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Netters almost nip high-flying Falcons!!

Posted in Boys Tennis on September 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Let the season begin! (Wendy McCormick photo)

South Whidbey High School is the gold standard when the subject is tennis.

Boys or girls, the Falcon netters rule with an iron fist (and a deadly drop shot). The road to a league championship always goes through Langley.

But, things might be getting a lot more competitive.

Opening its season with a bang, Coupeville pushed its Island arch-rivals to the limit Tuesday, taking home big wins at the top of the order before falling 3-2 in a nail-biter.

Sophomore Sebastian Davis, making his debut at first singles after playing mostly doubles last season, rolled to a straight-set win.

“Sebastian played an outstanding match,” said Coupeville coach Ken Stange. “He didn’t disappoint. He consistently outlasted Jack (Hood), playing several points that went longer than fifteen shots.

“He also showed a bit of power,” he added. “As he learns to blend the power and consistency, he will be quite formidable on the singles court.”

The Wolves’ other win came from the newly-crafted doubles duo of Aaron Curtin and Ben Etzell. Baseball teammates in the spring, the hard-hitting, hard-scrapping pair were an immediate hit on the court.

“They used a combination of power and finesse. Big serves set up angled volleys and both boys used their athleticism to cover the entire court,” Stange said. “They have designs on making a postseason run, and they are capable of doing it.

“A strong showing against South Whidbey in the first match of the season has gotten them started on the right path,” he added. “I’m excited for the opportunity before them. I’m even more excited that both Aaron and Ben have the desire to do what is necessary to win.”

Complete results:

1st Singles — Sebastian Davis beat Jack Hood 6-4, 6-2

2nd Singles — Dalton Martin lost to Charley Stelling 6-0, 6-0

1st Doubles — Aaron Curtin/Ben Etzell beat Trent Fallon/Nathan Riley 6-4, 6-4

2nd Doubles — Brian Norris/Kyle Bodamer lost to Campbell Albertson/Beau Blakey 6-0, 6-3

3rd Doubles — Brandon Kelley/Jake McCormick lost to Jonathon Peterson/Andy Zisette 6-1, 6-1

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On land or in the water, Grey Rische is a winner!!

Posted in Baseball, Boys Basketball, Boys Tennis, Track on September 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Grey Rische emerges from the water.

“My schedule is swamped with activities!”

Grey Rische is not joking. The Coupeville High School freshman has his days jam-packed, bouncing from activities as diverse as being the Class of 2017 President to scuba diving, welding, jazz band and his newest pursuit — smacking tennis balls along side older brother Jared Helmstadter.

“I have been playing tennis for about three weeks now and I sincerely enjoy it,” Rische said. “I started playing tennis because my brother played and I thought it looked like a lot of fun.

“I love the fact you can be competitive and not have to listen to the coaches behind you,” he added. “You are your own coach and your own motivator when you are on the court playing. I also love being able to play with my brother.”

While he’s a newcomer to the hard courts, Rische is no stranger to sports.

He plans to play basketball (“I love being able to race along the court to try to take home a victory with my fellow teammates”) and run track at CHS, and has an extensive baseball background. Then there’s his underwater adventures.

“I’ve been scuba diving since last April and I have enjoyed it ever since,” Rische said.

On the tennis court, he has a bit of a built-in comfort factor, teaming up with his brother to form a potent doubles duo. Known as Thunder and Lightning when they played little league baseball, they mesh well together.

“My goal for the upcoming season is to play some varsity matches with Jared,” Rische said. “We know each others strengths and weaknesses, which should make us capable to win some.

“My strengths include my back hand and my spikes, although I still need to work on both due to being a newbie player,” he added. “I still need to work on my forehand and being able to stay positive. I am a very competitive person and when I lose I get very down on myself. So I need to work on that too.”

In the moments between his many sporting accomplishments, Rische enjoys geometry (“I love math in general, but geometry is a new type, which makes it even better”) and welding (“I have gotten one burn, but it will eventually make a cool scar”). Music also drives him, whether he’s playing it or listening to it.

“I love music, but not music everyone else loves,” Rische said. “I love jazz and a few other bands such as Imagine Dragons and The Script.”

Whether playing sports or learning in the classroom, Rische draws huge support from his large family, which can always be found at any games involving him, Jared or sister Camilla.

“My brother has made a huge impact on me. Whether it be on the field or on the court, he is always helping me brush up on my skills or teaching me more,” Rische said. “If it weren’t for my brother I don’t think I would be half the athlete as I am today.

“Also, my dad would have to be another huge impact on me,” he added. “He is the one who urges me to run for office and to complete new activities such as scuba diving. He is the Superman to my Kryptonite.”

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Cameron Boyd is a man of many talents!!

Posted in Boys Soccer, Boys Tennis on September 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Cameron Boyd (left) and Brandon Kelley pose before taking their dates to Prom.

Never believe the stereotypes.

Cameron Boyd is a metal head, but it’s not just because he likes to lose his hearing.

“I come from a musically-inclined family and my favorite type of music is metal,” he said. “For both the meaningful poetry, mixed in with the harsh and melodic outburst!”

He’s also a successful two-sport athlete, juggling tennis — where he’s playing doubles with fellow senior Jason Knoll — and soccer. But don’t label him a dumb jock, because he’s far from that.

“My favorite class would be psychology,” Boyd said. “With how my brain works, I love contemplating conventional theories in hopes of one day pursuing a career in psychology and bringing my gift forward to help people.

“I’d have to say my biggest interest is to be the greatest person I can, and help people with their struggles.”

