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A class act, start to finish

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, Izzy Wells, Softball on June 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Izzy Wells? A lovely human being, and a pretty darn good athlete, too. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

She was the serene superstar.

Now, I don’t live inside the brain of Izzy Wells, so it’s possible there were fireworks going off in there every single game.

Her stomach might have been dive-bombed by butterflies, and non-stop cold sweats may have been the rule.

If so, she hides it really, really well.

Throughout her athletic career in Coupeville — from little league exploits to middle school success on to high school excellence, Izzy projected such utter calmness in everything she did.

When she was in the pitcher’s circle on the softball diamond, she could be up by 10 runs or down by five, and she had an uncanny knack to look peaceful, yet determined every time.

It’s a rare trait, one which Wells displayed both as a newbie and as a grizzled vet, and it makes for a highly successful pitcher.

“I’m gonna throw it … but you’re not gonna hit it.”

Now, the Izzinator could break off a nasty fastball which drilled a hole through a rival’s bat as it finished its journey into a waiting catcher’s mitt.

She could chuck BBs with the best of them.

But it was that calmness which flowed out of her, and around her, which centered her team and was — in my opinion at least — her greatest weapon.

Izzy never seemed to get too high or too low, with just a small smile peeking out in rare moments when her sheer awesomeness overwhelmed even her.

Even with a pandemic making the middle part of her high school days a royal pain, she had a run of success which matches up with any Wolf hurler who ever stepped into the circle.

As a freshman, she was the staff ace for a team which got stronger as the season went on, roaring from behind to smack big, bad Granite Falls en route to earning a ticket to the state tourney.

Izzy, chucking liquid heat on her home field, stared down the most-feared hitter in the league, senior slugger Samantha Vanderwel, with a crucial game on the line late in the regular season.

The first time Coupeville faced the homer-happy Tigers, it lost badly. The second time, the Wolves were nipped.

Meeting #3 ended with Izzy firing a laser, Vanderwel swinging with every ounce of her strength and hitting nothing but air, and Wolf catcher Sarah Wright screaming like a banshee in celebration.

In the circle, a slight dip of her head, a half-smile, and then Wells vanished under a dogpile of her teammates.

It was the turning point, as Coupeville roared from behind to tie for a league title, earn a #1 seed to districts — where it beat Granite again — then go on to state for a three-game run which included eliminating highly ranked Deer Park.

The pandemic robbed Izzy of her sophomore season, but she endured, leading CHS to a 12-0 mark in a cut-down junior campaign and a 16-3 record as a senior — when her catcher was often lil’ sis Savina.

Savina (left) and Izzy — how it started…

How it’s going.

Coupeville went a truly impressive 43-13 during Izzy’s time in uniform, with her morphing from a young gunslinger to an all-around weapon as her batting skills boomed in her final two seasons.

She could crank the ball deep into the prairie clouds or slap hits past diving infielders and was always one of the smarter base runners to play for the Wolves.

And yet, as talented on the softball field as she was — and that’s my enduring image of her, Izzy standing motionless in the circle, eyes narrowing ever so slightly behind her face mask as she mentally mapped out her next strikeout — she was successful in everything she did.

A volleyball spiker, a soccer ace, and Miss Dependable on the basketball court, dropping in buckets with her patented super-soft layup.

“Scuse me, pardon me, coming through to score another basket.”

Izzy rang up 204 points across four seasons of varsity ball, finishing as the #3 scorer during both her junior and senior campaigns.

She could give you some of everything on the hardwood, bringing defense, teamwork, and a strong hoops IQ to everything she did.

When I call Izzy a “glue” player, it’s a high compliment.

She helped hold things together, and, again, was always the face of calm in the heat of athletic battle, whether her team was romping to a win or fighting tooth and nail to stay alive.

Hanging out with fellow seniors (l to r) Violette Huegerich, Mckenna Somes, and Audrianna Shaw.

Through it all, the happiest I saw her was when someone close to her, from sister Savina to friends like Ja’Kenya Hoskins and Mckenna Somes, were successful in their endeavors.

