Coupeville Sports

Geoff McClarin is one of many young Wolf netters on the rise. (Wendy McCormick photo)

It was a good old fashioned grudge match Wednesday afternoon.

Playing Island rival South Whidbey for the third and final time during the regular season, the Coupeville High School boys’ tennis squad waged a ferocious battle before coming up just short. The 3-2 loss, which came despite Nathan Lamb and Aaron Curtin sweeping the singles matches, dropped the Wolves to 3-3 on the season, 1-2 against the Falcons.

Such a close result against a traditional power was heartening for Wolf coach Ken Stange to see.

“It was a fun match,” Stange said. “The boys are getting more comfortable with the game. We are young and will be pretty tough as the boys get older.”

Complete results:

Varsity:

1st Singles — Nathan Lamb beat Charley Stelling 6-2, 6-3

2nd Singles — Aaron Curtin beat Cameron Baldwin 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)

1st Doubles — Jason Knoll/Brandon Kelley lost to Guy Sparkman/Mitchell Hughes 6-0, 6-2

2nd Doubles — Ben Etzell/Sebastian Davis lost to Taylor Simmons/Jonathon Peterson 7-6 (7-3), 6-4

3rd Doubles — Shane Squire/Dawson d’Almeida lost to Jack Hood/Kyle Simchuck 6-1, 6-2

JV:

3rd Singles — Ben Wehrman beat Sam Turpin 6-3, 6-3

4th Singles — Brian Norris beat Chase Collins 7-5, 6-7(5-7), 1-0(10-5)

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Beware, tennis balls. Kyle Bodamer is coming for you, and he will destroy you. (Wendy McCormick photo)

There is a new breed of tennis player at Coupeville High School and it resembles The Terminator.

Not content with merely waving at the ball as it went by, two Wolf netters, Ben Etzell and Kyle Bodamer, both threw themselves onto cement courts to make shots in recent matches. After he was done screaming like a little girl with a new dress, all CHS coach Ken Stange, a life-long tennis player who had never done that himself, even on a grass court, could do was marvel at the (slightly insane) commitment of his players.

“Everyone who was watching went berserk, including me!,” Stange said. “It was one of the most impressive displays of effort I’ve ever seen in a high school tennis match, almost up there with the rare three-hour marathon match.”

So, what was Bodamer, a sophomore baseball stud who picked up tennis as a second sport in July, thinking at the moment he went kamikaze?

“When I went diving for the ball nothing went though my head besides I must get the ball at all cost,” Bodamer said. “At that moment my body wasn’t my first concern. My only concern was that point, that moment, that shot, that was my only concern.

“I have no plans to do the same again what so ever!”

While he has only been on the court a relatively short time, he has already made an impact — and not just on the cement.

“Love that kid,” Stange said. “He’s all heart.”

Like all developing players, Bodamer has strengths and weaknesses in his game. The key to continued success will be whether he can shore up a few rough spots while continuing to bring the heat with his power game.

“My strengths on the court are at the net, because I feel like I’m really powerful and can put away balls, but at the same time have a touch to where I can place the ball about anywhere,” Bodamer said. “My serve is by far my biggest struggle in tennis. Also I want to get my back hand up to par with my forehand.”

In the spring, he’ll return to the baseball diamond, where most of his prior athletic success has come. The younger brother of former Wolf standout Brandt Bodamer, Kyle accepts the large shadow his brother left behind but is committed to proving he can be a star in his own right.

“If anything, it strengthens me. I can’t let my brother be known as the better baseball player. It just can’t happen!,” Bodamer said. “I’m actually glad he was pretty good at sports, because now I have a high standard to complete.”

A well-rounded kid away from sports, with interests in science (“It is just amazing to me how we can date a rock and how the human body works.”), ’80s rock and working on engines, especially the one on his dirt bike, Bodamer is still young enough to not have to have his entire future planned out. He has thoughts of perhaps becoming a mechanical engineer, but that decision is still in the future.

For now, he’ll continue his daredevil ways on the tennis court, a domain ruled over by his favorite authority figure.

“My favorite teacher so far has to be Mr. Stange, because he may be a legend at tennis, but he’s one of those guys who just doesn’t teach you what he has to and then call it a day,” Bodamer said. “He’s a guy that actually cares about you and is very understanding and truly is an amazing guy!”

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Sebastian Davis

Sebastian Davis is all about the music.

A 4.0 student with a love for astrophysics, a talented multi-sport athlete and a veteran of drama productions, all rolled into one, there is little the Coupeville High School freshman can’t accomplish. As long as he has his tunes.

“I love my music,” Davis said. “Before every game or tennis match I listen as I tune out the world and let the music prepare me for what’s to come.”

And what has come during his first go-around as a Wolf netter has been some sweet wins. Having teamed up with doubles partner Ben Etzell, notorious for frequently launching himself face-first onto cement courts in pursuit of loose balls, the duo has been one of the most successful Coupeville pairings this season.

While Davis has (wisely) not thrown himself onto the court yet, he brings a variety of skills to the partnership.

“I think my strengths on the court are at the net,” Davis said. “Volleying the ball is very fun and I have good placement, so I can hit the ball where they’re not.

“Also, I’m pretty good at serving. I have been told that I have a fast serve for a beginner,” he added. “Some things I would like to work on are my backhand ground-stroke and serve returns.”
 
His personal highlight from the still-young season? An especially hard-fought victory over a team from South Whidbey, always a power in the tennis world.

“My favorite moment in the season so far would be a match versus South Whidbey where Ben and I had the first win of the season,” Davis said. “It was a long and intense match full of fantastic rallies and suspenseful moments.”

While this is his first year as a tennis player, Davis is hardly a stranger to the world of athletics. He has played baseball for eight years, basketball for three, football both years he was in middle school and he plans to continue his track career in the spring. Oh, and in his free time, he gets in some serious Ultimate Frisbee action.

One of 11 freshmen to turn out for tennis this fall, giving Wolf coach Ken Stange his deepest roster ever, he has already drawn praise from his coach.

“Sebastian is a pure athlete and he is the epitome of sportsmanship,” Stange said.

For his part, Davis is just happy to be part of the team, a young, exciting one with a bright future.

“I believe the tennis team this year has lots of skilled players,” Davis said. “It’s amazing how many freshmen have come out to play this amazing sport.”

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