Coupeville Sports

Brock Illston and his teammates honor his father. (Pat Kelley photo)

Live over Afghanistan.

Sage Downes prepares to kick some fanny. (Pat Kelley photos)

“You da man, Sage!!”

Sub plots. Sub plots everywhere.

In a game that matched a coach against his former players, while his current team played to honor one of their player’s dads, whose squadron is deployed over the skies of Afghanistan, the Anacortes Sea Hawks Midget football squad romped to a big win Saturday.

Sparked by their three Coupeville Elementary School stars (Matthew Kelley, Sage Downes and Jake Mitten), Anacortes beat South Whidbey 41-13 to improve to 5-2 on the season.

South Whidbey, where current Anacortes coach Pat Kelley formerly coached, has five CES players on its roster. Trystan Ford, Ben Smith, Dominic Coffman, Isiah Bittner and Evan Johnson all suit up for Langley.

The victory over his former players was a bittersweet one for Kelley, who said “I coached and brought all these kids into the program, so you can imagine my lack of joy this Saturday.”

His current squad was led by Coupeville’s best, as Matthew Kelley busted out a 65-yard touchdown run, while Downes found the end zone after a 35-yard sprint.

The Sea Hawks dedicated the game to Eric Illston, Executive Officer of VAQ-130, the Zappers, who are aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. His son Brock, a fullback, is the Anacortes captain.

Illston sent the following letter to his son’s team, along with one of the photos that runs above:

Subject: RE: Think Pink

Dear Anacortes Seahawks Football Warriors,

I am Commander Eric “Crash” Illston (Brock’s Dad) and I just wanted to let you know that your “THINK PINK” slogan has made it all the way around the world to the VAQ-130 Zappers, the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN, and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

This picture was taken over the skies of Afghanistan while I was aerial refueling behind an Air Force KC-135 tanker. I am in the front seat (you can barely see my white helmet) and my Weapons System Officer (call sign “Oscar”) took this picture from the back seat for you guys. This particular mission was 7.6 hours long and supported many troops on the ground.

I tell my squadron often of the “Think Pink” slogan and the great success thus far of the Anacortes Seahawks football team. My squadron mates routinely ask me on Saturday afternoons if the Seahawks won or lost…did they hold onto the ball…and did they play their hardest?

I hope you enjoy the picture. Until then, stick to your blocks, run fast, keep your heads up, and play to the whistle.

THINK PINK, and very respectfully,

Commander Eric “Crash” Illston

Executive Officer, VAQ-130 Zappers

Brock’s Dad.

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Jake Tumblin

Let your voice be heard.

In a bid to show that they’ve learned a thing or two (maybe…), the Everett Herald has taken a break from mangling the names of Coupeville High School athletes, and is, instead, actually honoring one.

After he ran wild over Granite Falls Friday night, amassing 201 yards on 16 carries in a resounding 23-7 victory, Wolf wing Jake Tumblin is one of nine players eligible to be voted for in the Herald’s Player of the Week contest.

Voting runs through noon Monday and you can throw your support behind rumblin’ Tumblin by jumping over to http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20131012/SPORTS01/710129935.

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  Wolf QB Gunnar Langvold was all smiles after returning from a knee injury to help lead his team to an impressive victory Friday.

Jake Tumblin is making up for lost time.

The Coupeville High School senior, who missed a chunk of time with a leg injury, has exploded since coming back. He saved his biggest boom for Friday night, however, rushing for 201 yards to lead the Wolves to a resounding 23-7 win at Granite Falls.

Just as big was a ferocious defense keyed by The Big Hurt.

With Nick Streubel rampaging through the backfield — he knocked Matthew Hamilton, the Cascade Conference’s top rusher, completely out of the game with one Earth-rumbling hit — the Wolves made short work of a league foe in what technically was a non-league game.

Now 3-2 with a two-game winning streak, Coupeville heads straight towards its biggest test.

