Coupeville Sports

Brian Shank lines up a jumper. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

The fourth quarter was a doozy.

With both teams running wild Saturday afternoon, the boys JV basketball game between Coupeville High School and visiting University Prep suddenly went from mild to wild in one eight minute stretch.

After combining for 53 points in the first 24 minutes, the two teams threw up 42 more in one final back-and-forth quarter, with the Wolves surging to within three, before the Pumas recaptured their mojo and closed out a 52-43 win.

Trailing 39-26, Coupeville finally discovered its offensive touch midway through the fourth, and, for a bit, looked unstoppable.

With Dante Mitchell raining down a pair of three-point bombs, the Wolves went on a 13-3 tear that culminated with Isaac Vargas calmly banking two high, arcing free-throw shots off the backboard.

The run, which also featured baskets from Gabe Wynn and DeAndre Mitchell, pulled Coupeville to within 42-39.

But then, just as quickly as it had started, it ended, as the next couple of shots rattled around the rim but refused to drop in. Given a reprieve, University Prep rolled off ten straight points to seal the deal.

The Wolves refused to bow even then, though, scoring the game’s final two baskets.

Dante Mitchell went strong in the paint for two, before Uriel Liquidano picked the pocket of a Puma and beat the pack down the court for a game-ending layup.

With the offense only clicking sporadically in the early going, Coupeville’s best moment had been a first quarter thriller from Jared Helmstadter, who capped off a break by coming to an emphatic, floor-stomping stop and nailed a sweet jumper over the outstretched arms of a flailing defender.

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Joel Walstad fires a jumper. (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Wolf coach Anthony Smith rallies the troops.

Well-dressed Wolf JV player Grey Rische celebrates up in the video booth.

It was agony. It was ecstasy. It was horrifying. It was beautiful.

Friday night’s battle on the hardwood between the Coupeville High School boys’ basketball team and visiting Lakewood was all of that, and a lot more.

By the time the Cougars held off a furious fourth quarter rally and escaped back to their bus with a much-closer-than-expected 52-47 victory, they could breathe a sigh of relief.

But also, perhaps, be troubled by how much a rapidly improving Wolf squad hailing from the Cascade Conference’s smallest 1A school refused to buckle against one of the biggest of the 2A behemoths.

A layup here and there that refused to stay in the bucket, a questionable call here and there from the usual motley crew of near-sighted refs who consistently punished the less physical team, a miracle shot here and there, and things might have been different.

But Lakewood did hit a three-pointer off an in-bounds play with less than a second on the clock to end the third quarter.

Coupeville guard Morgan Payne was somehow called for traveling, while a Cougar defender was picking him up and flipping him skyward.

And, regrettably, the Wolves heard the coming footsteps too many times, blowing several potential breakaway layups that came back to haunt them at the end.

“We need those chip shots,” Coupeville coach Anthony Smith said. “We’re almost there. We have to stay focused for all 32 minutes. All 32 minutes.”

The Wolves, now 0-3 overall, 0-2 in league play, played the fourth quarter like a team that wanted badly to earn its first conference victory since 2011.

After the aforementioned miracle trey at the end of the third, and a quick bucket to open the fourth, Lakewood sat on a 44-30 lead. It was then that the Wolves put their heads down and went to work.

Playing relentless defense and attacking the basket, Coupeville ripped off an 11-2 run, with Wiley Hesselgrave popping for five and Nick Streubel slamming home four, the second bucket coming off an electric pass from freshman Gabe Wynn.

Two free throws from Joel Walstad cut the lead to 46-41, then the Wolves forced a turnover, only to surrender the ball right back. Out of time and miracles, they could only watch as Lakewood closed out the game at the free-throw line.

Still, the rally (Coupeville outscored Lakewood 26-23 in the second half) and cool play under pressure from young players like Hesselgrave, a sophomore, bode well for the future.

The game seemed like it was headed to be a blowout in the opening moments, as Lakewood jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, eventually stretching it out to 28-15 right before the half.

A pair of free throws from Walstad and a bucket from Payne, who rammed the ball right down the throat of three defenders as he charged through the paint like a madman, cut the lead to eight at the half.

Hesselgrave paced Coupeville with a career high 16, while Payne and Walstad each chipped in with nine. Streubel and Anthony Bergeron tossed in six apiece, while Matt Shank notched a free throw.

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Raise your hand if you just scored, Beauman Davis. (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Uriel Liquidano stakes his claim to the paint.

It wasn’t a pretty game, but it had its moments.

Knocked down early and staggered by big runs late, the Coupeville High School JV boys’ basketball team fell 73-27 to visiting Lakewood Friday for its third loss in as many games.

But, while the final score wasn’t really what anyone on the bench was looking for, the result was brightened a bit by seeing the Wolves spread the scoring out among eight different players, including one who notched his first points as a high school player.

Sophomore Beauman Davis got the biggest roar from his teammates and classmates in the crowd when he popped in a shot in the fourth quarter. It was the first basket for the first-year player.

