Young Wolves howl on opening day

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Young Wolves howl on opening day

November 13, 2025 by David Svien

River Simpson was one of three Wolves to score in double digits in Sultan Thursday. (Photo courtesy Rainy Simpson)

The first chapter has been written.

Kicking off a new basketball season in style Thursday, the Coupeville Middle School boys’ hoops teams won two of three in Sultan, with 22 Wolves getting in the scoring column.

The trek off-Island is one the CMS hoops stars will quickly get used to, as they play their first three, and four of their first five, on the road this season.

For Coupeville’s coaching staff, the season debut was one to embrace.

“Everyone worked their tails off,” RayLynn Ratcliff said. “Very proud coaches and showed us what we gotta work on!”

How the day played out:

Team #3:

Balanced scoring was the name of the game, as Coupeville’s C-Team opened things with a 31-12 win.

The Wolves rang up eight points in each of the first three quarters, then toned it down (just slightly) with seven in the final frame.

Luke Blas and Jack Bailey each pumped in six to lead the way, with Liam Stoner and Logan Flowers chipping in with four apiece.

Alton Hansen (3), LJ Schultz (2), Dreyke Mendiola (2), Logan Dees (2), and Jonathyn Driscoll (2) also scored, with Oliver Miller, Gabe Reed, Vincent Alguire, Dom Durbin, and Burke Winger rounding out the roster.

Team #2:

Led by a 14-point performance by Braxten Ratcliff, the Wolves were in control all game, romping to a 45-18 victory.

The third quarter was a particular killer, as CMS went to the locker room with 17 first-half points, then exploded for 17 more to open the second half.

Les Queen (6), Abel O’Neil (5), Xander Flowers (5), Henry Purdue (4), and Nico Strong (4) helped share the offensive load, with Hayden Maynes (3), Brady Sherman (2), and Brayden Grinstead (2) also filling up the bucket.

Mario Martinez, Mendiola, and Bailey saw floor time as well for the Wolves.

Team #1:

Coupeville’s only loss was a close one, with the Wolves trailing just 12-11 after one frame, and up 22-21 at the half.

Unfortunately, the Turks, always a tough foe, rallied in the second half, using a 25-15 run across the final 14 minutes to claim a 46-37 win and salvage a bit of the day.

Wolf big man Diesel Eck topped all Coupeville players with 15 points, while River Simpson chipped in with 11 to provide a strong one-two combo.

Trey Stewart (8) and Kamden Ratcliff (3) were the only other varsity CMS players to make the net jump, with Colton Ashby, Xander Beaman, Gracen Joiner, Jacob Lujan, Darius Stewart, Maverick Walling, and Aiden Wheat also in uniform.

What’s next:

Coupeville gets back on the bus for trips to private schools King’s (Nov. 18) and Northshore Christian Academy (Nov. 20) before making its home debut Nov. 25 against Granite Falls.