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Archive for the ‘Middle School’ Category

Math or hoops? It all adds up to success for Lauren Rose!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , on March 6, 2014| 1 Comment »

Lauren Rose, a key member of the CMS 8th grade varsity, looks to pass in an earlier season game. (John Fisken photos)

Lauren Rose (30), part of the bright future of Wolf basketball. (John Fisken photo)

Safe at home.

Safe at home.

Lauren Rose has a jump shot that most high school players would envy.

With a quick release and a soft follow-through, the Coupeville Middle School eighth grader is money when it comes to nailing other teams with pull-up daggers.

Playing with a talented point guard in Mia Littlejohn, who can drive and dish, Rose makes the most of her opportunities when the ball comes her way.

Part of a talented group of CMS girls, which also includes post players Katrina McGranahan, Sage Renninger and Kyla Briscoe, she is the future of Wolf basketball, and it’s a bright future.

Not bad for a softball junkie who only started playing hoops a season ago.

“Before that I was never really interested, but I decided to give it a shot,” Rose said. “There were a lot of new players on the team so I didn’t feel like I would be inferior skill-wise.”

While she has confidence in her ball-handling and enjoys being a team player, it’s her shot-making (which has been flawless in games I’ve seen) that still concerns her.

“I would really like to work on my shots. I would also like to be more aggressive,” Rose said. “What I enjoy most about basketball is the team effort. Everyone on the court has a specific job and when everyone does that job, points are scored. It’s like a well-oiled machine.”

Whether it’s on the playing field (she’s a third-baseman/shortstop in softball and also plays volleyball) or the classroom, Rose is all about putting the work in.

“My goal for this season is for our team to have more wins than losses,” Rose said. “Last year we won four and lost four. This year we are well on our way to beating they record, but we still need to play our hardest.”

A straight-A student and math whiz, she’s one of just 11 CMS eighth graders to have started in geometry this year.

Finding the balance between being a three-sport athlete and getting her classroom work done is never easy, but she enjoys the challenge.

“I am a very hardworking student,” Rose said. “I don’t have a lot of free time with all my sports, but, when I do, I love to spend it doing something outside or just relaxing.”

Supporting her along the way have been her family and coaches, all of whom have drawn out something special from within her.

“My parents encourage me to strive for my goals, whether it’s sports or school related. They come to almost all of my games to cheer me on,” Rose said. “My coaches have shaped the kind of player I am.

“I have never had a coach that didn’t improve my skills as an athlete.”

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“I will never stop playing basketball, even if it kills me!!”

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , on March 1, 2014| 1 Comment »

Mia Littlejohn is about to break both your ankles, on the same play.

Mia Littlejohn is about to break both your ankles, on the same play. (John Fisken photo)

Mia celebrates a soccer trophy in 2011. (Photo courtesy Dawn Hesselgrave)

Littlejohn celebrates a soccer trophy in 2011. (Photo courtesy Dawn Hesselgrave)

“I have played basketball ever since I can remember.”

Leaving a trail of broken ankles behind her, as she bobs and weaves, stutter-steps and then blows past foes with a nasty cross-over, Coupeville Middle School 8th grader Mia Littlejohn is a gym rat, through and through.

She plays other sports, such as select soccer, but it’s hoops that she lives for, and hoops where she’s making a name for herself, even at a young age.

“I will never stop playing basketball, even if it kills me,” Littlejohn said. “I will continue to play AAU ball if possible and mom allows and cannot wait to play with Makana (Stone), Julia (Myers) and the other high school players .

“It will be awesome!”

Following in the footsteps of older brother Zepher Loesch, a former CHS roundball star, she is usually the most electrifying player on the court.

“I started playing after watching Zepher play and seeing how much fun it was,” Littlejohn said. “I decided that I wanted to play too.  Basketball was my brother’s passion and it has become mine, too.

“I live to play guard and wing because there is a lot of action and I get to drive the basket,” she added. “I enjoy the action and aggressiveness, the want for the ball.  I like to be on the wing so once that you get the ball you can head fake it then drive, putting you ahead of the person who was guarding you.”

A point guard who can score as well as pass, Littlejohn realizes the importance of setting up her teammates “(I want to assist each of my teammates to score 30 points — 15 baskets — for the season”) while never being afraid of putting up the ball herself.

“My strength is driving to the basket, giving direction, and getting around people while going up the court,” she said. “All you have to do is look and lean one way, but quickly change and go the opposite direction.

“I need to look out because once I “suck in the defense” over to me, than everybody else (my teammates) is open.”

A virtual year-round player — she has done time with a Mukilteo AAU feeder team, a Snohomish AAU team and the Oak Harbor Catz travel squad — Littlejohn wants to tweak some parts of her game. Little things that can change the outcome of a game.

“I definitely have to work on free throws, those can make or break games,” she said.

Away from the court, she enjoys PE and math, helping her mom, Dawn Hesselgrave, cook and art projects. She also does volunteer work with younger sister Kalia.

A big fan of the movie “Frozen” (“It is really funny”), she favors old school beats from the likes of KISS, AC/DC, Journey and The Scorpions.

“I rock like my mom!”

Like virtually all successful young athletes, she has benefited from a strong support group, not only for rides to practice but for inspiration along the way.

