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Archive for the ‘Basketball’ Category

The Dude abides, now and forever!!

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on September 14, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Bob Fasolo and his band of hoops cutthroats. (Photo courtesy the Fasolo family)

He was the coolest coach to ever walk into a gym.

Except he didn’t walk, he strutted like the king of the jungle, cause that’s what he was.

Bob Fasolo has been gone for 10 years now, but we’ll still be telling tales about him 100 years down the road.

He always looked like he had a surfboard in hand, even when he didn’t, and he oozed raw, freakin’ coolness with every action and story he told.

I never wrote about any of his teams, but I spent a few nights in the gym playing hoops with him, always mesmerized by his ability to talk non-stop, swish jumpers and strut, all in the same fluid motion.

Every time we saw each other, in a gym, at the grocery store, or on one of his many frequent hang-outs at Videoville, sprawled across the counter, chewing on a Red Vine, as he debated his video choices, Bob was the ultimate pimp.

I don’t mean in the sense that he ran hookers on the corner, but that he was the coolest cat this side of a ’70s inner city crime epic.

Every time he said my name, he managed to take the words “Dave, my dude,” turn it into a free form jazz explosion that rumbled from somewhere down in his chest, then stretch the words out so far even Matthew McConaughey would have been like, “dang, son!”

Bob was the closest any Coupeville resident has ever come to being the living, breathing embodiment of The Dude.

If Jeff Bridges hadn’t been available to make “The Big Lebowski,” Bob would have done just fine in the role.

He was The Man, always and forever.

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Hard work, big payoff!!

Posted in Baseball, Basketball, tagged , , , , , on August 19, 2018| 1 Comment »

Hawthorne Wolfe glides in for a bucket. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Wolfe, here streaking for home, was a key player on a Babe Ruth team which finished 2nd at state and advanced to regionals this summer.

Talent? Check.

Hard work and commitment? Check and check.

Hawthorne Wolfe is that rare young athlete who checks all the boxes, and his appearance in a Coupeville High School uniform this coming year is highly-anticipated.

On the basketball court, he’s a three ball-droppin’ terror who can also wheel and deal with the ball, while on the baseball diamond, Wolfe brings a slick glove, hot bat and fleet feet to the lineup.

During his middle school days, Wolfe also played football, but, for the moment at least, he’s stepping off the gridiron to focus on his other two sports.

While he shines in all his sporting endeavors, the fast-rising young star hails hoops as his favorite pastime.

“It’s a team sport and at times can be individual,” Wolfe explained. “It’s also fast-paced, as well as fun.”

On a CMS team where all five starters felt comfortable firing up balls from behind the three-point arc, Wolfe was the deadliest last season.

Operating like NBA stars such as Steph Curry, or future CHS teammate Mason Grove, Wolfe has already showcased an often uncanny ability to get his shot off quickly, and from any angle.

Shooting on the move, while going either direction, he often proved deadliest when putting up balls in the flow of action.

Give him time to spot up and it was even more likely to result in a taste of splash city.

The commitment factor came into play vividly after one game, when, unhappy with his performance (despite leading Coupeville to a win), he ran laps around the gym.

A slight chuckle came from one of his coaches as Wolfe, not satisfied with his initial self-administered punishment, decided to double his running.

Commitment like that carried over to many of his teammates, and the middle school hoops team was a tightly-knit, successful squad.

Now, as Wolfe and most of his teammates prepare to swap out CMS uniforms for ones which read CHS, that sense of commitment continues to burn brightly.

“I want to hopefully go to state in all sports,” Wolfe said. “And, if possible, which I think it is, win state and so on.”

Away from the court or diamond, he’s fond of playing video games and spends a fair amount of time “watching sports or going to sporting events with my dad or family.”

When he’s in uniform himself, or working to get ready, Wolfe strives to mesh his skills with his teammates, well aware a solid team can go further than just a single athlete.

“It shows that you can work with others well and you get to have fun playing sports competitively,” he said. “I think I’m a good teammate; I mean, I recommend asking some of my teammates first.”

While he always wants to keep the competitive fires raging, Wolfe is also on a mission to find proper balance.

“I would like to work on not getting frustrated at things I shouldn’t get frustrated at,” he said with a small smile.

Whether dropping in treys from long distance, or slaving away over school work, Wolfe has a deep appreciation for his support crew.

“Well, obviously my parents and grandparents and all my coaches have been great on helping me,” he said. “I can’t think of one who hasn’t.

“But when it comes to teammates, I would say Caleb Meyer, just cause me and him are always competitive,” Wolfe added. “He helps me, I help him, and we strive to be great together, whether it’s in the gym or outside.”

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New country, same hoops love!!

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , , , on July 24, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville grad Makana Stone (left), on tour with an all-star basketball team in Brazil, poses with a local player. (Photos courtesy Stone)

Team USA, ready to rumble on foreign soil.

Visiting the world-famous, 125-foot high, Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio.

Stone, who will be a junior at Whitman College, reps her Team USA colors.

