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Archive for the ‘Girls Basketball’ Category

Wily Wolves tangle with testy Turks

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Finley Helm, a killer on the taekwondo mat and the hardwood. (Photos courtesy Jerry Helm)

It was a quick turnaround.

Less than 24 hours after hosting Granite Falls, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball teams hit the road Thursday for a trek to the wilds of Sultan.

While there, the Wolves played a full slate of three games against the Turks, with Team #3 continuing to set a torrid pace.

How the day went:

 

Team #1:

Sultan’s top squad, always a heavy hitter in the Cascade League, got out to a big lead early and rolled to a 38-12 win.

The Wolves struggled on offense in the first half, being blanked in the opening frame and facing a 23-2 deficit at the break.

But things improved quite a bit after that, with CMS coming out on top 6-5 in the third, and fighting hard until the end.

Cameron Van Dyke paced the Wolves with a team-high four points, while Emma Cushman, Kaleigh Millison, KeeAyra Brown, and Kennedy O’Neill each banked in a bucket in support.

Sophia Batterman, Laurel Crowder, Annaliese Powers, Finley Helm, Allie Powers, and Elizabeth Marshall round out the Coupeville roster.

The Wolves have claimed the ferry as their own.

 

Team #2:

Toss out the third quarter and this was a three-point game.

But a 13-2 Sultan run during the first frame after halftime stung, and the Wolves fell 32-18.

Up until that point, the Turks clung to just an 8-4 lead after one quarter of play, and a 12-10 advantage at the break.

Millison was top girl for the Wolves, rattling the rims for six points, with Helm banking in four.

Hazel Goldman, Emma Green, Selah Rivera, and Aubrey Flowers all added a bucket to the cause, with Cassie Powers, Laurel Crowder, Annaliese Powers, Sabrina Judnich, Addison Jacobson, and Claire Lachnit also in the rotation.

 

Team #3:

The squad that can’t be beat.

After sitting out the opener against South Whidbey when the Falcons couldn’t come up with a third squad, Coupeville’s gunners have gone 2-0.

Following up a win against Granite, the young Wolves held on Thursday to claim a 16-13 victory.

“Team 3 is crushing it!” said CMS coach Makana Stone. “Defensive mentality and teamwork on offense is really clicking for Team 3 – some hard workers really stepping up.”

Coupeville built a 6-2 lead through one quarter, then held Sultan scoreless in the second frame en route to heading to the locker room with a 10-2 advantage.

The Turks made things interesting with a 10-4 run in the third, but Coupeville’s defense limited their hosts to just a single free throw in the fourth to nail down the win.

Ava Alford knocked down eight points to lead the way, with Annabelle Cundiff torching the nets for six and Crowder banking in a bucket.

Ruby Folkestad, Sophia Magdolen, Lachnit, Bella Sandlin, Abbey Hunt, Ari Vinson, Cassie Powers, Emily Rains, Sophia Burley, and Reagan Green round out the hottest team in Wolf country.

 

Up next:

Coupeville returns home Feb. 25, when it hosts Northshore Christian Academy.

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Wolf girls reach the end of the hardwood road

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Katie Marti knocked down 15 points in her high school finale. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The final day of the season was an unusual one for the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team.

The Wolves tipped off their District 1/2 playoff game with visiting Orcas Island at 1:45 PM Thursday — while most of their classmates were still in school.

Then, CHS senior Lyla Stuurmans, among the most-polite players to ever wear the red and black, was handed her first-ever technical foul by a 102-year-old ref who blurted out “That girl needs to be quiet!!”

Someone needed a nap and probably an early-bird special, and it wasn’t the teenager…

Meanwhile, another ref called for a timeout when the Orcas coach instructed her team to play a “five-out” offense, then ignored the same coach screaming “Timeout! Timeout!” from right behind him.

Oh, and yes, there was a game played, a back-and-forth affair in which Orcas pulled away late to capture a 51-38 victory.

The loss, coming in Coupeville’s fourth playoff clash, leaves the Wolves final record at 10-12, while the Vikings will play Saturday in a winner-to-state, loser-out game.

