Coupeville Sports

Sage Arends, seen in action last season, is a captain for Coupeville High School boys’ soccer. (Finn Price photo)

They jumped right into the fire.

Playing with a short bench Tuesday, the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad kicked off a new season with a long road trip to face one of the best in the state.

Scrapping on Friday Harbor, the young Wolves stayed close for a half, before their high-caliber hosts piled on the goals after halftime in what finished as an 8-0 rout.

Despite the loss, new Wolf coach Jim Kunz came away pleased with a lot of what he saw from his players.

“We have a young team this season. They played solid in the first half against a tough team,” he said. “With only two subs, the guys were worn out partway through the second half.

“I’m proud of their play and dedication. We’re excited to make some adjustments and come in strong next game.”

Coupeville, which graduated a strong pack of seniors, has no 12th graders on this year’s roster.

But, with three juniors, five sophomores, two freshman, and five 8th graders, the potential for growth is great.

While defender Jacob Lujan is out for the season with a broken ankle, the Wolves will get some additional help when captain Sage Arends returns from a concussion.

Continuing a trend of playing legitimate state title contenders right out of the gate, Coupeville hosts Orcas Island this Saturday, Sept. 13 in the home opener.

Kickoff is set for 12:30 PM at Mickey Clark Field.