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Archive for the ‘Girls Basketball’ Category

Katie Marti (second from left) scored a team-high 13 points Friday night. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They started so hot and ended so cold.

The Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad scorched host Friday Harbor for 15 first-quarter points Friday night, then struggled to scratch out 10 more the rest of the way.

Going six-plus minutes without scoring in the second, third, and fourth quarters, the Wolves eventually frittered away an 11-point lead, falling 30-25 in their conference opener.

The loss drops Coupeville to 2-3 overall, 0-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, and stings badly as it comes against one of the other two 2B schools in the seven-team conference.

That could have a major impact in the chase for a playoff berth.

For now, the Wolves get an immediate chance to bounce back, when they host South Whidbey in a non-conference clash Saturday.

JV tips at 5:15, varsity at 7:00, and the program’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated at halftime of the second contest.

Friday’s rumble started like a blowout, with everything going Coupeville’s way.

The Wolves claimed the lead at 4-2 on a bucket in the paint from Jada Heaton and would hold the advantage for almost the entire game.

Five different CHS players hit a field goal in the game’s opening frame, with Heaton coming back around to slap home a rebound with just two ticks left on the clock.

Up 15-6 at the first break, the Wolves added a quick pullup jumper from Katie Marti to open the second quarter, and then things turned bleak.

Coupeville only connected on three field goals, and no free throws, across the game’s final 23 minutes-plus.

Not that Friday Harbor came roaring back exactly, as the Wolverines were madly clanking shots left and right as well.

But slowly, painfully, the host Wolverines crawled back into the game.

Friday Harbor trimmed the lead to 17-10 at the half, then 22-20 through three quarters.

Mia Farris made off with a steal and slashed end-to-end for a breakaway bucket to open the third — snapping her team’s long dry spell — but then CHS went another six minutes-plus with no points.

With the lead slashed to 19-18, Marti knocked down a three-ball, then she repeated the feat to open the fourth, pushing her squad ahead 25-20.

And then Coupeville simply stopped scoring. Again.

Friday Harbor tied the game at 25-25 with a hair over three minutes to play, forcing the first stalemate since way back at 2-2.

From there, a steal, a lob inside for a layup, and one free throw after Coupeville was forced to foul five times in 12 seconds to stop the clock, set the final margin.

Wolf coach Megan Richter was philosophical afterwards.

“It’s a learning curve. We will get there,” she said.

“The nice thing is we are improving every game and that’s all a coach can ask for right now.”

Marti accounted for more than half of her team’s scoring, rattling the rims for a season-high 13, which pushes her one point away from joining the 100-point club.

Heaton and Farris added four apiece, Skylar Parker and Lyla Stuurmans each knocked down a bucket to round out the scoring, and Madison McMillan and Teagan Calkins were ferocious on the boards.

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Saturday is all about 50 years of Coupeville High School girls’ basketball. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

No boys allowed.

Sort of.

The schedule for Saturday’s 50th anniversary celebration of Coupeville High School girls’ basketball has been tweaked at the last second, thanks to the visitors.

South Whidbey informed Wolf Athletic Director Willie Smith Friday that it wouldn’t have enough eligible players to play either the scheduled varsity or JV boys’ games.

Both will be rescheduled for later in the season.

The change actually allows CHS a chance to widen its focus on its girls’ teams, without materially changing anything.

The JV girls will still play at 5:15 PM, but now get to do so in the high school gym and not the middle school gym.

The CHS cheer team will perform at halftime of that game.

The varsity will tip off at 7:00 PM as planned, with the anniversary festivities slated for halftime of that contest.

The 1999-2000 team — the first Wolf girls’ team in any sport to win at state — and the top 15 career scorers will be honored.

In the best news of the day, Smith has confirmed cake will be served in the lobby after the varsity game.

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Carolyn Lhamon, born to be a Hall o’ Famer. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Whoops.

In the crush of whacking out four stories a day, every day, sometimes I look up and discover I didn’t actually do something I thought I did.

Case in point — putting Carolyn Lhamon where she belongs, in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

Catherine’s lil’ sis, now a freshman tearing up things in college, both in the classroom and on the soccer pitch, is a slam dunk for my digital shrine.

She qualifies in every way.

Superb student? Check.

Entertaining off the field when she’s telling elaborate stories to keep fellow CHS softball fans from thinking about the fact they’re freezing during another balmy, windswept, rain-splattered “spring” afternoon?

Check and double check.

Being a kick-ass three-sport athlete, whose impact goes far beyond mere stats, a young woman who was a captain and team leader, an award-winner, a force of nature who was also forever graceful?

Check and triple check, and how the heck did I forget to give Carolyn her rightful due?

Cause I’m an idiot, apparently.

Carolyn is that rare student-athlete who already looked like a Hall o’ Famer in middle school, where she helped lead the CMS girls’ basketball team to an 8-0 record during her 8th grade campaign.

Jump forward to high school, and she had an immediate impact in every single one of her sports.

