second-place trophy Saturday after winning two of three games at the season-ending league tourney. (Photos courtesy Jon Roberts)

The future of Coupeville basketball.

Overachievers, one and all.

Despite entering the season-ending league tournament Saturday as the #4 team, out of seven, the Coupeville 5th/6th grade boys SWISH basketball team beat the odds.

Winning two of three, while coming dangerously close to making it three of three, the Wolves upset the #1 team and brought home a second-place trophy from the Skagit County Parks and Rec.

The opening game was a thriller, as Coupeville rallied from down six points in the fourth quarter to topple #5 Ferndale 27-26.

The Wolves, powered by strong play from Chase Anderson, Aiden O’Neill, and Johnny Porter, who was a mad dog on defense, closed on a 13-6 tear.

That set up a clash with the tourney’s King Kong, #1 Anacortes.

Coupeville struck early, snatched an 8-7 lead after one quarter, then turned on the defensive heat to hold off the tourney favorites.

Once again, things came down to the fourth quarter, and once again the scrappy Wolves stepped up and blasted their foes with the game on the line.

This time it was a 10-6 run, fueled by Anderson and O’Neill, and Coupeville headed to the championship game after a 24-18 dethroning of the big city boys.

With #1 and #2 gone, the tourney came down to the Wolves and #3 Jr. Wildcats, with the title in doubt until the final moments.

Seeking redemption for a narrow loss last week in league play, Coupeville pushed their foes until the end, but ran out of gas at the very end, falling 29-26.

Hurlee Bronec opened strongly for Coupeville, tossing in a bucket to go with a 4-4 performance at the free-throw line.

He got plenty of help from his teammates, with Landon Roberts, Anderson, and Jack Porter all chipping in with a bucket of their own.

Coupeville’s defense, led by Johnny Porter, who “was throwing elbows and tearing down rebounds like a mad man” according to coach Jon Roberts, kept the game close.

Down just 17-16 at the half, Coupeville got third-quarter scoring from Camden Glover, Roberts and Anderson, but watched its deficit stretch out slightly to 25-22.

Bronec and Johnny Porter led a strong defensive stand in the final frame, while Anderson notched the final four points of the season.