Coupeville Sports

“Canada?!? We have to sit on a bus all the way to Canada?!” (Robert Pelant photo)

The Wolves are going to make a run for the border.

Coupeville’s playoff hopes will be on the line Tuesday, Oct. 30 when it travels up to Blaine for a three-team, two-mini games affair. Win twice, and it’s on to tri-districts. Lose once and it’s equipment turn-in time when they get home.

The Wolves (2-7) will open against Meridian (5-4) the number three seed out of the Northwest Conference in a half game that will kick-off at 6 PM. Win that short game and they return to the field at 7:30 for a second half game against Blaine (6-3).

If it emerges victorious from its tussle on the Canadian border, Coupeville will advance to play a tri-district game at the home of the second seed from the West Central District on either Fri, Nov. 2 or Saturday, Nov. 3.

Blaine and Meridian earned their spots with wins in a Kansas tiebreaker over Nooksack Valley Saturday, Oct. 27. In the event, where each team starts at the 25-yard line, Blaine upended Nooksack 8-6, Meridian edged Nooksack 3-0 and then Blaine stuffed Meridian 6-0.

Blaine enters the postseason with regular season wins over two Canadian teams, Meridian, Bellingham, Lynden Christian and Friday Harbor, while Meridian knocked off Sehome, Friday Harbor, Nooksack Valley, Lynden Christian and a school from British Columbia.

Read Full Post »

Korbin Korzan, seen here before the game with Wolf coach Tony Maggio, suffered a concussion against Sultan and will miss his team’s playoff opener  Tuesday. (Bob Martin photo)

It was a night for big wins.

In Summerville, South Carolina, 86-year old John McKissick won his national record 600th high school game (in his 761st game). Back here in Washington, my ninth-grade health teacher at Tumwater, Sid Otton, won his 333rd game, as the T-Birds thumped Black Hills 35-7.

More locally, King’s made a statement for 1A football, upending 2A power Lakewood 55-42 behind six touchdown passes from Billy Green to claim a perfect 9-0 season and the Cascade Conference crown.

And at Sultan, in the one that mattered most and hurt worst for Island football fans, Sultan pounded away on the ground — the wet, slippery ground — and rolled over Coupeville 34-8 for the fourth win of Ben Murphy’s run as Turk head coach.

While Murphy has a long ways to go to come close to Otton or McKissick, he enjoyed the same thing they did Friday, an effective, well-run offense that chewed up yardage and made life tough for their opponents.

With quarterback Antonio Rivas accounting for three touchdowns — two on long runs (34 and 51 yards) and one through the air on a nine-yard pass to Jay Leverett — the host Turks ran out to a 27-0 halftime lead, then coasted in with the win. Coupeville (2-7) got on the board late when Jake Tumblin rambled for a 41-yard scoring run, but the Wolves were unable to slow down Sultan, which amassed 307 yards on the ground.

Playing on a wet, sloppy field, Coupeville also suffered a rash of injuries which may affect them as they head into a three-team playoff Tuesday, Oct. 30. Linebacker Korbin Korzan was lost with a concussion and is not expected to play Tuesday, while speedy receiver Bryce Fleming hurt his elbow and had to leave the game.

“I think Bryce will be questionable (for Tuesday),” Coupeville coach Tony Maggio said. “He has a big knot. I’m sure it’s sore.”

With the playoff game Tuesday and a slim roster, the Wolves will forego the scheduled home JV game against Sultan Monday.

Read Full Post »

    “I, Bryce Fleming, will go! I will carry this ball all the way to state!!” (Shelli Trumbull photo)

See, I already have a headache, so this all sort of makes sense.

For anyone who comes into this discussion clear-eyed, a warning. You may need some Excedrin on the way back out the door.

But let’s start with itty-bitty baby steps, OK, as we try and break down the myriad possibilities looming in District 1 when it comes to football playoffs.

Without a doubt, Northwest Conference champ Mount Baker (8-1) and Cascade Conference 1A heavyweight King’s (8-0 heading into its unbeaten vs. unbeaten showdown with 2A Lakewood tonight) are going to state. That’s set in stone.

After that, things get complicated, as four teams, including Coupeville (currently 2-6), will vie for one spot at tri-districts, with a chance to play in to the 16-team state tourney.

The Wolves, having made the world right by thrashing South Whidbey, have a date in a three-team district mini-playoff Tuesday, Oct. 30. They close out their regular season at Sultan tonight and then prep for that tussle.

Only, they won’t know who they will play until after Saturday, when another three-team mini-playoff will result in two Northwest Conference teams advancing.

Meridian (5-4), Nooksack Valley (6-3) and Blaine (6-3), which each have a win and a loss against their common rivals, will meet in a Kansas tiebreaker. That involves each team getting the ball at their opponents 20-yard line and attempting to score, until one team comes out ahead.

At the end of the night, which could be short and sweet or drift on for hours, two teams will emerge. Whichever team comes out on top will be the Northwest Conference’s number two team and host the three-team playoff Oct. 30.

The other team to advance, the #3 seed from the Northwest Conference, will face Coupeville in a two-quarter game that night. The winner of that returns to the field later that night and plays the #2 seed in another two-quarter game, with the winner of that game advancing to tri-districts either Fri. Nov. 2 or Saturday, Nov. 3. Win that game and you’re off to state with Mount Baker and King’s.

Of the three possible opponents, the Wolves already have first-hand knowledge of one, having lost 56-15 at home to Nooksack Valley earlier this season. Coupeville immediately rebounded, however, winning two of their next four games.

Read Full Post »