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Archive for the ‘Hall o’ Fame’ Category

The dynamic duo reunite!!

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , , on March 12, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Orson Christensen (left) and Tony Maggio, always discussing strategy, even in the stands. (John Fisken photo)

The Brain Trust.

Tony Maggio and Orson Christensen could probably finish each other’s sentences, and the two football coaches were a perfect match during their time stalking the sidelines at Coupeville High School.

With Maggio abusing his baseball cap as a fiery, but lovable head coach and gridiron lifer Christensen gliding by his side, providing a calm, cool voice of well-earned wisdom, the 2014 Wolves put together the best season in program history in more than a decade.

Utilizing the game-breaking running of Josh Bayne and the pinpoint passing of Joel Walstad, that CHS squad put up team offensive numbers never before seen in these parts.

It’s for that season, and a million other reasons, we welcome the ol’ ball coaches to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame today.

After this you’ll find the duo of Maggio and Christensen hanging out at the top of the blog under the Legends tab.

We’ll start with the whippersnapper, Maggio, who accomplished a ton in a three-year run as Wolf gridiron head coach.

After working his way up after stints as an assistant with Oak Harbor and his predecessor at CHS, Jay Silver, the man in the #00 jersey fired up a Wolf program in the doldrums.

Two wins over arch-rival South Whidbey put the spring back in Coupeville’s step, and Maggio got the roster numbers up while also increasing his team’s wins.

He brought out the best in players from stars like Jake Tumblin and Nick Streubel on down to the last guys on the end of the bench.

And he did it by genuinely caring about his guys in ways both visible to the public and private.

Since he didn’t teach at CHS, Maggio kept a regular presence at the school by attending nearly every home sporting event the Wolves played.

He showed considerable support for his guys when they played other sports, but he was also front and center, holding court in the stands, for a ton of sports that involved kids he never coached.

The man bled red and black (and still does, frequently popping in even during his “retirement” days) and lordy, he stormed a sideline like few others.

There was one game where the refs were particularly cruel to the Wolves, and the press box had great fun counting how many times the ball cap came off and hit the turf.

But then, in typical Maggio fashion, after slapping his cap against his chest 237 times on one play, shortly afterwards he was standing next to a ref, cracking wise and making the guy smile.

Wins and losses matter, but to really build a high school program you have to invest in the students and see them as more than just athletes, something Tony always did.

We may not have gotten decades out of him, but his impact will be felt for a long time in Coupeville.

The same can be said of Christensen, a ’57 Oak Harbor grad (he was a four-sport letter-man for the ‘Cats) who played both ways on the line for Pacific Lutheran University before starting a 50+ year coaching career.

CHS was the 16th stop on his journey, one on which he’s won eight titles and been named a Coach of the Year five times.

Splitting his time between college and high school coaching jobs, Christensen, an innovator and a people person in equal measures, has been successful everywhere he’s twirled a whistle.

Virtually every coaching position he accepted has had similar trappings — a program which hadn’t been successful for several years prior to his arrival, which then became a winning one while he was employed.

Christensen is a treasure trove of football knowledge and has never been shy about sharing what he’s learned with fellow coaches, players or idiots who write blogs.

He knows the game inside out and it has always been a pleasure to talk with him, or linger in the background and listen to him imparting wisdom.

Like Maggio, Christensen has always seen his athletes as people first, and the respect accorded to him by players, coaches and fans is remarkable, and justified.

Even take away the epic football achievements, and he’s just a truly nice guy, one of the best I’ve met in my sports writing career.

So, today, with a great deal of respect for both men, based on how they conduct themselves on and off the gridiron, I welcome the dynamic duo to my lil’ Hall o’ Fame.

You earned it, gentlemen. You earned it.

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A heart as big as the world!!

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , on March 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Joltin' Jae LeVine. (John Fisken photos)

Joltin’ Jae LeVine. (John Fisken photos)

Flash gets group-hugged during a volleyball match.

“Flash” gets group-hugged during a volleyball match.

Her scholarly side rises to the top during a road trip.

Her scholarly side rises to the top during a road trip.

"Coach, we'll talk more later, but it's time for me to go be awesome now."

“Coach, we’ll talk more later, but it’s time for me to go be awesome now.”

We’ve gotta let her in. Otherwise she’ll just knock the door down.

There is no obstacle too big for the Mighty Mite to crush, no challenge too high for JaeBird to fly over, no feat too daunting for Flash to zoom right past.

A young woman of many nicknames, and far more accomplishments, Jae LeVine is joy and giddiness, strength and passion, all wrapped around the biggest lil’ heart to ever stride across the prairie.

She is also, as of today, a certified member of the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

As if there ever was a doubt.

Miss LeVine will now occupy a spot at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, joining big sis Micky and dad Sean.

