Jack Porter swoops in to nab a runaway basketball. (Morgan White photos)
Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim goes strong to the hoop.
Cole White can’t be stopped.
Logan Downes flies in for a bucket.
Mikey Robinett has the magic touch.
Big wins, big excitement, big cleanup.
Playing in front of their home fans Monday, the Coupeville Middle School boys basketball squads swept three games from visiting Langley, claiming Island supremacy.
But the basketball wasn’t the only thing hitting the floor, as one fan related.
“You missed an epic night of middle school basketball … one poor soul playing for South Whidbey couldn’t handle the dominating pressure of our offense and upon exiting the court vomited all over the place.
“It was like something out of the movies, crowd reaction and all.”
Sadly, I wasn’t front row center for the unexpected side show, as I was down in Freeland clearing land for my sister and offering up plenty of dead trees and gnarled stumps to the great fire god Beavis.
However, having been trapped in the Coupeville gym during the Great Food Poisoning Game a couple years back, when Wolf players were heaving into trash cans on the bench, I’m pretty sure by “sadly” I mean “sweet sassy molassy, I dodged a bullet.”
But anyway, the basketball was good, from what I hear, so there’s that.
How it played out Monday (as deduced from scanning score-books):
Level 1:
Coupeville added to its roster, then went and blew out Langley 54-24 in the afternoon’s biggest romp.
The win lifts the Wolves to 3-6 headed into their season finale Thursday at home against Granite Falls.
CMS coach Greg White promoted several players from Level 2, and liked what he saw.
“Team 1 saw some new energy from Tim (Nitta), Hunter (Bronec), Hurlee (Bronec), and Johnny Porter,” he said.
“Those boys have been playing too well in practice and games to not move them up.”
The Wolves came out hot, jumping on Langley in the first quarter behind the shooting of ace gunner Logan Downes.
With the 8th grader popping for 11 of his game-high 27 in the opening frame, Coupeville went to the first break up 13-6.
After a 9-9 second-quarter battle royal kept things in place, the Wolves put the game away in the third, mashing the Cougars 22-4 behind the triple threat trio of William Davidson, Downes, and Cole White.
With his 27-point explosion, Downes brings his season average to 19 a night, while White chipped in with nine Monday and Davidson banked home seven.
Nitta (5), Zane Oldenstadt (4), and Hunter Bronec (2) rounded out the scoring, while Landon Roberts, Ryan Blouin, Nick Guay, Porter, and Hurlee Bronec all saw solid floor time.
Level 2:
The third quarter was magic for the Wolves one more time, as an 11-2 run broke open a tie game.
Coupeville’s most-successful team held on down the stretch, capturing a 29-21 win to run its record to 6-2-1 on the season.
Up until the third quarter, the game was a tense, back-and-forth affair, with CMS up by two at the first break, before Langley knotted the game up at the half.
Mikey Robinett did much of the damage for the Wolves, pounding home four of his 13 points in the third.
Blouin (5), Guay (5), Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim (4), and Davidson (2) all scored, with Jack Porter, Hurlee Bronec, and Johnny Porter chipping in with tough-nosed defense.
Level 3:
The big break-through.
After coming close several times this season, the young Wolves nabbed their first win of the season, winning 29-22.
Now 1-6 overall, the third CMS squad put the game away thanks to … wait for it … a strong third quarter.
Up 8-4 after one frame, then 12-8 at the half, the Wolves went on a 14-8 tear coming out of the break and that was that.
Five different Coupeville players scored in the third quarter, as the Wolves shared the ball and made smart choices.
Harlan Mouw and Nathan Ginnings led the way, tossing in 10 and nine points, respectively, and Justin Jansen popped for six.
Carson Fields and JP Edoukou each added two points to the attack, while Jesus Madrigal, Chris Villarreal, Jordan Bradford, and Alex Clark brought the hustle and heart.
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