Born to play varsity, and only varsity, Carolyn was a two-way whirlwind on the soccer pitch, offering a nuclear-powered leg which could rattle the goal from far away, while also seemingly loving to thwart other team’s would-be shooters.

She scored seven goals, tied for 9th best in program history, but that stat is deceiving.

If Carolyn had focused on scoring, the number would have been much higher.

Instead, her touch with the ball, while deadly, was just a small fraction of what she brought to the game.

Enjoying her time on the pitch with Nezi Keiper. (Carlota Marcos Cabrillo photo)

As one half of a Wonder Twins combo with fellow Hall o’ Famer Nezi Keiper, Carolyn thumped people, made the smart pass, always knew where she needed to be, and was invaluable.

Scoring? It’s nice, but she was playing chess while others played checkers.

That carried over to the basketball court, where Carolyn once again provided scoring pop when it mattered most — she tallied 153 points — but was most valuable because of everything else she did.

Knifing her foes, one shot at a time. (Andrew Williams photo)

Need a rebound, and need her to outduel three rivals to get it? Done.

Need a smart pass, a well-set pick, a willingness to take the brunt of a charge, an artful use of her hip to send an opposing player crashing into the parking lot?

Done and done, each bruise telling the tale of another small battle won in the pursuit of helping Coupeville win the big wars.

Once “spring” broke, Carolyn headed outdoors for track and field, where she competed in shot put, discus, the 400, and all three relays across three seasons.

She was always game to try just about any event, and advanced to state four times, saving her best for last.

We have launch! (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Nailing a PR in the shot put as a senior, Carolyn claimed 4th place and brought home a medal to top off her long list of awards, certificates, and trophies.

Among those was being named the CHS Female Athlete of the Year as a junior and earning Salutatorian status as a senior.

So, in short, Carolyn, every step of the way, has been a Hall o’ Famer in waiting.

Not that she needs my nod of approval, as she demonstrates her awesomeness every day, in every way.

But today (finally!!) I’m officially catching up by inducting the youngest of the Lhamon supernovas into my Hall o’ Fame.

After this you’ll find Carolyn hanging out at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, right next to her sister.

You know, right where she should have been this whole time!

Legendary. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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Savina Wells (center) with mom Katy and big sis Izzy.

As Coupeville High School prepares to celebrate 50 years of girls’ basketball, one of its brightest stars from the past is currently tearing up the hardwood in Florida.

Savina Wells, who played two years of varsity hoops for the Wolves, and still sits 88th on the career scoring chart, is currently a junior in Fernandina Beach.

She leads the Pirates in scoring (12.8 points a night), rebounds (9.6), and blocked shots (2.2), as well as snatching a steal per game.

Fernandina Beach is 4-5 on the season and hits the mid-point of a 20-game schedule with a clash Thursday against Yulee.

Savina, following in the footsteps of older siblings Ulrik and Izzy, attended Coupeville schools and excelled in multiple sports, from softball to track and field.

The youngest of Lyle and Katy’s children made her varsity basketball debut as an 8th grader, during a Covid-shortened season.

Savina poured in 59 points that year, placing her #2 on the team, then came back around to score 74 as a freshman.

With 133 points in the books, her Coupeville numbers were frozen after a family move to the Sunshine State.

Though, hope never dies for some bloggers.

I mean, if Caleb Meyer came back around for his senior season, there’s always a chance Savina returns to Washington state for her final high school campaign.

Right?? Hello?? Is this thing on??

Anyways…

Back in reality, barring a miracle return, the Wells family combined to put up 489 points during their Coupeville days.

Izzy led the way with 204, while Ulrik banged home 152 before the duo graduated from CHS.

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This baller grew up to coach at the same school where she once played. Circle of life, Cow Town-style. (Photo courtesy Kassie O’Neil)

Each wrote their own chapter in the story that is Coupeville High School girls’ basketball.

Whether they’re trailblazers from the ’70s, ballers from the ’00s, or modern-day hardcourt warriors, every woman who has worn that uniform is a part of history.

Saturday night the CHS gym shall be crammed (or so I hope) for the 50th anniversary of the program.

The Wolf boys’ tipoff at 5:15 PM against South Whidbey, with the girls slated to go at 7:00.

The heart of the anniversary celebration is set for halftime of the girls game, when the 1999-2000 team — the first to win at state — and the top 15 career scorers will be honored.

But the celebration will go on all night, and it’s going on now when former players such as Kassie (Lawson) O’Neil and Danette Beckley share their photos on Facebook, just waiting for me to poach them.

Having seen how this played out when the CHS boys held their 101st anniversary, I have just one thought for anyone wavering on attending.

Just do it.

Whether you scored one point or 1,549, whether you coached a season, or a decade, you are important.

You are part of the story, a very important part.

Pride of the ’80s. (Photo courtesy Danette Beckley)

Sisters, both by blood (24 and 3) and choice. (Photo courtesy Kassie O’Neil)

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