Somewhere off to the side multi-talented lil’ sis Izzy plots how long it will be before she too joins the pantheon.

“Soon, soon…”

But today is all about the irrepressible one, the bright, shining supernova who crashes through life, drum sticks in one hand, softball bat in the other, calculator stuck in her back pocket.

Jae “Flash” LeVine is a stellar scholar, a wild woman on the skins and an athlete who has never given less than her all.

Frankly, it’s remarkable that she is an athlete at all.

LeVine has dealt with a Ventricular Septal Defect (a large hole in the inner heart wall that required open heart surgery as a baby) and Aortic Stenosis since birth.

After a brief run as a basketball player, doctors made her quit her favorite sport, but she endured as a volleyball spiker and softball slugger.

Where there is a will, there is a way, and Jae has more will than the rest of us combined.

Instead of moping around, she has embraced each challenge, head held high, impish smile lighting up the galaxy around her.

Along the way, she’s dabbled in drama, been a student leader, kept things hoppin’ at Prairie Center and made the lives of everyone around her immeasurably better.

But this is an athletic hall, and when Jae retires her CHS uniforms, she will leave behind multiple memories which clinch her induction.

I will remember her final moments as a hoops star, before she had to leave the court.

Nailing a three-ball from somewhere out in the parking lot, LeVine put an appropriate cap on her middle school days by promptly dancing back up the court, arms above her head, “Rocky”-style.

As her fan section (which covered the entire bleachers) went bonkers, she alternated pumping her fists by pointing at one fan, then another, before exiting the game in a wave of her own giggles.

I will also remember the night she was playing libero part-time in a volleyball match, which meant she had to keep swapping out her uniform top.

LeVine would zig off the court, disappear for a moment, then reappear, each time acting if she was Superman flying onto the scene.

The final time, instead of merely dropping her discarded uniform top, she whipped it over her head, dropping it into dad Sean’s hands on a dime.

Then exited in a wave of her own giggles.

The softball diamond has been Jae’s refuge, the one sport where doctors have let her play out her dreams for her entire high school career, and she has blossomed out there.

A scrappy defender who sells out for every ball smacked her way at second base, she has become quite adept with her glove, while also developing a nice aggressive streak at the plate.

Through rain and sleet and snow (it’s spring sports … there is no sun), “Flash” is a ball o’ fire, with a little fist-pumping, a whole lot of teammate hugging and much roof-raising when she’s up to shenanigans in the dugout.

Every day, in every way, Jae LeVine proves, in school, in sports, in life, that you, and you alone, dictate the size of your heart and how much you will get out of this life.

She is my hero, and I am very happy to induct her into my Hall o’ Fame.

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She’s a killer, a three-ball thriller!!

Posted in Basketball, Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , on February 26, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Kailey Kellner busts through the defense, on her way to rattling home another bucket. (John Fisken photos)

   Kailey Kellner busts through the defense, on her way to rattling home another bucket. (John Fisken photos)

It must be the intitials. Kellner, hanging out with fellow Hall o' Famer Kacie Kiel.

It must be the initials. Kellner, hanging out with fellow Hall o’ Famer Kacie Kiel.

Over the past three-plus years, I have had a front row seat to a transformation.

When Kailey Kellner first walked into the Coupeville High School gym midway through her freshman year, none of us knew much about her.

She was a mystery, a total unknown, a shy young woman who had been plucked from England and transported to a rock in the middle of the water in the Pacific Northwest by a family move.

Today, as we sit just a couple months away from her graduation, we all know Kailey much better, and we know this as simple truth — she is now, and has always been, a Hall of Famer.

From a tentative freshman to a sweet-shooting senior, from a girl who didn’t know a play to a rampaging force of nature ripping rebounds out of rival’s hands, she has grown before our eyes.

And so it is, with deep appreciation for how she conducts herself, on and off the court, that we, her fans, welcome her into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

After this, you’ll find her up at the top of the blog, abiding under the Legends tab that so aptly describes her.

Kailey could rain with the best of them, and her long, arcing three-balls from the corners, which would ripple the nets with a gentle splash as they hit pay dirt, were often a thing of beauty.

But she was a player who worked on her game throughout her career, adding new wrinkles to it, and could never be defined for just one small facet.

Kellner made her varsity debut as a sophomore, and was a key player as a junior and senior, a member of three teams which won Olympic League titles.

She exits having never lost a conference game as a varsity player, and Kailey is a big part of why those teams were so successful.

Scoring punch can never be underestimated, but over time, her quiet leadership skills and a willingness to sacrifice for her teammates was just as important.

When I look back at her career, the game which I feel best defines her was a district playoff game against Seattle Christian during her junior season.

The Wolves, playing on the road, had been rocked the game before by Charles Wright Academy.

Not so much on the scoreboard, where a late CHS rally almost stole a win, but down in the pits.