The two teams split their regular season meetings, and showdown #3 opened as a barnburner.

Playing as the visitor on their own court (as the lower-seeded team) the Wolves closed the first quarter with a 6-0 run to slice the deficit to 13-12.

Coupeville went to the bench riding an emotional high after mad bomber Teagan Calkins splashed home a three-ball right before the buzzer, and the rapidly-filling gym was abuzz.

The game stayed super-close, with Calkins and Haylee Armstrong netting additional treys from behind the arc, and Orcas clinging to a 22-20 lead late in the second quarter.

That was when the Vikings went on a brief, but very-effective 5-0 run sparked by the technical foul call after the ref got upset with how Stuurmans handed him the basketball.

It was a strange call, both because nothing shady seemed to be happening when the official got cranky, and for whom the tech was called on.

Look, there are a couple of Wolves who were born to get feisty with the refs — you know who they are, I know who they are — but the elder Stuurmans sister would have had at least 10,000-1 odds if we were playing “Guess Who Gets a Tech Tonight?”

The only girl in CHS hoops history to play five varsity seasons, Lyla will be remembered for being one of the most serene athletes I have ever covered, and this goes down as one of the most indefensible calls I have witnessed.

Coupeville kept its composure, however, pulling back to within 27-22 at the half, and staying within 34-29 with a few ticks left on the clock in the third.

But give Orcas credit.

The Vikings are a solid squad, and they made their move late, scoring the final bucket of the third, before opening the fourth with a 9-2 surge.

That stretched the deficit to 45-31, largest of the afternoon, and proved to be insurmountable for the always-scrappy Wolves.

CHS scored its final seven points of the season at the free throw line, crashing hard to the hoop, drawing fouls, and trying to stop the clock from running out.

It wasn’t to be, however, as the Vikings held on and brought an end to the high school hoops careers of Wolf seniors Jada Heaton, Madison McMillan, Lyla Stuurmans, Katie Marti, and Mia Farris.

Wolf seniors (l to r) Lyla Stuurmans, Madison McMillan, Mia Farris, Jada Heaton, and Marti.

Marti went out scrapping to the end, racking up a team-high 15 points.

She exits with 332 points, which puts her #32 on the program’s career scoring chart, which covers 1974-2025.

Calkins, who led the team in scoring as a junior, popped for 10, while Armstrong (7), Farris (3), Tenley Stuurmans (2), and Lyla Stuurmans (1) also scored.

Heaton, McMillan, and Danica Strong also saw floor time in the finale, with future stars Capri Anter, Adeline Maynes, and Sydney Van Dyke cheering from the bench.

 

Final season scoring stats:

Teagan Calkins – 183
Katie Marti – 124
Mia Farris – 112
Haylee Armstrong – 77
Danica Strong – 75
Madison McMillan – 66
Lyla Stuurmans – 65
Tenley Stuurmans – 63
Jada Heaton – 35
Capri Anter – 6

Fab frosh Tenley Stuurmans will be a key returning player next season.

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CMS hardwood aces have successful home debut

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville 8th graders are ready for prime time. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The stage was all theirs.

With the high school basketball playoffs on hold Wednesday, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ hardwood aces took possession of the floor.

Facing off with visiting Granite Falls, the young Wolves captured a big win and came close to another victory in their home opener.

How things went down:

 

Level 1:

The one game the visitors dominated, as Coupeville hung tough in the first quarter before falling short in a 35-9 loss.

Granite was clinging to just an 8-6 lead at the first break, but busted things open with 8-1 and 14-0 surges across the next two frames.

Kaleigha Millison paced the Wolves with four points, while Finley Helm (2), Allison Powers (2), and Elizabeth Marshall (1) also scored.

Sophia Batterman, Emma Cushman, KeeAyra Brown, and Cameron Van Dyke also saw floor time for CMS in the contest.

 

Level 2:

A tense battle, with Granite pulling out the 26-22 victory with a late run.

Coupeville popped out to a 7-6 lead through one quarter of play and was still on top 13-12 by halftime.

