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Archive for the ‘Football’ Category

Clay Hughes

Clay Hughes

He’s still The Man.

His high school football playing days may be done (heck, he’s even graduated from college at this point and has a real job), but Clay Hughes remains a larger-than-life myth in Wolf Nation.

They whisper about him in hushed tones, nodding quietly as they talk about how he would explode through the line, scattering South Whidbey players with every carry.

You can look at the numbers and know he was good.

StatewideStats.com tells you Clay rushed for 1,131 yards as a Wolf, crossing the 100-yard barrier five times.

Three times he broke 150 yards, crushing Concrete for 164 yards, ripping Sultan for 159 and decimating King’s for 158.

Though, in the end, probably none of those performances topped his 119-yard throttling of South Whidbey in Week 6 of 2006.

Coupeville obliterated the Falcons 27-8 that night and the tears flowed from Langley for weeks.

Nice.

Whether wearing the red and black and bouncing off of would-be tacklers or operating in the world of RV sales, as he does now, Hughes has never settled for second best.

So, today, on his birthday, we hail the once and future king and remind him of one thing.

You ‘da man, Clay. You ‘da man.

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With the graduation of Jake Tumblin, Josh Bayne will carry the rushing load for CHS. (John Fisken photos)

   With the graduation of Jake Tumblin, Josh Bayne will carry the rushing load for CHS. (John Fisken photos)

Joel Walstad is the early favorite to inherit the starting QB job.

Joel Walstad is the early favorite to inherit the starting QB job.

Are you ready for some football?

If so, you’re in luck, because, even though it’s still July, this weekend will bring pigskin play back to the gridiron.

Coupeville High School has scheduled a scrimmage against 3A school Lakeside for 1 PM Saturday at Mickey Clark Field.

The informal event will officially kick off Tony Maggio’s third year at the helm of the Wolves, while giving fans a taste of what to expect when fall rolls around.

A strong Class of 2014 led by Nick Streubel and Jake Tumblin departed, but running back Josh Bayne and linemen Carson Risner and Aaron Wright return as captains for CHS.

Senior Joel Walstad is favored to be the starting quarterback, while big hittin’ juniors Lathom Kelley and Wiley Hesselgrave should anchor the defense.

Lakeside, which hails from Seattle, is coached by Casey Selfridge.

Coupeville, which is leaving the 1A/2A Cascade Conference for the 1A Olympic League this season, kicks off the regular season Friday, Sept. 5 with a home game against South Whidbey.

That game will now be a non-conference affair, but the winner will still claim The Bucket, which has resided in captivity in Langley since last year.

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Mckenzie Meyer

Mckenzie Meyer

Tony Maggio

Tony Maggio

Two Wolf legends were born today, a few years apart.

One, Tony Maggio, patrols the sidelines, guiding the CHS football squad on to gridiron glory, a mischievous grin usually on his face.

Except for that one time when, frustrated by incompetent refs, he just about wore out his baseball cap taking it on and off his head and waving it in frustration.

Eventually the hat sat by itself, alone, in the middle of the field, at which point the blind refs mistook it for an extra player on the field and called a penalty on Coupeville.

Still, Maggio was able to chuckle about the incident later, and he remains one of the most easy-going of coaches. A near-constant presence at CHS sporting events, he meets and greets with the best of them.

Our second Wolf is Mckenzie Meyer, who will be a freshman at CHS in the fall.

Basketball and track are but two of her many talents as Meyer keeps the athletic legacy of her family going strong.

The granddaughter of longtime Videoville/Miriam’s Espresso owner Miriam Meyer (who paid me to goof off for 12+ years, bless her heart!), Mckenzie is following a trail laid down by her aunts and uncles — Jennifer, Mike, Kathryn and Megan.

The first time I saw her play — during her 7th grade basketball season — it took me a moment or two to realize that yes, she was THAT Mckenzie Meyer, since my memories of her were when she was much younger and hangin’ around Videoville.

Now, I realize I’m old and I’ve adjusted to Mckenzie being an athletic superstar and not a lil’ girl getting gumballs from the store machine.

I still want to get paid to goof off, though.

Someone get Miriam on the phone. It’s time to put the store back together!

Anyone, anyone, Bueller, Bueller

Yeah, well, happy birthday to the M & M twins, while I sit over here in the corner and wait for the phone call.

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Brett Arnold and a member of his fan club.

Brett Arnold and his lil’ niece hang out.

Brett Arnold is the guy who held it all together.

When Jake Tumblin ran wild on the football field as a senior for CHS, it was Arnold, his fullback, who led the way, hitting every block and helping open holes.

Ball in his hand, Arnold was a put-your-chin-down-and-blast-the-guy-in-front-of-you runner.

He gave Tumblin and Josh Bayne chance to catch their breath, while putting the defense on its heels.

As a soccer player, he was the last line of defense, the anchor to a bend-but-never-break back wall that made goalie Joel Walstad’s job easier.

Off the field, Brett overcame great personal upheaval in his family’s life and remained a leader, both at school, where he was on the executive board, and in his church, where he devoted much of his spare time.

Through it all, through good times and some extremely harrowing times, he has kept the welcoming smile on his face.

He is an ambassador for his town, his school, his church. And, never once has it seemed like he wasn’t being genuine.

What I have seen over the last several years is a young man, sometimes quiet, sometimes ebullient. A possessor of intelligence, commitment and principles, a  guy who treats others around him with compassion and friendliness.

Brett has been a warrior on and off the field, and, as he celebrates his 19th birthday today, I wish him the best.

I would say this to him — know that, in your darkest moments, you have a town behind you, there to lift you up. And that, in your moments of triumph, we all share a sliver of your joy.

You have made Coupeville better for your presence, Brett. As you go forward, you may depart this physical place, but it will always be with you.

We are you. You are we. And we are very proud of what you have been and what you will become.

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Gabe Kennedy

Gabe Kennedy (Photos from Solea Kennedy’s GoFundMe page)

His family was able to take Gabe outside to the nearby Seattle Yacht Club to see fireworks on the 4th.

His family was able to take Gabe outside to the nearby Seattle Yacht Club to see fireworks on the 4th.

One positive after another.

As he makes the difficult battle back after a horrifying hit and run, Gabe Kennedy continues to improve and reach new positives.

The older brother of former Wolf football star Ben Haight and son of Coupeville Food Bank volunteer Solea Kennedy, Gabe was struck while skateboarding in Reno in early May.

He was in a coma and lost a leg, and the woman who slammed into him fled the scene, only to finally turn herself in to police several weeks later.

Now at the University of Washington Rehab Center, Kennedy has shown enough progress that doctors have set August 1 as a possible date for him being discharged.

In recent updates on her GoFundMe page, Solea talked about the steps Gabe has hit:

Yesterday, they removed Gabe’s trache, so now he is tube free!

He is doing well, feeling much better. The hole in his throat will close up on its own, probably in a few days!

The physicians agreed to start Gabe working with a prosthetic leg.

It is a long process and he will have to take it “one step at a time” since his left leg is still not able to bear weight due to the reduction surgeries that are still in the healing stage.

Gabe is making good progress, though.

He has taken advantage of every exercise opportunity to work on regaining use and strength in his hands and arms.

The left one still gives him a lot of trouble, but he is determined to push past it…

As he continues his fight, you can write to him at:

UW Rehab Medicine
Gabe Kennedy
Room 806
1959 NE Pacific St.
Box 356071
Seattle, WA 98195-6071

Or, consider helping the family out with the ever-spiraling medical expenses by jumping over to:

http://www.gofundme.com/955tg8

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