The much-rougher Tarriers socked the Wolves in the face (often literally) and if the Coupeville players were expecting the big city refs to save them, it was never going to happen.

Returning to the court in a game where the stakes were plain — win and you go to state, lose and you go home — CHS stepped onto the court a different team.

This time, they were the aggressors. The beasts on the boards. The ballers who weren’t takin’ no crud off of no one.

Makana Stone was transcendent, flying above the fray for 24 points and 20 rebounds. Mia Littlejohn was sparking the offense and Lauren Grove was lights-out on defense.

Every Wolf who touched the hardwood that night, all eight of them, fired as one and made the big city girls take several steps back.

It was the pinnacle of modern Coupeville basketball, a night which will stay with all of those who played, coached or lost their voice screaming in support.

And Kellner?

The three-ball-lovin’ sharpshooter who normally played most of the game on the outside, crashed into the paint with a vengeance that I have rarely seen in 25 years of high school sports coverage.

Her mere stats — 12 points, 10 boards and five assists as Coupeville roared to a 49-33 win and its first trip to state in a decade — only tell part of the story.

It was the look in Kellner’s eyes that night. The stride in her step. The pride in her work.

The soft-spoken young girl who tentatively stepped into an American gym two years before was replaced by a strong, confident young woman, and it was beautiful to behold.

On that night, for 32 minutes, no one wanted it more than Kailey did.

I hope, as she goes forward, she always remembers that night.

What it took to get there. What she accomplished. And how it felt afterwards.

Kailey is going to achieve big things in her life, and whether they come on the court or off, her large fan club is going to be thrilled for her.

But, before she leaves us and heads out to conquer new worlds, let’s take a moment to say a simple, heartfelt thank you.

Thank you, Kailey, for showing up in Cow Town, for playing with honor and fire, and for being a truly remarkable young woman.

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Run to glory, again!!

Posted in Cross Country, Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , on February 19, 2017| Leave a Comment »

The only thing that tasted better than this sandwich to Tyler King? Winning state titles.

   The only thing that tasted better than this sandwich to Tyler King? Winning state titles.

It has been 2,297 days since a Coupeville High School athlete last celebrated a state title.

As Oak Harbor wrestler Sam Zook basks in the moment of ruling over every other wrestler who took the mat in the 285-pound class this year in 3A, Cow Town’s dry spell looms a little larger.

To find Coupeville’s last time atop the ultimate podium, you have to go back to Nov. 6, 2010.

It was a Saturday and CHS senior Tyler King was busy crushing the field at the WIAA 1A state cross country championships.

His nearest rival, Todd Jackson of Elma, was an astounding 31 seconds off of his pace, and King could have strolled home backwards using a walker and still won.

It was a bittersweet moment, as King joined fellow harrier Natasha Bamberger, who won the girls title in 1985, as the only Wolves to win a state title outside of track.

I say bittersweet because Coupeville didn’t have an active cross country program during Tyler’s four-year career, so he trained and traveled with Oak Harbor, then a 4A school.

Competing at the highest level, he had steadily worked his way upwards at the state meet, from 98th as a freshman to 22nd as a sophomore and 5th as a junior.

Entering his senior season, King had his eyes on a 4A title, only to be denied when OHHS dropped to 3A.

With the downward movement, school officials also decided to end the agreement they had with Coupeville.

While King could still train and travel with Oak Harbor during the regular season, he would no longer wear Wildcat purple and gold, and, when the postseason hit, he was headed back to 1A as a lone Wolf.

He took the demotion in stride, won every race he entered his final prep season and exited as a state champ.

Then promptly went on to a stellar track and cross country career as a scholarship athlete at the University of Washington, one of the few Wolf alumni to truly excel in big-time college sports.

Meanwhile, Nov. 6, 2010 sits there, and the further away we get from it, the bigger the question becomes — who’s next?

Who will be the next Wolf athlete or team to truly seize a moment and stand astride the prep sports world?

Coupeville has come close, at least in track — Dalton Martin (discus) and Makana Stone (400) were both second-place finishers just this past spring — but never fully grabbed the ring since King.

The Wolves have 17 individual state titles, two in cross country and 15 in track, but are one of the few schools in the state to have never taken a team championship.

That 117-year drought looms large, especially since no CHS team has won a SINGLE game or match in a state tourney since girls basketball beat Zillah 45-41 Mar. 4, 2005.

Overall, Wolf teams are 19-49 at state all-time.

Girls basketball tops the chart with seven wins, while the 2002 softball team came the closest to a title, winning four of five games and finishing 3rd.

So, what’s the point of all of this?

There are two things at play here.

The first is honoring King’s state title, and keeping it fresh in people’s minds, by inducting the moment into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

Tyler is already in the Hall for his career (which includes two state track titles to go with his cross country championship), but, after this, the events of Nov. 6, 2010 will also be enshrined under the Legends tab at the top of the blog.

