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Archive for the ‘Boys Basketball’ Category

Balanced scoring, feisty defense spark playoff win

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Jack Porter delivers presents to the hoop. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Third time was still a charm.

Powered by a balanced scoring attack and a ferocious defensive surge, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team opened the playoffs Thursday by winning against a familiar foe.

With three Wolves providing double-digit scoring, and a fourth missing by just a single point, Brad Sherman’s squad bounced visiting Friday Harbor 43-36.

With the win, Coupeville gets to 8-12 on the season and advances to the semifinals of the double-elimination District 1/2 tourney.

The Wolves hit the road Saturday to play top-seeded Mount Vernon Christian, before returning to Cow Town for playoff game #3.

Upset MVC, and Coupeville plays in the Bi-District title game Feb. 20 on its home floor, with a trip to state at stake.

Lose to the Hurricanes, and the Wolves host either Orcas Island or Summit Atlas Feb. 18 in a loser-out game.

To see the bracket, pop over to:

https://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4588

Thursday’s playoff rumble was the third meeting this season between Coupeville and Friday Harbor, with the Wolves winning by four points in both game #1 and #2.

This time around, CHS flirted with a 10-point lead twice, controlled the action for most of the 32-minute running time, and never flinched from the spotlight.

Even when leading scorer Chase Anderson hurt his foot less than a minute into play and had to be tended to on the sideline.

While the junior net burner was being taped up, the Wolves spread the offensive love between Hurlee Bronec, Landon Roberts, and Jack Porter, bolting out to a 7-4 lead.

Anderson immediately had an impact the moment he returned to the court, busting through the Friday Harbor defense for a three-point play the hard way.

Taking a pass from Bronec, a half-second after a Wolf steal, he crashed hard to the hoop, slapped the ball home, then sauntered to the free throw line and drained the charity shot he was awarded for being smashed around the head and shoulders.

Anderson returned the favor to the Bronec family, feeding Hurlee’s twin brother Hunter for a bucket off another steal, and CHS had a lead it would never relinquish,

Up 14-9 at the first break, the Wolves opened the second quarter with a savage display of defensive intensity.

“Stop touching my basketball!!” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The Battlin’ Bronec Brothers delivered back-to-back booming blocked shots, making the paint a no-fly zone for the visitors.

With Porter raining down buckets, and Anderson drilling a three-ball from the right side, Coupeville shoved the lead out to nine points, then went to the halftime break with a 25-18 advantage.

With the defense continuing to come up big — Camden Glover was a beast on the boards and fighting for loose balls — the Wolves threatened to turn the game into a blowout.

But Friday Harbor’s hardwood aces still had some fight left in them, carving a double-digit deficit all the way back down to just 32-30 late in the third.

Enter the Battlin’ Bronec Brothers and exit any doubts.

Hurlee (left) and Hunter, the Battlin’ Bronec Brothers. (CHS Yearbook Staff photo)

Hunter and Hurlee combined to go on their own game-busting 9-3 run across the final minute of the third frame and a major chunk of the fourth, and the deed was done.

Anderson became the first non-Bronec to score across seven minutes and change, banking in a jumper, before Friday Harbor nailed one last futile three-ball.

Sherman kept it lean ‘n mean, with a seven-man rotation on this night, and everyone contributed.

Hurlee Bronec, Porter, and Anderson each scored 10 points, with Hunter Bronec banging away for nine and Landon Roberts chipping in with four.

Porter, who began the game with 149 career varsity points, cracked the 150-point club, while Hurlee Bronec needs just one point against Mount Vernon to reach 250.

Glover, who made life miserable for Friday Harbor’s big men, and scrappy guard Malachi Somes rounded out the rotation, both delivering key performances in supporting roles.

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Wolf boys mix victory and honors

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Battlin’ Bronec Brothers — Hurlee (2) and Hunter — and their main support crew. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

“Being part of this team has been an amazing experience.”

Team manager David Somes summed it up nicely Friday as he and seven other members of the Coupeville High School boys’ basketball program bid adieu on Senior Night.

That the Wolves were celebrating their elder statesmen after beating visiting Friday Harbor for a key win heading into the playoffs?

Even better.