The Wolves host Island rival South Whidbey (4-2 after a 22-21 win over Archbishop Thomas Murphy) 7 PM Friday, Oct. 18 in a game that will combine Homecoming, the battle for ownership of The Bucket and both teams playoff hopes.

Coupeville, which is in the second year of a two-year plan in which the smallest 1A school in the eight-team 1A/2A league skips the three biggest schools (Lakewood, Cedarcrest, ATM), has to reach two goals to make the postseason.

First, they need a .500 or better record, which is just one win away with three games to play.

Second, they need to finish in the top two in the round-robin between the three 1A schools. King’s has already beaten South Whidbey (the Wolves play the Knights Oct. 25), and a Wolf Homecoming victory would eliminate the Falcons.

“If we beat South Whidbey, we should be good for a playoff spot,” said Coupeville coach Tony Maggio. “But we want to and think we can do more than that!”

The win Friday gave Coupeville one more win than it had in Maggio’s first season last year, when the highlight was an upset of South Whidbey at Langley.

Going up against a winless, but dangerous Granite Falls team, the Wolves dominated in every facet.

Coupeville opened the scoring with a five-yard bull run from senior Brett Arnold, followed by a two-point conversion from Josh Bayne. Then, after Hamilton scored on his own short run, the Wolves blew things open with two big plays.

Quarterback Gunnar Langvold, who has also missed time with his own leg injury, connected with fleet-footed Wade Schaef on a 55-yard scoring pass, before Tumblin ripped off a 48-yard rumble to the end zone in the third quarter.

Joel Walstad tacked on the extra point after Schaef’s score, while Bayne — who also had an interception and a 46-yard punt return in the game — scored another two-point conversion following Tumblin’s rumble.

While Coupeville benefited from a balanced offense (Langvold completed six of 11 passes for 104 yards and said “I was iffy in the knee at first, but after the first sack I didn’t feel it,” while Tumblin’s big night came on just 16 carries), the stifling defense was locked and loaded.

And don’t think the coaches didn’t notice.

“Our boys were laying the wood to them,” said stat man Chris Tumblin.

“As always, our D led the way,” Maggio added. “Nick had absolutely the biggest hit I think I’ve ever seen as a coach, and, unfortunately, took out #7, Matt Hamilton, in doing so.”

Streubel and Tumblin led the way, with seven tackles apiece. They also combined for 15 assists, while Streubel recovered a fumble.

Bayne, who might be the hardest hitter on the squad even though he gives up several inches and many pounds to the big boys, highlighted a four-tackle night with a “buckling shot to the solar plexus that reduced their active roster by one,” according to Chris Tumblin.

Everyone across the CHS roster came up with big hits and key tackles, whether it was Arnold (five tackles, two assists), Ben Haight (five/one), Lathom Kelley (four/three) or Jared Dickson (three/three).

Schaef, Matthew Hampton and Aaron Wright each chipped in with two tackles apiece, with Wright coming up with a key fourth-down, fourth-quarter stop that snuffed a Tiger drive.

After shredding the local boys, the Wolves capped the big win with a small, but very important, gesture.

“The other thing our boys did, was at the end of the game the entire team came up to the stands and picked up all the garbage that was left by the Coupeville crowd,” Chris Tumblin said. “Which I will say was not much, but it was pretty cool to see.”

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Jake Mitten (22) blocks as Sage Downes (42) takes a pitch. (Pat Kelley photos)

Matthew Kelley takes the hand-off and…

gets some air as he heads for daylight.

None of the Coupeville boys may be in this photo, but it’s a beautiful testament to supporting your teammates, so we’re running it.

“You’d think they could pick up one orange, but no…”

Eventually they will put on the red and black. That’s the promise.

For now, three talented young Coupeville Elementary School students, Sage Downes, Jake Mitten and Matthew Kelley, are wearing the purple of the Anacortes Sea Hawks midget football squad.

But every time they bust out a great run or a solid block, one can’t help but think — one day they will be Coupeville Wolves.

And that’s a very good thing.

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