And, secondly, it’s to challenge the current (and future) Wolf athletes.

Step up.

If you want to join the eight CHS students who have won a state title, you need to be willing to do what they did — put in the work, fully commit and believe in yourselves.

CHS is a small school, but smaller schools win state titles all the time.

It is not the size of the student body, but the size of those students hearts and the depth of their desire.

There is no reason to fear any other school out there, or step back when you enter a bigger gym or stadium.

You can rule the state.

There is absolutely no reason Coupeville can not bring home more state titles — as individuals, or, finally, as a team.

Put your phones down. You can pick them back up when it’s time to take a photo in front of a state title banner.

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Their turn in the spotlight!!

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , , on February 12, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Carly Guillory (left) is joined by Drew Chan (top) and Heni Barnes.

Carly Guillory (left) is joined by Drew Chan (top) and Heni Barnes.

Underrated.

The three athletes who comprise the 85th class inducted into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame may not have always gotten the headlines that some of their teammates did, but they were invaluable to what their teams accomplished.

Carly Guillory, Drew Chan and Heni Barnes all left sizable marks during their time at CHS, and all will be remembered for the way they attacked each new day.

So, let’s swing open the doors and welcome them to our little digital world of fame and glory.

After this, you’ll find the trio under the Legends tab at the top of the blog.

Our first inductee, Barnes, was the best female thrower the Wolf track team had during her time in red and black, regularly lofting the shot put, discus and javelin.

She went to districts in two of her three events, but, truth be told, Heni will most be remembered for having the biggest brain this side of some guy named Albert Einstein.

Barnes did everything in her time at CHS — Jazz Band, ASB president, Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, student rep to the School Board, National Humanities Scholar, and that’s just the start — but National History Day was her peak.

She won a gold medal and pocketed $5,000 from the History Channel for her work in crafting the documentary “Striking a Turning Point: The 1917 Pacific Northwest Lumber Strike.”

It stands as one of the great achievements by a Cow Town student, and is the primary driving force behind today’s induction of Heni into the Hall o’ Fame.

A true scholar/athlete, she remains one of the brightest stars to ever blaze across our prairie skies.

Joining her is Guillory, a 2003 CHS grad who spent much of her career traveling to state tournaments.

Playing during the most successful run Wolf athletes have ever had, she didn’t get as much notice as teammates like Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby or Sarah Mouw, but her achievements were invaluable.

On the basketball court, she was a fiend on the boards (who could also drop buckets when gunners like Brianne King needed backup), while on the softball diamond, Guillory cranked out more than her fair share of RBIs.

Carly is actually already in the Hall, as a member of the 2002 CHS softball team, which won four of five (losing a nail-biter to eventual champ Adna) to finish 3rd at state.

In the program’s FIRST year as a fast-pitch program, I might add.

Today, Guillory gets the full treatment, honored for her hustle, worth ethic and willingness to sacrifice for her teammates.

And PS, before anyone mentions it — yes, I’m pretty sure Carly also played volleyball for the Wolves, which would mean she went to state in three different sports.

But I was deep in video store life during her prep days and I can’t find any Whidbey News-Times articles online to prove my hazy memory is true.

First person to tell me I’m right gets a special No Prize … prize.

Our final inductee, Chan, was the absolute embodiment of grit and determination.

A team captain for both baseball and basketball, he, like Barnes, had a ton of academic pursuits going while in school, but what I will most remember him for is one night on the hard-court.

It was opening night, big, bad Blaine was in town and all but one CHS hoops player (the only one to not eat a hamburger during a team outing) was raging sick.

Chan spent the entire JV game lying motionless and green next to the bench, seemingly dead, while all around him the gym was alive with the sound of retching.

Yet, somehow, when it was time for the varsity to take the floor, with all six players who could halfway stand, there was Chan, front and center, refusing to take the night off.

Blaine had a bench of approximately 237 players, and ran them in platoon-style, while Coupeville’s guys took turns coming off and barfing while the other five Wolves flopped around like extras on The Walking Dead.

It remains one of the most memorable evenings I’ve witnessed in the CHS gym (the smell will never leave my nostrils), and not in a good way.

Except I give Chan tremendous credit.

Not just for playing, but for hauling tail down the court every play, even when the game was way out of hand, refusing to back down for any reason.

That was Drew, on the hard-court, on the diamond — where he had a slick glove at second base and an aggressive swing at the plate — and in real life.

Like Barnes and Guillory, Chan was, and is, a gamer, a proud Wolf to his core, and now, a Hall o’ Famer.

 

UPDATE: Yes, Carly played volleyball. My memory is better than I thought. Her entry under the Legends tab has been updated.

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