Coupeville Sports

Izzy Wells and Coupeville softball are the #1 playoff seed from the North Sound Conference. (Karen Carlson photo)

I love it when a plan comes together.

Everything broke perfectly Thursday, guaranteeing the Coupeville High School softball squad heads to districts next week as the #1 seed from the North Sound Conference.

The Wolves, 9-3 in league play, 12-7 overall, finished in a three-way tie atop the conference with Cedar Park Christian (9-3, 14-4) and Granite Falls (9-3, 12-7).

That was assured Thursday when CPC crowned South Whidbey 19-4 and Granite smushed Sultan 16-8 on the last day of the regular season.

Wolf softball gets to add a league title plaque to the Wall of Fame in the CHS gym for a second-straight year.

Things were a little more complex, however, when it came to playoff seeding.

With three teams tying for the best record, the first tie-breaker (head-to-head play) solved nothing.

Coupeville won two of three against Cedar Park, but lost two of three to Granite, which lost two of three to Cedar Park, leaving the tie intact.

The ultimate tie-breaker was a blind draw done by league Athletic Directors before the season started, and Wolf AD Willie Smith had the magic touch, plucking out the best number.

Having cashed his golden ticket, Coupeville is the #1 seed to the eight-team, double-elimination district tourney, from which three teams advance to state.

Cedar Park is #2 (based on head-to-head), while Granite, which had a big lead in the standings just a week-and-a-half ago, before losing back-to-back games, slides to #3.

South Whidbey (2-10, 5-13) goes as #4, while #5 Sultan (1-11, 1-14) has to survive a play-in game with Meridian (7-12), the #4 team from the Northwest Conference, to make the main draw.

Coupeville opens districts May 16 at Janicki Fields in Sedro-Woolley, with its first game against the Sultan/Meridian winner.

During the regular season the Wolves beat the Trojans 11-1 in a non-conference game, and swept the Turks in league play, winning 12-0, 7-4, and 15-2.

The bracket:

http://www.nscathletics.com/tournament.php?tournament_id=2923&sport=15