The Wolves trailed just 18-17 heading into the final frame but couldn’t quite hold down the scrappy Tigers at crunch time.

Emma Green had the magic shooting touch, rolling up a team-high nine points for CMS, while Annaliese Powers and Hazel Goldman both chipped in with four.

Laurel Crowder (3) and Addison Jacobson (2) rounded out the offensive attack, with Claire Lachnit, Selah Rivera, Millison, and Sabrina Judnich also in the rotation.

 

Level 3:

After sitting out the road opener at South Whidbey, Coupeville’s #3 squad was ready to flex and did so to the tune of a 42-4 victory.

The Wolves shot out to a quick 10-2 lead, pushed the advantage to 26-4 by the half, then blanked the visitors in the second half.

Nine different Coupeville players scored, with Cassandra Powers and Reagan Green each popping the nets for eight points to spark the offensive outbreak.

Ava Alford (6), Crowder (6), Annabelle Cundiff (6), Emily Rains (2), Sophia Burley (2), Abbey Hunt (2), and Bella Sandlin (2) also etched their names in the scorebook.

Arianna Vinson, Lachnit, Ruby Folkestad, Millie Somes, and Sophia Magdolan saw floor time as well in the huge win.

 

Up next:

The Wolves have an immediate turn around, heading off to the wilds of Sultan Thursday for a rumble with the testy Turks.

After that, CMS is back home Feb. 25 for a clash with Northshore Christian Academy.

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Wild comeback, memorable win

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , , on February 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Current Wolves Haylee Armstrong and Capri Anter keep alive the memory of their late cousin, Adam Garcia. (Photo courtesy Michelle Armstrong)

Big time players make big time shots.

With the game on the line Tuesday, and the season hanging in the balance, Mia Farris and Haylee Armstrong proved that true.

The steady senior splashed home a game-tying three-ball under extreme pressure, while the scrappy sophomore knocked down the game-winning bucket in the final, frantic seconds, sending the Coupeville High School gym into a mad celebration.

Overcoming an extremely rough early performance, the crunch-time heroics capped a stunning late-game rally, lifting the Wolves to a 28-26 victory over visiting Friday Harbor in a loser-out District 1/2 playoff rumble.

Down 12 in the second half in a game in which its only lead of the night came on Armstrong’s bucket, the win lifts Coupeville to 10-11 on the season.

It also propels the Wolves into another loser-out game Thursday, when they will host Orcas Island in a game slated to tip off at 1:45 PM.

Win that one and Megan Richter’s squad gets a fifth and final Bi-District game Saturday (also at home), with a ticket to state up for grabs.

Tuesday’s tussle, the third meeting with Friday Harbor this season, threatened to slip away from the Wolves.

Other than two early ties, at 2-2 and 4-4, Coupeville was ice cold from the field.

There was a seven-minute stretch that started in the first quarter and ended in the latter stages of the second frame in which nothing would drop for the Wolves.

Free throws skimmed out, a startling number of field goal attempts missed the rim entirely, and the offensive flow was stagnant.

Farris finally got a jumper to drop at the 3:18 mark of the second, but then CHS went another two minutes-plus before Tenley Stuurmans ended the first-half scoring with a three-point play the hard way.

Trailing 18-9 at the half, Coupeville’s only saving grace was its defense, keyed by Teagan Calkins crashing the boards hard to pull down some of her game-high 16 rebounds.

Teagan Calkins gets dynamic in the paint. (Jackie Saia photo)

The deficit reached its zenith at 21-9 early in the third, and then, against all odds, the comeback began.

A quick 6-0 run, sparked by Danica Strong rumbling in the paint, Katie Marti going coast-to-coast, and team sparkplug Jada Heaton forcing a steal in the backcourt and turning it into a bucket, greatly helped.

Then, after Friday Harbor briefly rallied, Calkins launched an elegant three-ball from the right side, splashing it home to cut the lead to 24-18 heading into the fourth.

The final frame was a study in contrasts.

Friday Harbor, which had led all game, suddenly looked tense, and the ramped-up Wolf defense created a steady string of turnovers.