Zander Pulliam

David Somes

Landon Roberts

Johnny (3) and Jack Porter

Carson Field (4)

The seniors went out as winners.

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They were made for the spotlight

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Jack Porter prepares to inflict some damage. (Parker Hammons photo)

They gave Brad Sherman some angina, but they also gave him a win.

Overcoming another cold-shooting night at the free throw line and a four-minute-plus scoreless streak to open the fourth quarter, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team pulled out a major win on its home floor Friday night.

Getting huge plays from Hurlee Bronec and Jack Porter at crunch time, the Wolves turned away a pesky Friday Harbor squad, gutting out a 50-46 victory.

That lifts Sherman’s hardwood warriors to 6-4 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, clinches third place in the seven-team league, and improves them to 7-12 overall.

Next up is the double-elimination District 1/2 tournament, which kicks off next Thursday, Feb. 13.

The bracket for the seven-team rumble, which will send two schools on to the state tourney, is expected to be released Monday, which is when CHS will find out if it opens at home or on the road.

Friday’s win, which was uncertain until the final moments, was your typical Coupeville vs. Friday Harbor brawl, played out in front of packed stands on Senior Night.

The game started with repeat visits to the free throw line, with Friday Harbor scoring its opening six points on charity shots.

Coupeville took two-minutes-plus to hit its first bucket, finally breaking through when Camden Glover connected on back-to-back shots to get things rolling.

A Landon Roberts basket off of an offensive rebound gave the Wolves their first lead at 12-11, with Chase Anderson slashing through the defense to stake CHS to a 16-13 lead at the opening break.

Anderson’s bucket was set up by a nimble entry pass from Hunter Bronec, who had the magic touch as an assist man all night.

Hunter Bronec triggers the offense. (Jackie Saia photo)

If either team thought they would pull away in the first half, that idea was quickly tossed out.

Friday Harbor banked in a trio of second quarter three-balls to keep the nets hoppin’, but Coupeville responded with power ball from the Porter twins.

Johnny corralled a rebound and converted it into a put-back, while Jack pumped in three buckets on a variety of moves, proving unbeatable whether slashing to the hoop or pulling up for a jumper over the defense.

Clinging to just a 28-27 lead at the half, CHS fell behind twice in the third quarter, but just by a single point each time.

Hurlee Bronec became the go-to guy on offense in the third, rolling to the hoop with a skip in his step, while Hunter Bronec set up Anderson for another highlight reel-worthy basket.

But the big bang came off the fingertips of Malachi Somes, who drained a three-ball from the top for Coupeville’s only trey on the night.

The joint was rocking as the Wolves carried a 41-39 lead into the fourth, but the scoreboard went into a deep freeze shortly thereafter.

With both squads ramping up the defensive intensity, shots slid off the rim, balls popped back out, and the battle for rebounds reached a fever peak.

Through the first four minutes and nine seconds of the fourth, the teams combined for one slim point — a Friday Harbor free throw that cut the lead down to 41-40, causing Sherman (and his counterpart) to pace.

Then, Coupeville’s seniors stepped up and put the game away.

Buckets from Hurlee Bronec (doing ballet in the paint) and Landon Roberts (making magic on a turnaround jumper under extreme duress) kept CHS ahead, but the best was yet to come.

Up 45-42, Coupeville, which hadn’t hit a free throw all game, went back to the line.

This time, Hurlee Bronec netted the first shot, and when the second one refused to go down, it was the Wolves who snared the carom.

While Coupeville missed the first put-back attempt, it nailed the second, with Jack Porter turning it into a game-clinching three-point play the hard way.

Two buckets in the waning seconds kept Friday Harbor close, but Hurlee Bronec dropped in another free throw and the Wolves played keep-away as the clock ran out.

The Wolves love a win. (Jackie Saia photo)

In the kind of twist which will ease some of that coaching angina, all eight Wolves who played scored, with three hitting double-digits.

Jack Porter banked in a team-high 13, with Hurlee Bronec and Anderson each netting 10.

That pushes Anderson, a junior, to an even 300 points this season, and 560 for his varsity career.