Izzy rightfully earned honors of her own — up to and including being named league MVP in softball — but seeing her pride and joy in other’s accomplishments truly highlights her quiet leadership.

In the classroom she was a talented scholar, finishing in the top 10 of all graduates from the CHS Class of 2022, and, in her spare time, she is helping raise what is arguably the town’s most-popular dog.

The Wells clan, featuring a scene-stealing pup.

Looking ahead, I can’t envision any world in which Miss Wells doesn’t go on to accomplish truly amazing things in her future.

Over the course of the 10-year run of this blog, Izzy has been one of my personal favorites, and I am very happy to induct her today into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

After this you’ll find her hanging out up at the top of the blog under the Legends tab, a designation she more than earned.

It’s for Izzy’s play on the diamond and the hardwood, the pitch and the court, for her work in the classroom or with a musical instrument in hand, and for the way she remains one of the highest-quality people to ever rep the red and black.

She was ever-more successful as she got older, but the middle of Lyle and Katy Wells three children has been a truly lovely human being every step of the way.

It was always easy to root for you, Izzy, and that will never change.

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Shine on, superstar!

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, Ja'Kenya Hoskins, track and field on June 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Ja’Kenya Hoskins (left) celebrates graduation with sister Ja’Tarya. (Photo courtesy Hoskins family)

Her impact goes far beyond mere stats.

Ja’Kenya Hoskins, like her siblings before her, is a naturally talented athlete, to be sure.

Even with the loss of competition inflicted by a worldwide pandemic, the youngest of the four Hoskins children had a sizable impact for Coupeville High School sports teams.

She made it to the state championships as a mere freshman — running a leg on a 4 x 200 relay unit which claimed 3rd place in Cheney — then came back around to qualify for three events as a senior.

Only a 9th grader and already one of the fastest runners in the state. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Entirely denied a sophomore season by Covid, then restricted by a cut-down junior campaign, Ja’Kenya roared back into the spotlight during her final go-round.

With the state meet back in place for the first time in three years, she earned a place at the starting line in the 200, 4 x 100, and 4 x 200, capping a memorable run in the red and black.

Across what essentially amounted to 2.5 seasons of competition, Ja’Kenya competed in six different events, from sprints to relays to flinging herself airborne in the long jump.

All while looking like she was having the time of her life every day, every meet, every practice.

But Ja’Kenya was far from a one-sport athlete, as she gleefully rumbled on the basketball court — both for school and non-school teams.

Ja’Kenya touches the ceiling. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Her long arms yanking down rebounds, she would spin, hit the gas pedal, and lead mad charges down the floor, crashing pell-mell through rivals on her way to the hoop.

When Ja’Kenya was on the fly, bodies would hit the floor — often her own — and through it all, she wore a huge smile, a trail of giggles coming from her as she surveyed the damage left in her wake.

The youngest Miss Hoskins is the giddiest one of the bunch, and her enjoyment of sports, and of life, has always been a huge part of her success.

But like I said — we can look at the stats, the times and distances, the points and rebounds, and it would give us just a partial view of what makes Ja’Kenya so special.

To fully appreciate her impact, to realize why she is so well-liked and why she will be fondly remembered long after she’s moved on to conquer new worlds, you have to marinate in her personality.

To pay tribute to how Ja’Kenya is one of the sunniest, kindest, smartest, strongest young women to ever grace Coupeville with her presence.

The first time I noticed her impact was when she was boppin’ through her middle school days.

Basketball season arrived, and with it, the Ja’Kenya Love Fest began.

Every time another school would arrive in the CMS gym, the screaming and whooping would begin, as, invariably, most of her “rivals” would throw their bags into the bleachers and sprint to the other side of the floor to madly hug Miss Hoskins.

Everyone knew Kenny, and everyone loved Kenny, and she loved them back.

She seemingly knew every name, remembered every face, and embraced her celebrity, dispensing love and joy and getting it right back.

