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Everyone plays, (almost) everyone scores, everyone wins

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Darrington, Dominic Coffman, Northwest League on January 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Hunter Bronec, fan favorite, hard at work. (Chloe Marzocca photo)

It started as a low rumble, then became a roar.

“I love you, Hunter!!” echoed off the walls of the Coupeville High School gym, as Wolf JV players hooted and hollered as swing player Hunter Bronec prepared to check into Friday night’s varsity hoops game.

A fourth-quarter appearance by the lanky young gun, who hit the floor like a ball of fire unleashed, was the perfect cap to a night on which everything went right for CHS.

Putting 13 players into action, with 10 of them scoring, Wolf coach Brad Sherman crafted a perfectly calibrated team win, shepherding his squad to a 64-25 dismantling of visiting Darrington.

The victory, Coupeville’s fifth in its last six games, lifts it to 1-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-5 overall.

With another game roaring up fast — a road trip Saturday to face non-conference foe Neah Bay — being able to spread out minutes and keep his top guys fresh was exactly Sherman’s hope.

And, like the A-Team before him, the prairie hardwood sage does love it when a plan comes together.

Coupeville jumped on the Loggers quickly, with Logan Downes going off for seven points in about seven seconds.

A layup, off of a dish from Jonathan Valenzuela, a three-ball from the right side, and then a steal and breakaway bucket and the Wolves and their scoring ace were ready to punch the pedal through the metal.

Toss in back-to-back buckets from Valenzuela, with William Davidson and Downes zipping perfect set-up passes to the silky-smooth senior, and Darrington had few answers.

Dominic Coffman, rampaging from one end of the floor to the other and enjoying his best offensive performance of the season, capped the first quarter with another steal and swooping layup.

Powered by 11 points off the fingertips of Downes, the Wolves had a 19-6 lead heading into the first break, and it felt like much more.

Darrington couldn’t generate much offense, and definitely couldn’t slow down Coupeville, which got points from six different players in the second quarter en route to building a 38-14 halftime lead.

The Wolves attacked from all angles, with Alex Murdy and Downes droppin’ three-balls, while Ryan Blouin, Cole White, and Coffman converted steals into points.

Dominic Coffman will devour your soul. (Chloe Marzocca photo)

Fab frosh Chase Anderson turned an offensive rebound into a bucket, snagging an air ball and putting it back up and in a millisecond before a shot clock violation, while White got fancy.

Streaking down court after picking the pocket of a Logger ballhandler, he was headed for a layup, only to find his path blocked at the very last second.

Stopping on a dime, White stepped back and drained a short jumper over the arms of a defender, the ball splashing home as dad Greg nodded in approval from the Wolf bench.

“Just the way I did it back in the day,” was what his expression seemed to say.

To which Sherman arched one eyebrow in the direction of his assistant coach, then went back about his business.

Job #1 was getting quality floor time for everyone on the roster, and he nailed it.

With the Wolf starters sitting out most of the second half, Coffman and Nick Guay picked up the scoring slack, the former jamming the ball down the throats of the defenders, the latter showing off a series of slick inside moves.

When the ball went back outside, Blouin made the Loggers pay, knocking down a pair of second-half treys to help push the lead out to 40.

Before the running clock kicked into play, Murdy also delivered a crowd-pleasing defensive gem.

Darrington had the ball on the break, with a Logger careening into the paint in hopes of netting a rare bucket.

Instead Murdy emphatically stuffed the shot, rising up to rip the ball away while delivering a death stare which made his feelings recognizable to everyone in the gym, from the first row to the top of the bleachers.

“Don’t try that again, son. Just don’t.”

Playing his fewest minutes of the season, Downes paced the Wolves with a game-high 16 points, enough to help him achieve a personal milestone.

With his first quarter three-ball, the junior, who entered play Friday averaging a hair under 25 points a night, became the 50th Wolf boy to score 500 career points for a program launched in 1917.

Downes, who heads to Neah Bay with 512 points and counting, passes Jason Bagby (499) and David Lortz (502), moving from #51 to #49 on the all-time list.

He got plenty of support Friday, with Coffman ringing up a season-high 10 points, while Guay banked in nine and Blouin rippled the nets for eight.

