Hawthorne Wolfe, part of a strong group of Coupeville seniors, averaged 21 points a game last season. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
It’s all been building towards this.
Less than six months after coming within a half-game of a league title, a senior-led Coupeville High School boys basketball team is back to chase the big prize again.
Blessed with experience, speed, and shooters who can rain pain down from anywhere, the Wolves want to claim their first crown since the 2001-2002 season, back when current head coach Brad Sherman was still dropping three-balls as a player.
During a pandemic-altered campaign which moved the 2020-2021 season into spring 2021, Coupeville was often electric, pulling off big wins and bringing a palpable air of excitement back to the CHS gym.
The Wolves, who were one of just two Northwest 2B/1B League schools to play a “full” 12-game set, finished 8-4, a half-game back of league champ Mount Vernon Christian (8-3), and percentage points off of Friday Harbor (7-3).
CHS toppled MVC both times they played, but dropped not one, but two, one-point games to Friday Harbor.
Now, while some pandemic restrictions and Covid testing remain in place, the Wolves are looking forward to a full 20-game schedule, including non-conference tilts with Island rivals Oak Harbor and South Whidbey.
As it aims for league supremacy, and potential postseason success, Coupeville’s mission is simple.
“Play good fundamental basketball,” Sherman said. “Commit on the defensive end of the floor. Win the rebounding battle every night.
“Play basketball our way, and have some fun!”
Sherman and assistant coaches Hunter Smith, Greg White, and Randy Bottorff are focused on making the 105th season of CHS basketball one of its most successful.
“If we do those things, I think we are well positioned at the end of our regular season to keep moving forward,” Sherman said.
“Should be a fun year and we are all — coaches and players — really excited to be back in the gym working!”
Leading the way for the Wolves is four-year starter Hawthorne Wolfe, who enters his senior season with 664 points, putting him 24th (and rapidly climbing) on the all-time CHS boys scoring list.
Fellow seniors Xavier Murdy, Grady Rickner, and Logan Martin are back as well, and a blast from the past has rejoined Wolf Nation.
Caleb Meyer, who played in Coupeville through 8th grade, returns to the town where his grandparents once paid me to watch movies for 12 years at Videoville.
With the curly-haired one back in the fold in time to hit the boards and graduate with his Class of 2022 mates, consider this the Wolves version of The Last Dance.
“Caleb has been an awesome addition to the team,” Sherman said. “Not only as a really talented basketball player, but also as a really strong leader on the floor.”
Caleb Meyer, back where he belongs.
Meyer rejoins gym rat Wolfe, who “can really stretch a defense with his (shooting) range,” and last season’s team MVP, Xavier Murdy, who paced CHS in numerous stat categories.
Toss in Rickner — “a versatile player who does a lot for us on defense, and gives us another long guard on offense who finishes well at the rack” — and the ever-dependable Martin, and the core is super-solid.
“Logan really committed in the weight room this past off-season,” Sherman said about a hard-working athlete who recently signed to compete in track and field for Central Washington University.
“He gives us a great mid-range jumper and strong presence inside.”
Coupeville’s strong batch of seniors is joined by a battle-hardened group of underclassmen all capable of making an impact.
Juniors Alex Murdy, Jonathan Valenzuela, and Dominic Coffman, and sophomores Logan Downes and Cole White can all come out firing.
The younger Murdy was Coupeville’s top defensive player last season, while delivering a moment for the ages when he netted a pair of late-game free throws to ice a 66-65 home win over MVC.
Alex Murdy was electric on both ends of the floor last season.
Downes showed a smooth shooting touch in crunch time as a mere frosh, earning major floor time right out of the gate.
“Logan grew into a big role for us last year and will pick up where he left off,” Sherman said. “He’s a strong athlete, works hard, and can do a lot of different things for us offensively and defensively.
“Been really impressed with him these first two weeks of practice.”
Valenzuela and White swung between varsity and JV last season, while Coffman, coming off of a breakout season on the gridiron, makes his varsity hoops debut.
All in all, it makes for a deep roster filled with high-energy players capable of attacking on both ends of the floor.
“We are quick and athletic at the guard spot, have a few great shooters, and guys who attack the basket really well,” Sherman said. “We just need to be patient, take care of the basketball, and offensively I think we can be tough.”
With a full season ahead of them, the Wolves, who open Wednesday at home against 3A Oak Harbor, are in this for the long haul.
“We want to keep improving in every area as the season progresses,” Sherman said. “I think great teams really embrace that idea of excellence being a process.
“We want to just focus on getting better every week so that we are prepared to finish this thing in a really strong position.”
Five of the seven NWL boys hoops teams had a winning record in the spring, and the two who didn’t — Darrington and Concrete — still came hard every night.
For this Coupeville squad to join the 2001-2002 team in earning a league title plaque on the school’s Wall of Fame, it will come down to accepting every challenge, and overlooking no one.
“Certainly we had some really tight battles last season – and I know our boys are ready to get back out there with those teams,” Sherman said.
“But again I think our focus has to be on showing up prepared, and practicing hard for every single league team we face.”
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