After playing football as a freshman, where a hurt shoulder slowed him down, he made the jump to tennis as a sophomore after friends introduced him to the sport. Once on the court, he hasn’t left and is headed into his third season for Ken Stange’s Wolf net squad.

“I have stuck with it because I really enjoy the sport!,” Boyd said. “I like how different tennis is; it’s a rather relaxed and easy-going sport if you let it, which I find pretty enjoyable.”

The honor society veteran is looking forward to one last hard-court tour of duty with Knoll, who’s also a soccer teammate.

“We plan on just having fun this senior year and enjoying playing a sport we love with our friends,” Boyd said. “However, winning a few matches is always nice!”

Not one to toot his own horn, Boyd is always looking to fine-tune his game.

“My strengths? I’m not one to judge, but I believe I’m a rather balanced player; I have a fast reaction time so I can get some tricky balls,” he said. “I could use some work on my form to further excel my technique.”

A video game fan who loves Italian food and going to the drive-in with friends, Boyd also excels at a third, slightly more obscure sport.

“I love playing paintball!,” Boyd said. “My friends and I treat it like a sport. I wish it was bigger on the Island, so we could get more involved.”

Whatever passion he is pursuing, be it a sport or a classroom subject, Boyd has been blessed to have a strong support group comprised of family, friends and coaches. Three in particular stand out.

“I would have to say my parents are a big impact on my life; they raised me and shaped me a lot to who I am today,” Boyd said. “With my mom as a fitness instructor and cheer coach, she’s always advising me to make smart and healthy choices, while my dad is in the Navy and helped build my strong character.

“Over the years in my soccer career, my coach, Jim Copenhaver, has taught me to follow your passion, not to give up on your dreams and keep trying.”

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Jason Knoll nets hard-court success!!

Posted in Boys Soccer, Boys Tennis on September 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Ladies and gents, Jason Knoll!!

Jason Knoll is keeping a proud family tradition alive.

The Coupeville High School senior is preparing to launch into a new season on the tennis courts for the Wolves, the second Knoll to stalk the hard-courts at CHS.

“This is my fourth year of tennis,” Knoll said. “My brother (Garrett) had played before me, so I wanted to follow in his foot steps.”

A two-sport star — Knoll was the captain of the Wolf JV boys’ soccer squad in the spring and was voted MVP after netting a pair of goals from his left midfield position — he enjoys the flow of tennis.

“I love the pace of the game, it’s fast and intense!,” he said. “My strengths would have to be my serve and my forehand; I still need to work on my backhand.”

While Coupeville has a roster deep in experienced players, with Knoll one of a group of players with extensive prior varsity playing time, the senior is more concerned with enjoying his final go-around than in setting any specific win totals as a goal.

“My goal this season is just to have fun and enjoy playing with all of my friends,” Knoll said.

When he doesn’t have a racket in hand, Knoll can often be found pursuing his other passion. A member of the school’s jazz band, he says “music has always been a big part of my life.”

A “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter” buff, Knoll enjoys his physiology and contemporary issues classes and is quick to acknowledge the role the people closest to him have played in his development.

“The people who have had a big impact on my life would be my family and all my friends,” Knoll said. “They have always supported me in everything I do and have always stood by my side for whenever I need them.”

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW: Netters slug it out for top spot!!

Posted in Boys Tennis on September 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Wolf boys’ tennis coach Ken Stange dances into a new season.

The king is gone. Let the war to replace him begin.

With the graduation of perennial #1 player Nathan Lamb and his equally trusty sidekick, Ben Wehrman, there is a big hole at the top of the lineup for the Coupeville High School boys’ tennis squad.

Expect that hole to be filled, quickly, however, as the Wolves return 13 players with varsity experience (one of whom is injured at the moment) who will slug it out to lead CHS in 2013.

At the top of the list is junior Aaron Curtin and seniors Ben Etzell and Brian Norris.

Toss in seniors Jason Knoll and Brandon Kelley and fast-rising sophomore Sebastian Davis, who actually played in the top singles spot at last year’s district tourney when Lamb moved to doubles, and you almost have a complete eight-man varsity lineup made up of players who saw significant varsity court time in 2012.

That’s where things will get interesting, though, as six other players with some prior varsity experience (seniors Cameron Boyd-Eck and Jake McCormick, junior Kyle Bodamer and sophomores Jared Helmstadter, Connor McCormick and Loren Nelson) will also be fighting for key spots.

Sophomore Shane Squire also has prior varsity experience, but is currently injured, while sophomore Dalton Martin is making the jump from football after a series of concussions ended his gridiron dreams.

“Dalton is very athletic and is picking the game up nicely,” said Wolf coach Ken Stange. “He could make a move toward the top.”

The logjam will be partially broken when Coupeville holds an inter-squad singles tourney before the season begins. A big question will be whether presumed top ace Curtin will play singles, or team with Etzell as a doubles duo.

“We may form a doubles team comprised of baseball stars who moonlight as big hitting killer tennis players!,” said an excited Stange.

Which just three other teams in their league — powerhouse South Whidbey, Friday Harbor (which is struggling to fill a roster) and Archbishop Thomas Murphy, which is in the first year of its program — the Wolves will look to build their most intense rivalry on their own practice courts.

Succeeding in that will help Coupeville now, and down the road.

“I want to work on having twelve or more guys work feverishly to be in the top eight!,” Stange said. “I want to help the more advanced players grow into consistent players who can deliver the point for the team. I want to help the newer players grow their games, so they can step up and replace the seniors.”

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