Anderson (6), Murdy (5), White (4), Valenzuela (4), Jermiah Copeland (1), and Zane Oldenstadt (1) also scored for the Wolves, with Bronec, Davidson, and Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim seeing floor time.

Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim and Co. have won five of their last six. (Bailey Thule photo)

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“A lot of guys played really tough tonight”

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Mount Vernon Christian, Northwest League, William Davidson on January 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Nick Guay slashes hard to the hoop. (Bailey Thule photo)

These are the nights which bring a warm glow to a coach’s heart.

Facing off with the tallest team in the Northwest 2B/1B League Tuesday, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball squad proved big hearts can beat big bodies.

Doing all the important things sometimes overlooked in the buzz over scoring records — hitting the glass, closing out on defense, making the extra pass — the Wolves held on for a 44-39 win over visiting Mount Vernon Christian in an old-fashioned bar room brawl.

The win, Coupeville’s fourth in its last five games, lifts Brad Sherman’s squad to 6-5, while the Hurricanes slip to 9-5.

While the game featured two league rivals squaring off, the result doesn’t count in the conference standings.

Thanks to a quirk in the schedule, the rematch, which is Jan. 20 in Mount Vernon, is the rumble which matters most as Coupeville seeks to defend its league crown.

But whether it was a “league” or “non-league” game, Tuesday’s tilt was a biggie, and one the Wolves really wanted.

From William Davidson drawing two offensive charging fouls on MVC players in the first quarter, to fellow Wolf bruisers Zane Oldenstadt and Dominic Coffman yanking down rebounds, this was a true team effort.

Add in ferocious defensive play from Alex Murdy and Cole White, doing their best to thoroughly frustrate Hurricane ballhandlers, and Sherman came away pleased.

“That was a good team win,” he said.

“A lot of guys played really tough tonight and got their jobs done, especially our guys battling in the paint and out pressuring the ball.”

MVC actually jumped in front early, claiming a 6-0 lead, before Coupeville stormed back.

Logan Downes popped back-to-back three-balls, kicking off a run of 13 straight points from the Wolf junior, busting things open a bit.

After teaming up with Oldenstadt on a scorching give-and-go play, Downes also picked up a bucket on a slash through the heart of the Hurricane defense, before capping things with a third trey.

Frazzled, MVC lost the ball in the back court, or rather, it was ripped away by Coffman, who immediately turned it into a bucket of his own, and the Wolves were romping, up 15-6.

The visitors were a resilient bunch, though, getting a three-point play the hard way to end the first quarter, then holding Coupeville to just five points in the second frame.

While slowed down a bit, the Wolves never lost control of the game, or relinquished the lead after claiming it for the first time.

White drew a charge on an MVC player, before Downes ran down the clock, cutting hard to the basket for a layup with a single, solitary second left before the halftime break.

His bucket staked Coupeville to a 20-17 lead, and the Wolves jumped hard on the Hurricanes to open both the third and fourth quarters.

The first time around, a 12-2 surge, with Ryan Blouin and Downes nailing back-to-back three-balls and White netting his 100th career point on a short jumper, pushed the lead out to 13 points.

MVC hung tough, closing the third quarter on its own 8-0 run to get back within 32-27, but the Wolves put together a 10-4 tear to open the fourth, all but sealing the win.

Coupeville’s buckets down the stretch were fueled by big plays on the defensive end of the floor.

Murdy yanked away a rebound, and White made off with a steal, with both Wolves feeding Downes on breakaway baskets.

Then there was Davidson, standing tall in the paint, turning a rebound into a kickout to White, who beat the defense down the floor.

While MVC narrowed the final margin from 11 to five during a frantic final 45 seconds, time ran out on the Hurricanes, with a layup under pressure from Nick Guay capping Coupeville’s offensive effort.

Downes had a hot hand, pumping in a game-high 28 points, and moves within four of cracking the 500-point club, while Guay (5), White (4), Coffman (4), and Blouin (3) provided support.

Jonathan Valenzuela, Oldenstadt, Davidson, and Murdy may not have scored on this night, but all four provided key contributions for a team which earned the victory by continuing to showcase its ability to survive a string of rough-and-tumble foes.