He passed Wolf legends Roy Marti (551) and Randy Duggan (552) Friday and now sits at #40 on the CHS boys all-time scoring chart, which covers 1917-2025.

Roberts (6), Glover (4), Somes (3), Johnny Porter (2), and Hunter Bronec (2) also scored for the Wolves.

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Downbeat finale, upbeat future

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , , on February 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Davin Houston led the Wolf JV in scoring this season. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

It was a tale of two halves – with one much better than the other.

The Coupeville High School JV boys’ basketball team brought its season to a close Friday night, falling 51-26 to visiting Friday Harbor in a game which got away from the young Wolves.

CHS, which finishes 4-5 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 5-8 overall, played strongly in the first half, but cold shooting after halftime doomed any hopes for the hometown squad.

The Wolves trailed just 10-6 after one quarter of action, with Mahkai Myles rattling the rim for a pair of three-balls to account for all of his team’s scoring.

From there, Friday Harbor edged Coupeville 13-12 in the second frame, before slamming its collective feet through the gas pedal in the third and fourth quarters,

A 15-8 Wolverine run coming out of the halftime break hurt, while a 13-0 romp in the final frame made the game score seem much more lopsided than it had earlier.

Malachi Somes split time between varsity and JV, providing scrappy defense at every level.

Myles and Riley Lawless led CHS with eight points apiece, while Jayden Little (3), Malachi Somes (3), Easton Green (2), and Davin Houston (2) also scored.

Little rippled the nets for his first three-ball of the season to give his point total a little extra spicy flavor.

Kyle McCrimmon, Khanor Jump, Liam Blas, Sage Arends, Carson Grove, and Nathan Coxsey also saw floor time for a young squad which often looked very good this season.

While the finale wasn’t what the Wolves might have hoped for, the future remains bright.

 

Final season scoring stats:

Davin Houston – 92
Mahkai Myles – 68
Riley Lawless – 67
Easton Green – 53
Carson Grove – 49
Liam Blas – 42
Malachi Somes – 40
Sage Arends – 34
Khanor Jump – 17
Nathan Coxsey – 10
Kyle McCrimmon – 8
Jayden Little – 5

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Late Wolf rally falls just short

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Hurlee Bronec works his magic in the paint. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The gap is narrowing.

The first time the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team clashed with La Conner this season, the Wolves lost by 14.

Friday night, in the rematch, Brad Sherman’s squad made a torrid fourth quarter run that fell just short in a 55-52 road loss.

With a possible third matchup between the schools lurking in the playoffs, that growth is a huge positive for Coupeville.

Now 5-4 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 6-12 overall, the Wolves close the regular season next Friday, Feb. 7, when they host Friday Harbor on Senior Night.

The double-elimination District 1/2 tourney, with two tickets to state up for grabs, runs Feb. 13-22.

Friday night’s fracas in La Conner followed a clear pattern – the host team dominated in odd quarters, while the visitors controlled the even frames.

Trailing 19-8 at the first break, Coupeville had to dig down deep in the second quarter and did so, zipping off on a 19-10 tear.

Chase Anderson threw down 10 points by himself in the second, with the Wolves pulling back to within 29-27 by the half.

But then La Conner got going again, stretching the margin back out to double digits at 47-37 heading into the final frame.

CHS spread the offensive love around over the last eight minutes, with five different players scoring during a 15-8 rally which fell just short.

Ultimately, the three-point difference came at the free throw line, as La Conner netted seven of 14 shots, while Coupeville continued its season-long struggles at the charity stripe, hitting just 4-9.

Jack Porter has places to be, and buckets to score. (Bailey Thule photo)

Hurlee Bronec and Anderson both went for 16 points to top the Wolves stat sheet, while Jack Porter banged away for 12 to give CHS three players in double-digits.

La Conner gunner Brayden Pedroza led all scorers with 23.

Anderson, who sank all four of Coupeville’s three-balls, raised his career scoring total to 550 points.

The junior guard passed Marc Bissett (549) Friday and sits in a tie with Jim Syreen for #42 on the all-time list, which covers 1917-2025.

Hunter Bronec (4), Landon Roberts (2), and Camden Glover (2) also scored for the Wolves, with Malachi Somes and Johnny Porter rounding out the rotation.

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