Hanging on for dear life, the visitors flinched, and flinched hard, in the final moments, committing a crucial turnover late and failing to convert on a pair of key free throws.

That left an opening for Coupeville, and the Wolves pounced.

A breakaway bucket from Farris and two charity shots by Marti made things interesting, with a Tenley Stuurmans free throw slicing the deficit to 26-23.

Nerves were on edge, every fight for a rebound was crucial, with Calkins and Madison McMillan standing tall, and Farris?

Well, they do call her “Mia the Magnificent” for a reason.

Mia Farris doesn’t miss. (Bailey Thule photo)

Taking a kick-out off of an offensive rebound, she drilled nothing but net on her three-ball, tying the game and pushing her to #50 all-time on the CHS girls’ basketball career scoring list.

But the Wolf magic wasn’t done just yet.

Tuesday was a day of celebration, but also of loss, a mix of bittersweet memories, for CHS teammates Capri Anter and Haylee Armstrong and their extended family.

The girl’s older cousin, former Wolf football player Adam Garcia, was murdered in Oak Harbor in 2014 and Tuesday would have been his 32nd birthday.

There are a lot of ways the clash with Friday Harbor could have ended.

That it finished with Armstrong flashing in from the left side of the floor, taking a pass from Calkins and banking in a game winner, the ball hesitating for a second before dropping through the net, is what feels right.

Tipped by an angel.

And then Friday Harbor’s final, futile push up court ended as suddenly as it began, the ball knocked free and snatched up by Calkins, with “The Red Dragon” hugging the orb to her chest as everything and everyone went bonkers around her.

While Coupeville’s scoring was limited, the points were divvied up, with eight of nine players to hit the floor keeping scorekeeper Christi Messner busy.

Farris topped the Wolves with seven points and now has 245 for her varsity career.

She’s the third active player to crack the all-time top 50, along with fellow seniors Marti (#37 with 317 points) and Lyla Stuurmans (#45 with 256 points).

Tenley Stuurmans (5), Calkins (4), Marti (4), Armstrong (2), Strong (2), Heaton (2), and Lyla Stuurmans (2) also scored Tuesday, with McMillan providing a spark on defense.

Jada Heaton, always hustling, always doing all the important little things. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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‘Canes cruise, Wolves look to rebound

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Wolf freshman Adeline Maynes made her varsity basketball debut Saturday in a playoff loss. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

New week, new focus.

Yes, Saturday’s 61-22 playoff loss at Mount Vernon Christian stings for the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team.

But the defeat, coming at the hands of the top seed in the District 1/2 tourney, doesn’t end the Wolves shot at advancing to state.

Coupeville, now 9-11 on the campaign, can still get to the big dance with a string of strong performances next week.

The Wolves host Friday Harbor, a team they have beaten twice this season, Tuesday night in a loser-out game.

Win and CHS advances to host either Orcas Island or Auburn Adventist Academy Thursday, and a victory there would put them in a winner-to-state game Saturday, again on their own court.

To see the bracket, pop over to:

https://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4590

Saturday’s game slipped away early, as Mount Vernon Christian came out hot and never cooled down.

Raining down eight three-balls, the Hurricanes went on big runs in each of the first three quarters to put the game away.

Up 17-4 after one quarter, MVC stretched the margin to 31-11 at the half and 50-13 through three.

Coupeville made its strongest stand in the final frame, with Teagan Calkins scoring five of her team-high eight points, including netting her second three-ball of the night.

The Hurricanes put four players into double-digit scoring, as Alexa Brown topped all shooters with 16 points.

Ruthie Rozema (13), Avery McCullough (12), and Carolanne Votipka (10) also had hot hands for the ‘Canes.

Haylee Armstrong slices through the defense.

Haylee Armstrong (6), Lyla Stuurmans (2), Mia Farris (2), Danica Strong (2), and Katie Marti (2) scored for CHS in support of Calkins.

Jada Heaton, Madison McMillan, Capri Anter, Tenley Stuurmans, Sydney Van Dyke, and Adeline Maynes also saw floor time for the Wolves, with the latter two making their varsity hoops debut.

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