Dante Mitchell paced the Wolves, throwing down a team-high 12, slashing to the basket frequently, then stepping back to drill a three-point bomb at one point.

Grey Rische netted four points, while Clay Reilly, DeAndre Mitchell, Oscar Liquidano and Jared Helmstadter each had a bucket. Uriel Liquidano drained a free throw to round out the scoring attack.

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Darius Maxie (right).

Darius Maxie is learning as he goes.

The Coupeville High School freshman is playing basketball for the first time this season (“I play guard … I think”), and, in the minutes he got against Cedarcrest in a JV game Tuesday, you could see it.

Like most new players, he had a couple of moments where he looked naturally talented. And a couple of moments where he looked like someone trying hard to play catch-up, really quickly.

The positive is that there was more of the first, plus Maxie seems intent on working hard at his craft.

“This is my first year and I wanted to try it out,” Maxie said. “I was told I had a great shot.

“I don’t know about my strengths; I need to work on my right-handed dribble and dribble drive and my shot form,” he added. “I want to be the best I can and be able to dribble with both of my hands and to be able to say that I played on a team that went to state, hopefully.”

Maxie, who also wants to play football for the Wolves, draws support from those around him (“Everyone on my team, including my coaches and my family and friends”).

What does the future hold for the ninth-grader? Only time will tell, but the flashes of skill shown Tuesday night are a good start.

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   Wolf frosh Gabe Wynn hit a three-point bomb Tuesday for his first varsity points. (John Fisken photo)

Confident and ready to run and rumble with a high-energy, unbeaten Cedarcrest squad, the Coupeville High School boys’ basketball team looked inspired for the first two minutes of Tuesday night’s home opener.

Much of the other 30 minutes? Not quite as inspiring.

A second-quarter meltdown did much of the damage, as a close game after eight minutes became a blowout by halftime.

Unable to convert a field goal for nearly two quarters at one stretch, the Wolves hit the skids after their bold start, watching as a 6-0 lead turned into a 66-26 loss.

The defeat dropped Coupeville to 0-2 overall, 0-1 in Cascade Conference play.

From the opening tip, the Wolves looked poised, pushing the ball hard and hitting the boards with a passion.

Anthony Bergeron and Nick Streubel converted rebounds into buckets and then Streubel, a 6-foot-3 enforcer, made like a silky-smooth point guard, hitting Morgan Payne with a pinpoint pass as he cut through the lane, allowing his fellow senior to drop the ball through the twine.

Even as Cedarcrest started to rain down deadly three-point bombs — connecting on four of their six treys in the quarter — Coupeville seemed to have an answer.

Junior Joel Walstad netted his own three-pointer from the top of the key, Bergeron went airborne to spike away a Cedarcrest shot and the Wolves closed out the quarter with back-to-back buckets to pull within 18-14.

The final play of the quarter was a beauty, as Wolf guard Wiley Hesselgrave patiently waited out an over-eager ball-handler who was trying to put on a dribbling exhibition.

At just the last second, as the Cedarcrest player broke for the basket, Hesselgrave nimbly picked his pocket and then beat a mad stampede to the other end of the court for a crowd-pleasing layup.

For those who walked away then, it was a great back-and-forth game.

Unfortunately, Cedarcrest, instead of walking away, chose to amp up the pressure and flat-out ran Coupeville off the court. The second eight minutes played out to a miserable 27-3 tune in favor of the visitors, as turnovers plagued the Wolves.

“Their speed was too much for us,” said Coupeville coach Anthony Smith. “We did a lot of things better. We just need to execute for 32 minutes.

“If we can execute for 32 minutes, not for eight or 12, we’ll be right there,” he added. “We’ll be a tough out.”

Going through the entire second quarter, and much of the third, without a field goal, the Wolves trailed 52-19 before breaking the spell. When it finally did break, though, it broke on the single most dazzling play of the night.

Walstad fired a pass cross-court as Bergeron out-leaped two defenders, the ball dropping into the senior’s hands for a brief moment, before he redirected it up and off the backboard for two of his team-high eight points.

Deep into garbage time, the Wolves also got a boost from freshman guard Gabe Wynn, who immediately brought a jolt of energy to the proceedings when he entered play.

Three seconds into action, he ripped a board away from a taller Cedarcrest player, then later lofted a gently tumbling three from the left corner for his first varsity points.

Aaron Trumbull popped for four to back up Bergeron, while Streubel, Wynn, Payne and Walstad each tossed in three. Hesselgrave had a bucket, and Matt Shank, while he was held scoreless, was a beast on the boards.

Bad quarter hurts JV: Different game, same problem, as a 22-0 run in the third quarter doomed the Wolves. Outscored 46-6 in the second half, Coupeville fell 78-24.

Wynn paced the JV squad with 10, while Jared Helmstadter and Dante Mitchell each hit for five. DeAndre Mitchell added a bucket and Grey Rische and Oscar Liquidano both netted a free throw for the Wolves.

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