Hot start, cold finish for JV boys

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Hot start, cold finish for JV boys

February 4, 2022 by David Svien

Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim and the Coupeville JV continue to battle hard every game. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Shooting touch is a delicate thing.

In the first half Friday night, the Coupeville High School JV boys basketball team had the magic touch.

After the halftime break, not so much.

Unable to hold on to an early lead on the road, the Wolves eventually fell 52-39 to host Friday Harbor.

The loss drops the JV to 1-5 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-7 overall, with one game left on the schedule.

Coupeville’s young guns close their season on the road at La Conner Feb. 10, then a few of them will hope to get a call up to the varsity for that team’s playoff run.

Facing off with Friday Harbor, the Wolves were scrappy, fighting for loose balls and rebounds, and played defense with intensity.

But the rim just turned unforgiving as the night rolled on.

“They battled tough but came out on the wrong end of it,” said Coupeville coach Hunter Smith.

The Wolves jumped out to a 14-9 lead after one quarter of play, benefiting greatly from a hot start by Nick Guay.

The sweet-shooting sophomore rattled the rims for 10 points in the first eight minutes, including splashing home a pair of three-balls over outstretched fingers.

Coupeville clung to a 24-23 lead at the half, but a Friday Harbor three-ball a millisecond before the buzzer ended play made things closer than they might have been.

That miracle shot, which was set up by a questionable foul call on the Wolves on the prior play, seemed to light a fire deep inside the host team.

Friday Harbor went on a 17-8 tear in the third, claiming a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

The Wolves were led by the one-two combo of Guay and Ryan Blouin, who each netted 12 points while combining to drain five three-balls.

Hurlee Bronec (4), Hunter Bronec (3), Landon Roberts (2), Zane Oldenstadt (2), William Davidson (2), and Mikey Robinett (2) also scored, with Jack Porter, Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim, Carson Field, and Johnny Porter rounding out the roster.