Coupeville Sports

Tenley Stuurmans flies into action. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The young guns are ahead of the curve.

Six of the 11 players on the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team are just 8th graders, pulling double duty.

Starting Monday those scrappers will join their fellow middle schoolers for the CMS season, while still playing out the rest of this campaign with the high school squad.

It’s a baptism of fire, and Kassie O’Neil’s youngest players are holding up well.

“They’re playing really good right now,” said the CHS hardwood guru. “Love to see it.”

Those 8th graders accounted for half the points Friday during a 56-29 loss to a much-more experienced Mount Vernon Christian squad.

While the home defeat drops the Wolves to 0-3 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-6 overall, learning under fire is invaluable for the growth of Coupeville’s future stars.

One of the precocious group, Tenley Stuurmans, paced Coupeville Friday, popping for a team-high nine points.

The latest in a string of strong hoops players to emerge from her clan, Lyla’s lil’ sis banked in four of those points in the opening quarter as CHS hung tough, trailing 19-10 at the first break.

MVC steadily pushed the lead out from there, to 29-17 at the half and 47-21 after three quarters of play, but the Wolves stayed scrappy to the end.

Adie Maynes, doing double duty as she hones her hardwood skills. (Coupeville High School Yearbook Staff photo)

With 8th grader Adie Maynes going off for all five of her points in the final frame, while Stuurmans added another three, Coupeville fought until the final buzzer sounded.

Five Wolves recorded points in the clash, with Stuurmans (9), Brynn Parker (7), Maynes (5), Bryley Gilbert (4), and Haylee Armstrong (4) all putting their name into the scoring column.

Taylor Marrs, Chelsi Stevens, Ari Cunningham, Lexis Drake, Ava Lucero, and Capri Anter also saw floor time for the Wolves, who return to action with a home game Jan. 23 against league rival Concrete.