Aiden O’Neill pushes the pace. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Malachi Somes (left) and Chase Anderson battle for a loose ball.
First one is in the books.
The Coupeville Middle School boys basketball team kicked off a new season Thursday, splitting a pair of games with visiting Langley.
Playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, the Wolf varsity cruised in for a 45-25 win, while the CMS JV fell 41-10.
All in all, it made for a strong debut.
“The gym was full with many who have never been to see a CMS basketball game!,” said Coupeville coach Jon Roberts.
“It was awesome to feel the excitement and energy.”
How the day played out:
Varsity:
Langley hung around for a bit, trailing just 8-4 at the first break, then the Wolves found their shooting touch.
Shots which rimmed out in the first quarter started hitting nothing but the bottom of the net after that, as CMS pushed the lead to 21-6 at the half, then 35-16 heading into the final frame.
“Second (quarter) we started really jelling,” Roberts said. “Camden (Glover) with his high post screen on Chase (Anderson) or Aiden (O’Neill), and then the roll and dish.”
Anderson, who matched Langley by himself with a torrid 25-point performance on opening night, closed out the first half by netting a three-ball with just two ticks left on the clock.
Sharp shooting — after a little bit of an early dry spell — and lights-out defense spurred on the Wolves, who enter the season with only three veterans.
While Anderson had the hot hand, his teammates contributed with pinpoint passing, which pleased the Wolf coaches.
“I wish I had an assist count. It would have been shockingly high!,” Roberts said. “Good screens made for easy give and goes.
“Overall the coaches were happy with the win.”
Glover and O’Neill each tossed in eight points in support of Anderson, while Malachi Somes and Riley Lawless rounded out the scoring with a bucket apiece.
Mahkai Myles, Easton Green, Jayden McManus, and Carson Grove all saw playing time as well, contributing with hustle and smart defense.
JV:
Coupeville’s second team is very green, and it showed at times, as many of the Wolves were playing in their first organized team game.
And yet, the Wolves hung tough behind the shooting of Jacob Schooley, staying tied at 4-4 midway through the first quarter.
A 16-0 Langley run in the second frame put the game out of reach, but CMS responded well in the second half.
“South Whidbey was a better-skilled team, with some height to help,” Roberts said. “We will work to get better practice after practice.
“We will learn good solid basketball fundamentals, and hopefully build back this end of the team,” he added. “Hard work in practice will make us a better team.”
Wyatt Fitch-Marron, Captain Teuscher, and Lawless each banged home a bucket in support of Schooley’s four-point effort.
Also seeing playing time were Jonah Weyl, Beckett Green, Max Ohme, George Spear, Matthew Kuzma, Jackson Waterbury, Dylan Robinett, Ethan Walling, Zach Blitch, Joshua Stockdale, Kenny Jacobsen, and Grove.
Coupeville Sports 