Sure, a half hour later she might be in the thick of a fight for a rebound, her windmilling elbows slicing off the head of anyone in the vicinity.

But that was just part of the game, part of being a competitive hardcourt warrior, and just about every girl who got dropped by a Ja’Kenya elbow accepted their fate blissfully.

Her energy, and entertainment value, carried over to her later years, and I also saw a different side of her when she ran the clock during high school soccer games.

Yes, the fact she had the barest concept of what a video store was — proving once and for all time that my Videoville days are truly long gone, was a wee bit disturbing.

“But I’m sure I would have loved it!” she said, and if we ever build that time machine, Ja’Kenya would surely be one of the all-time great employees in a different timeline.

Once she stopped laughing over the idea people were watching movies on something called a VHS tape…

A star is born, waving to her future fan club. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It was in the press box where I came to fully appreciate how truly kind Ja’Kenya is, as she had something genuinely positive to say about everyone.

Well, except for maybe that one rival soccer player who riled her up when they hip-checked Wolf sparkplug Cael Wilson from behind, sending him sprawling.

“I will throw hands if you make me come down there!!!!,” she blurted before realizing her microphone was still in the on position and dissolving into a giggle fit.

Of course, if a riled-up Miss Hoskins had thrown open the press room door and sprinted for the field, telling her fists “Mic check! One! Two!” the reality is the rival player on the field would have probably looked up and yelled “Ja’Kenya!!!!! Remember me? From middle school?????”

You know it. I know it. We all know it.

Hard to truly be a bad-ass enforcer when everyone is your best friend.

Ja’Kenya is a positive force of nature, shooting good vibes out into the world, and all of us should try and be more like her.

In the long stretches between scoring plays (it’s soccer…) she talked about her job, how the pandemic changed school, her trip to Washington, DC with her sisters, Jai’Lysa and Ja’Tarya, even her thoughts on the universe.

Her stories are entertaining, her giggles epic, and her heart bigger than you can imagine.

Embracing challenges, reaching every goal, just being the best darn version of herself possible, Ja’Kenya is a rare gem.

This time, she’s the senior star. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

All of her siblings are talented, standouts in both athletic and academic worlds, and Coupeville is blessed the Hoskins family chose this cow town to be their home.

Today we induct Ja’Kenya into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, where she joins her sisters — older brother Will played during my video store days, so he’s the lone Hoskins I never covered in person.

After this, if you bounce up to the top of the blog and look under the Legends tab, you’ll find the trio hanging out and classing up the joint.

It’s not going to be the last time someone honors Ja’Kenya.

I have no doubt she will go on to light up the real world — the one beyond her prep sports days — wowing everyone she meets with her grace and kindness, her joy and wonder.

Miss Hoskins the 3rd has a rare talent of making everyone around her feel better, of bringing light and love into the lives of others, and I hope it is always reflected back to her.

You are a truly amazing young woman, Ja’Kenya, a bright, shining star and you deserve all the props.

Ja’Kenya and Izzy Wells, forever friends. (Katy Wells photo)

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Bitting a true “fountain of joy”

Posted in Cross Country, Hall o' Fame, Track, tagged CMS Wolves, cross country, Elizabeth Bitting, Hall of Fame, track and field on December 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Elizabeth Bitting, the newest inductee into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame. (Jackie Saia photo)

There are many different types of coaches.

The screamer. The silent leader. Captain gung-ho. The passive-aggressive prodder.

It goes on and on, but the rarest of the bunch may be the fountain of joy.

That’s a coach who really, truly loves their athletes, one who seeks out superstars and marginal role players alike, making each and every one feel important and treasured.

With no disrespect meant to other Coupeville coaches, past or present, one woman stands alone in best exemplifying those traits for Wolf Nation.

Whether working with middle school athletes, or high school competitors, whether guiding track teams or cross country squads, Elizabeth Bitting is our fountain of joy.

Having worked with her for several years now, I can attest to the level of her commitment, which is extraordinary.

