Coupeville Sports

Hawthorne Wolfe rippled the nets for 38 points Tuesday, most by a Coupeville player since the 2003-2004 season. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They waited. And they worked. Then they worked some more.

When the moment finally arrived Tuesday, when the Coupeville High School varsity boys basketball squad reclaimed the court for the first time in 465 days, the Wolves were ready.

Given a chance to play again, Hawthorne Wolfe, Xavier Murdy, and Co. made the night memorable, raining down pain on host Mount Vernon Christian in an action-packed 72-63 win.

The victory opens a new season and a new story for Coupeville, which is returning to the Northwest 2B/1B League after a long absence.

And that first welcome back featured Wolfe, the sharp-shooting guard who lives and breathes, and probably dreams, hoops, going bonkers.

Scoring all 20 of Coupeville’s second quarter points, the junior torched the joint for 38 points, the most by a Wolf since Allen Black banked in 39 against Concrete during the 2003-2004 season.

It was just 10 points off the 48 points scored by Jeff Stone against Darrington in 1970’s district title game, a school record which has stood untouched for 51 years.

The third 30-point game of his prep career, Tuesday’s performance lifts Wolfe from #55 to #50 on the CHS boys career scoring chart, which dates back to 1917.

With 448 points and counting, he passes Mason Grove (414), Caleb Powell (421), Tony Ford (432), Del O’Shell (440), and Gary Hammons (443).

Next up are Frank Marti (462) and Sean Dillon (469), with Stone and Mike Bagby tied at #1 with 1,137 points apiece.

Wolfe got off to a decent start Tuesday, rattling home nine points in the first quarter, with Xavier Murdy adding five, and Alex Murdy and Daniel Olson each dropping in a bucket during an 18-14 run.

But the second quarter belonged to Hawk, who scored from all angles, outpacing MVC 20-13 by himself to stake Coupeville to a 38-27 halftime lead.

Wolfe drained three treys, three two-point buckets, and five free throws during his second-quarter assault on the rim, then turned the spotlight over to fellow junior Grady Rickner.

After a brief cameo in a playoff game at the end of his sophomore season, this was Rickner’s varsity coming-out party and he responded, scorching the Hurricane defense for 10 points in the third quarter.

MVC managed to cut the margin down to single-digits thanks to a 14-10 advantage in the frame, however, and the fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle.

Coupeville never blinked, with Wolfe tacking on another nine points down the stretch, with Olson, Logan Martin, Xavier Murdy, and Grady Rickner all scoring in the fourth.

“It was a good game. MVC was tough, and physical. Proud of our guys resilience tonight,” said Coupeville coach Brad Sherman. “Every time MVC started to make a run, somebody stepped up and made a big play.

“Was really great to see our guys come together as a team, keep composed when it was needed late, and pull out the league win,” he added. “After the long break, certainly a nice way to start.”

Wolfe’s 38 points were backed by Grady Rickner (12), Xavier Murdy (8), Olson (8), Martin (4), and Alex Murdy (2), while Sage Downes, TJ Rickner, and freshman Logan Downes all saw floor time.

With his first four varsity points, Logan Martin becomes the 394th Coupeville boy to score in a varsity game, and the second in his family.

Older brother Dalton tallied 47 points in the 2014-2015 season.

Coupeville returns to action Thursday with a home match-up against Orcas Island, which is 2-0 after beating Concrete and Friday Harbor.

There will be no fans at that game, per the request of the Orcas School District.