Up next is a home game against Darrington (3-7) Friday, with this one counting in the league standings, and a long trip Saturday to play non-conference rival Neah Bay (4-3).

That second contest kicks off a run of road games for the Wolves, who play six of their final eight regular-season bouts away from Whidbey Island.

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Balanced attack, strong win

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, Camden Glover, CHS Wolves, JV, Mount Vernon Christian on January 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Camden Glover, seen with Avery Buchanan-Williams, scored eight points Tuesday in a win. (Stevie Glover photo)

Play as a pack, win as a pack.

Spreading its offense between seven players Tuesday, the Coupeville High School JV boys’ basketball squad overcame a red-hot rival.

Mount Vernon Christian freshman Jake Feddema rattled the rims for a game-high 24 points, but the host Wolves still came out on top, rolling to a 41-37 win.

Coupeville’s third-straight victory, it lifts Hunter Smith’s squad to 4-3 on the season.

The Wolves countered Feddema by spreading the ball out, with different players stepping up at different times.

In the opening quarter, it was CHS fab frosh Chase Anderson, who banked in seven of his team-high 11 points as Coupeville built a 12-7 lead.

The Wolves stretched their advantage out to 23-16 at the half, watched as MVC narrowed its deficit to 34-30 after three quarters, then cruised in for the win.

Aiden O’Neill knocked down a pair of second-half three-balls to push his scoring total out to 10 points, while Camden Glover banged away down low for eight.

Hunter Bronec (4), Landon Roberts (4), Hurlee Bronec (3), and Johnny Porter (1) rounded out Coupeville’s scoring, while Malachi Somes and Jack Porter also saw floor time.

The Wolf JV returns to action Saturday with a trip to Neah Bay for a non-conference clash.

While Coupeville’s varsity hosts Darrington Friday in a Northwest 2B/1B League tilt, the Loggers don’t have a second team this season.

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Downes dazzles, Wolves wage war

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Logan Downes, Northwest League, Orcas Island on January 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Logan Downes rained down 40 points Friday night. (Andrew Williams photo)

Everything but the victory.

Playing for the first time since it won the Cascade Holiday Classic in Leavenworth Dec. 28, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball squad put up a spirited fight Friday night.

But Orcas Island wouldn’t miss a dang shot.

Or so it seemed, as the visiting Vikings dropped daggers when it mattered most, holding off the Wolves, who rallied from 10 points down before falling 67-64 in their conference opener.

The loss drops Coupeville to 5-5 overall, 0-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, while Orcas sits atop the NWL with a shiny 2-0 mark.

The game was a beautiful brawl, featuring 19 three-balls, numerous hustle plays from Coupeville’s wrecking crew, and, oh yes, a 40-point performance from Wolf gunner Logan Downes.

Knocking down a Damian Lillard-worthy trey right before the final buzzer to get to the milestone, the CHS junior scored the most points I’ve seen a high school player score in one game in a writing “career” which began back in 1990.

It was just eight points off Coupeville’s single-game record of 48, set by Jeff Stone way back in 1970, and gives Downes 244 points through the first 10 games of the season.

He’s scored 21 or more eight times this year, with 33 against Forks and 30 against Kittitas before Friday’s 40-piece.

That leaves Downes not that far off Stone’s 10-game pace (276) when he scored a Whidbey Island single-season record 644 points during the 1969-1970 season.

But while Downes will get a lot of the buzz, his teammates came up huge in their own ways.

It started with big man William Davidson, who crashed to the floor twice in the first quarter to corral loose balls, keeping plays alive when turnovers seemed imminent.

Toss in Dominic Coffman and Nick Guay drawing crucial charging fouls, Zane Oldenstadt anchoring Coupeville’s efforts on the glass, and Alex Murdy shredding the psyche of the Viking ballhandlers, and Brad Sherman’s squad attacked with fury.

With a special shout-out to the Dominator, for the play in which he ripped a ball loose, found himself airborne and dangerously close to the endline, so promptly drilled the ball off a rival’s crotch.

It was vintage Coffman, a brutally efficient way to create a turnover on Orcas, and a play which warmed the hearts of ’80s NBA fans everywhere.

Dominic Coffman crashes through the paint. (Bailey Thule photo)

In between the crotch shots and floor burns, the teams combined to put on a precision-shooting exhibition.