Bitting has helped guide champions to their destiny, and exulted in her athlete’s achievement.

But she is also always there when the last runner crawls across the finish line — genuinely thrilled in a two-second improvement for that young girl or boy.

A stellar athlete in high school and college, Bitting continues to compete in running events, from 5K’s to endurance-level tests of the human soul.

She loves running, and it shows in her words and action.

Never more so than when she takes the lessons she’s learned while pounding away on backwoods trails, finds that 12-year-old kid who has never been an athlete, and lights a fire inside of them that they never expected to find.

When you look at Bitting during races, she is a tsunami of joy, and it touches her own athletes and rivals from other schools.

The running guru nimbly installs confidence and joy into each of her young athletes. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

And that explosion of joy soon filters across the faces of virtually all of her young charges.

Trace the line of photos during a Coupeville Middle School track or cross country season, and you see the growth.

Athletes who looked shy and anxious in the early going have a new confidence as the season plays out.

Half-smiles widen into huge grins, and the interplay between the young Wolves and their exuberant coach becomes a two-way street.

Cross country is often a lonely sport, with runners navigating trails and underbrush off on their own, but it is also a perfect launching pad.

You don’t have to learn intricate team plays, or find your spot in a five or 11-player lineup. You just have to put one foot in front of the other, then celebrate each “win” against your personal clock.

It’s a beautiful entry sport for girls and boys of all sizes, shapes, and athletic backgrounds (or lack thereof).

And how blessed then are the young Wolves, who find the coach awaiting them to be a hardy mix of sunshine and love — a woman who makes their time on the trails a truly positive experience?

Bitting is a joy to work with as a writer, as well.

She’s quick to send info, goes into great detail, and often shoots photos of her young stars which provide a behind-the-scenes look rarely captured by those clicking away from the outside.

Toss in the fact she birthed what we now know as Race the Reserve, and her positive impact on our schools and our community just continues to grow.

Celebrating at Race the Reserve. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

So, while we could wait until retirement to induct her into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, the answer to that would be a simple, why?

For one thing, we all hope Bitting keeps at it for years (decades?) to come.

And secondly, inducting her now gives us a chance to reflect a bit of that shine back on to her, to let her know how much we all respect her.

So, after this, when you look up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, that’s where you’ll find Bitting hanging out.

Over the years we’ve had a lot of good coaches in Coupeville, and we’ve had a few bad ones. It would be the same in any town.

But no other community has Elizabeth Bitting, which truly sets us apart from the pack.

She is joy unleashed, and we all benefit from being a part of her universe.

A freakin’ fountain of joy, I said. (Morgan White photo)

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She’s the Master(s) of two worlds

Posted in Girls Tennis, Hall o' Fame, Volleyball, tagged artwork, Hall of Fame, Jaimee Masters, tennis, volleyball on September 10, 2021| 1 Comment »

Coupeville’s Jaimee Masters, a two-sport athlete who also possesses oodles of artistic talent. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Talent on the court, talent off the court.

A highly-accomplished artist and two-sport athlete, Jaimee Masters had a sizable impact during her days at Coupeville High School.

She followed in the footsteps of cousin Hope Lodell on the volleyball court, but carved out her own solid reputation.

A hard worker with a team-first attitude, Jaimee played all four seasons during high school, working her way into being a valuable role player for the Wolf varsity.

Masters played multiple positions on the court, but always gave her all.

As a senior, she played in 29 of 30 sets during a pandemic-shortened campaign, racking up a solid number of digs as a dependable back-row assassin for a CHS squad which claimed second-place in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

Her tenacity and solid work ethic greatly helped her on the tennis court, as well.

Playing both singles and doubles over the course of her hardcourt run, Jaimee ended her prep net career by teaming with Emily Fiedler to form Coupeville’s #1 doubles duo.

The seniors didn’t get to play as many matches as they might have liked — again with the Covid restrictions — but they took advantage of every opportunity presented.

“Prepare to die, Mr. Tennis Ball!”