Basketball has been very, very good to Makana Stone.

The hoops life has taken the Coupeville grad around the world, with a big highlight being a trip to Brazil that’s just wrapping up.

Stone, a junior at Whitman College, was picked to be part of a 10-player USA D-III women’s basketball team.

She and her teammates played four games in Brazil, facing off with squads from Jundiai, Santa Andre, Queimados and Fluminese.

The second of those four rivals was a pro team.

For Stone, who was an All-League First-Team pick during her sophomore season at Whitman, the trip has been everything she expected, and more.

“It has been a once in a lifetime experience!,” she said. “I’ve gotten the opportunity to play with some of the USA and Brazil’s best players.

“The talent out here is unreal,” Stone added. “I’m thankful to have been able to have the chance to play with and against it.”

While on the trip, the Team USA players (a men’s squad joined Stone and Co. on the road) got to experience the culture and food of Brazil.

They also had an opportunity to work with the next generation of hoops stars, something Stone loved.

“One of my favorite parts of this trip was being able to hold a clinic for Brazilian kids in Rio,” she said.

The act of putting the ball in the hoop bridged any gaps between people from different countries.

“There was a bit of a language barrier and they laughed at my attempts to use Portuguese,” Stone said with a chuckle.

“But, there’s really nothing like making new friends through a little basketball on the streets of Rio!”

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“I enjoy the challenge!!”

Posted in Basketball, Track, tagged , , , , on July 20, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Aiden Burdge heads back up court after nailing a three-point bomb in a middle school hoops game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

When Aiden Burdge wants to see his greatest opponent, he looks in the mirror.

The Coupeville High School freshman, who follows a path carved by talented older sisters Kylie and Kiara, has a clear focus when he settles in to run a race or shoot a basketball.

Get better, every time out, and push himself to get the most he can out of his abilities.

“My strength as an athlete is my determination to push at a challenge until I overcome it,” Burdge said. “I need to work on discipline and training, because the older I get, the harder I have to push myself to get better.”

While he was a quick, three-ball-shootin’ wonder on the basketball court in middle school, it’s track and field which captivates Burdge.

“My favorite sport is track because it’s a great feeling to fly through the air and I know I can only improve,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge that’s in front of me and I want to get better.”

Track, above most other sports, is all about self-improvement — getting a PR, shaving a few seconds off your best time or picking up a few more inches on a throw.

That chance to compete against himself, and see his progress reflected back, is a big part of why Burdge enjoys the sport so much.

“My goal in my high school sports career is the same as my middle school sports career goal – to beat my own records,” he said.

Burdge is part of a large, tightly-knit family, and he appreciates the support he gets from his three sisters and parents Aaron and Trina.

Whether he’s playing a sport, knocking out tunes on the piano, or spending time with his family, the young Wolf star knows he has their full support and love.

“My parents and my siblings all pushed me to be better and to put forth my best effort,” Burdge said. “And for that I’m grateful.”

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Work hard, dream big!!

Posted in Basketball, Track, tagged , , , , on July 18, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Logan Martin skies for a bucket. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Logan Martin is always working.

The son of Coupeville coach Bob Martin, and younger brother of Wolf track and field legend Dalton Martin, he can be found in virtually every photo from off-season SST training at the school.

And, during basketball season, Logan is always the first one to hit the court at halftime or after games, putting up shots and working on his game.

The benefits have begun to show, as Martin has been a key member of successful middle school and AAU hoops squads, mixing a deadly three-point shot with strong work down low.

As he preps for his freshman year at CHS, the quiet, but driven, young baller has his eyes set firmly on the goal.

“I want to make varsity as a freshman, be a four-year varsity (player),” Martin said.

He plans to stick with track and field as well, where he’s a top thrower like his older brother, who captured four state track medals, but is letting go of football as he makes the jump to high school.

While he’s been successful in the track arena, it’s the hardwood life he fully embraces.

“Basketball is my favorite sport, because I feel it’s the sport I’m better at than other sports,” Martin said. “It’s a great way to exercise.

“It can be played by anyone – young or old,” he added. “And you can take a basketball with you practically anywhere and practice anytime.”

When he’s not practicing or playing, Martin is an avid photographer and has shown a canny eye behind the camera.

A series of pics he snapped during the spring high school track season ran in several articles here on Coupeville Sports, with the photos garnering praise for how they captured the inner essence of prep sports.

Whether he’s documenting others, or taking center stage himself, Martin is one to watch.

Playing against Sequim during his 8th grade hoops season, he opened the game by taking, and hitting, the first three shots of the game — a fall-away jumper, a soft fader, then a three-ball from the left side.

The display showcased Martin’s skill, and his versatility, something he’s always working on.

“I think one of my strengths as an athlete is my work ethic,” he said. “I would like to work on having a better attitude when I play.”

Mom Abbie is his biggest fan, faithfully appearing at every game to cheer for her youngest, while dad Bob draws praise for shaping Logan as an athlete.

“My dad (has had a big impact), because he started me in sports and coaches me all day in life and in athletics.”

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