Eight of the 19 three-balls dropped in the first quarter, with both squads claiming four treys apiece.

Murdy sank the last two, while Cole White and Downes both made the net pop as well, but Orcas clung to an 18-14 lead at the first break.

The Vikings, playing fast, loose, and aggressive, stretched their lead out to 10 points midway through the second quarter, though late three-balls from Ryan Blouin and Downes kept Coupeville in the game.

Trailing 34-26 at the half, the Wolves chipped away at the lead by largely going away from the long-range shot in the third quarter.

Murdy did pop one trey, but Downes had the hot hand, throwing down 11 points on a variety of slashing runs at the hoop as CHS came all the way back.

The Wolves knotted things up at 40-40 with seconds to play in the third, only to see Orcas get a steal and breakaway bucket to reclaim the lead right before the buzzer.

That was merely the setup for a wild and woolly final frame, with the teams combining for 49 points across the final eight minutes.

Coupeville tied the game at 44-44 on back-to-back buckets from White — off a feed from Davidson — and Downes, but the Vikings were relentless.

Nailing the final three of its nine three-balls, Orcas roared back in front at 56-47 with a minute to play, taking a lot of the air out of the Wolf fans.

Though, if you gave up then, you were being fairly short-sighted, as Coupeville had one big, frantic, final rally to stage.

It started with a three-ball from Downes, came to life with a trey off the fingertips of Murdy, and continued through an endless series of free throws.

Time and again the Wolves crashed hard to the hoop, drew fouls to stop the clock, and scraped away at the deficit with charity shots.

But the clock truly stops for no man, and Orcas had an annoying habit of refusing to fully break.

The Vikings hit their own free throws, for the most part, and a late breakaway layup sealed the win right before Downes sent the fans home with Coupeville’s 10th, and final, three-ball.

The Wolf marksman scored 28 of his 40 points in the second-half Friday and jumps to #55 on the all-time CHS boys career scoring chart, which dates back to 1917.

Downes passes Tony Ford (432), Del O’Shell (440), and Frank Marti (462) and sits with 468 points with home games against Mount Vernon Christian (Jan. 10) and Darrington (Jan. 13) next up.

Murdy bounced the rims for 14 points in support and made some family history.

With 310 career points, Alex passes Uncle Allen Black (305), while still pursuing big brother Xavier Murdy (482).

White and Blouin rounded out Friday’s offensive attack, netting seven and three points respectively, while Nick Guay, Coffman, Davidson, Chase Anderson, and Oldenstadt all saw floor time for the Wolves.

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Wolves terrorize Vikings

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Jack Porter, JV, Orcas Island on January 6, 2023| 1 Comment »

Chase Anderson rumbles to the hoop. (Morgan White photo)

They were making shots all night.

Controlling every aspect of the game Friday, the Coupeville High School JV boys’ basketball team drilled visiting Orcas Island.

Sparked by eight different players getting into the scoring column, the Wolves ran the Vikings off the floor, romping to a 53-23 win in the league opener for CHS.

With the victory, Hunter Smith’s squad gets to 3-3 overall, 1-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play.

No matter where they shot the ball from Friday, Coupeville’s gunners made the nets pop.

The Wolves held a 16-8 advantage in made free-throws, while hitting a trio of three-balls against an Orcas team which never came close to netting a trey.

Two of those long-range specials came courtesy Malachi Somes, while Chase Anderson splashed home the other one.

Coupeville jumped out to a quick 11-6 lead by the first break, with Jack Porter knocking down seven of his game-high 13 points in the frame.

From there, the Wolves steadily stretched the lead out, pushing their advantage to 27-13 at the half and 38-23 by the end of the third.

The fourth quarter was nothing but bad times for the visitors, as Orcas failed to score across the game’s final eight minutes.

Anderson, Camden Glover, and Landon Roberts all popped for seven points apiece, backing up Jack Porter’s 13, while Hunter Bronec (6), Somes (6), Johnny Porter (4), and Aiden O’Neill (3) rounded out the scoring.

Yohannon Sandles, Carson Field, and Hurlee Bronec also saw floor time for the Wolves, who get back at it next Tuesday, Jan. 10 with a home game against Mount Vernon Christian.