Facing off with Friday Harbor in a six-match royal rumble, Coupeville went undefeated during Jaimee’s senior season.

As in truly undefeated, with a 6-0 mark in team matches, and a 30-0 record in individual rumbles.

Masters and Fiedler strolled to straight-sets wins in all six of their matches, winning them by a combined score of 72-11.

They were brutal, efficient, and remarkably kind to the rival players they were battering, showcasing their athletic skills, but also their compassion.

While sports accomplishments are the driving force behind this blog, it’s also worth noting that Jaimee’s talents go far beyond the athletic world.

During the early days of Covid lockdown, with no games to write about, I transitioned a bit and tried to highlight other skills.

One of those areas was artwork, and Jaimee was a particular standout there, showing off works of precise beauty and artistry.

That mixture of talent, hard work, and a caring soul helped her accomplish great things during her school days in Coupeville, and should serve her well as she charges out into the adult world.

Today, though, we’re bringing Jaimee back for a moment, as we induct her into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

It’s a well-deserved honor for a remarkable young woman, and, after this, you can catch her hanging out at the top of the blog, up under the Legends tab.

Jaimee never asked for praise, but instead went out and earned it every step of the way.

The true mark of a great one.

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Forever a hard worker, high achiever

Posted in Girls Soccer, Hall o' Fame, tagged CHS Wolves, Emily Rose, Enterprise, Girls Soccer, Hall of Fame on August 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Emily Rose has followed up high school soccer success with impressive real-world achievement. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Work hard in silence. Let success be your noise.

Having done the former, Emily (May) Rose is hopefully enjoying the latter.

The 2017 Coupeville High School grad has gone from selling sweet, sweet soft serve at Oak Harbor’s Dairy Queen during her teen years, to rocking the world of big business.

Having earned a B.A. in Business Administration with a minor in applied advertising and strategic communications from Washington State University, Emily is now off to join the management trainee program with Enterprise.

That follows on the heels of raking in sales for Alta Marketing, as she juggled all the parts of her busy life with the same skill she once brought to the soccer pitch.

A perfect complementary player, Emily played at midfielder and forward for the Wolves, providing an often-potent scoring touch with a willingness to do whatever was necessary for the betterment of her team.

While she played alongside some of the biggest names in CHS girls soccer history, her impact was noticed by those down on the pitch.

“She was so overlooked by many, and yet she always worked hard,” said a former teammate, who bumped me in the direction of inducting Emily into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

It was an easy decision, as I already had her on my master list of former Wolves worthy of being immortalized in our lil’ digital shrine.

But knowing others out there, and especially those who played alongside Emily, felt the same way, really tips the scales in her favor.

Ever alert and ready to pounce on a scoring opportunity. (Sylvia Hurlburt photo)

Emily’s four goals as a CHS booter — three as a junior and a final tally as a senior — ties her on the all-time CHS girls scoring list with Hayley Waterman and Erin Rosenkranz.

That’s a quality trio there, as both of those older-school Wolves are among the best to ever pull on a Coupeville uniform, while also being truly brilliant scholars who have been highly-successful in real life.

Like her counterparts in the four-goal club, Emily was never the focal point of her team’s offensive plan.

Instead, she put in the work, grinding and putting herself in the right places at the right time.

Emily could scramble and scrap and fight for 50/50 balls, and, given the chance, she had a nimble scoring touch.

Through it all, as her former teammate attested to, she never coasted, and should feel justifiably proud of her prep sports career.

Now, as she rapidly climbs the real-world business ladder of success, her work ethic, her commitment, her inner strength, are all being highlighted and recognized.

So I’m more than happy to induct Emily into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, and, after this, you’ll be able to find her hanging around under the Legends tab at the top of the blog.

Well, symbolically at least.

In real life, Emily is not the type to rest on her laurels or past glory.

Instead, she’s boldly achieving success and impressing folks with each new day, a high achiever who shines as brightly as her smile did when she stalked the prairie pitch.