She credits step-brother Wiley Hesselgrave (“He has the best aggressive defense I have ever seen”), CMS teammate Lauren Rose (“Such a good friend”) and Loesch (“The one who inspired me to even play. He was always popping up three’s and it was so exciting to watch him play ball”) as her personal heroes.

The backbone of the family, however, remains her parents.

“My mom is the person who has, and does take me to all my practices over the years, and my dad (Mark Hesselgrave) has started helping with off-Island AAU practices these past two years,” Littlejohn said. “I love them so much for encouraging me to play sports.”

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Littlejohn’s her name, but her game is big!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on March 1, 2014| 1 Comment »

Kalia Littlejohn (Dawn Hesselgrave photos)

Kalia Littlejohn (Dawn Hesselgrave photos)

Kalia and Mia hanging out with big bro Zepher Loesch, circa 2008.

Kalia and Mia Littlejohn hanging out with big bro Zepher Loesch, circa 2008.

Kalia Littlejohn, the fiery spark-plug who kick-starts the 7th grade offense. (John Fisken photos)

“This is my court, fool!!” (John Fisken photo)

Kalia Littlejohn never stops moving on the basketball court.

The Coupeville Middle School 7th grader, who is celebrating her birthday today, zips back and forth relentlessly when she is in a game.

Whether running the Wolf offense from the point, where she is a constant danger to slash to the bucket, or playing an elbow-swingin’ defense that results in more than her fair share of picked off passes, balls knocked out of bounds and frustrated foes, she’s dynamic.

It’s a family style, as older siblings Mia Littlejohn (a CMS 8th grader) and Zepher Loesch (a former CHS standout) play the same way.

An in-your-face, what-you-gonna-do-about-it-cry-to-your-momma style that looks like they just stepped off a street court in Jersey, injecting a nice shot of grit and confidence into laid-back Coupeville.

Kalia developed her style trying to keep up with her older brother, who went on to play ball after high school (“I have played basketball for a very long time. Zepher would always play with us outside.”) and has grown to love the game.

“What I enjoy the most about basketball is the feeling you have when you have that lay up or that shot and you just hope it goes in, that challenge to get the ball in that basket,” Littlejohn said. “Oh, and I “LOVE” defending. I think one of my strengths is defending.”

While she’s already ahead of the average player at her grade level, she’s always looking to get better.

“What I want to work on is everything,” Littlejohn said. “Because I think there’s always room for improving.

“What I want to improve the most is dribbling and shooting.”

Basketball is not her only sport, as Littlejohn and her older sister have both played select soccer for many years. She also played volleyball for CMS and plans to run track in the spring.

A big fan of hip hop and country, she picks math as her favorite class “because it’s challenging” and enjoys “spending time with family, listening to music or sleeping.”

With a family full of athletes (step-brother Wiley Hesselgrave, a sophomore at CHS, is a football and basketball star as well), Littlejohn gets tremendous support, allowing her to stay dedicated to her sports.

“My whole family has been an impact on the person that I am today,” she said. “My brother, Zepher, has been a huge impact in basketball. Also my dad was a big impact in my sports.

“My mom (Dawn Hesselgrave) takes me everywhere we need to go and has been a big help in soccer,” Littlejohn added. “But she can still beat me in soccer, sadly.”

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“I love the games! I love being aggressive!!”

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , on March 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Allison Wenzel

Allison Wenzel on vacation. (Susan Wenzel photo)

Allison Wenzel gets ready to lay down some beats.

Wenzel gets ready to lay down some beats. (John Fisken photo)

Allison Wenzel is keeping alive a proud family tradition.

Every time the Coupeville Middle School 8th grader takes the basketball court, she’s following in the footsteps of her aunt Rachel, a former high school and college player who now coaches at Ocosta High School.

“I played basketball because I wanted to try all the sports. I heard basketball was a lot of fun,” Wenzel said. “I love the games. I love being aggressive and getting the ball and making baskets.”

She’s made her mark on the defensive side of the ball so far (“People tell me I play hard defense, but I need to work on making baskets”), but is excited to progress in every aspect of the game.

“My goal is to grow stronger in my dribbling and making baskets,” Wenzel said. My dad is painting a regulation-sized key in our driveway, so I can practice at home too.

“Oh yes, I plan to play in high school!,” she added. “I enjoy the sport and high school is the next level for me – a greater challenge.”

A busy young woman — she plays volleyball and runs hurdles in track (“my goal last year for hurdles was to not trip and I didn’t, so this year my goal is to get faster”), while also finding time to play the French horn in the CHS/CMS band.

“I love to play in pep band, festivals and honor band and march in parades,” Wenzel said.

A world traveler at a young age (she was born in Japan), she loves to “travel and explore the outdoors.” A cruise to Alaska last summer, during which she took a train to Denali and went whitewater rafting, was a highlight.

At school, she enjoys band and gym (“I like gym because I can see how I am improving my fitness level”), while always knowing that those at home are her biggest fans.

“My family – my mom and dad and sister Rachel and my Uncle Miles and Aunt Rachel – and my friends, encourage me to try new things and always be the best that I can be.”

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McGranahan on fast track to athletic success!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , , on February 28, 2014| 1 Comment »

It must be the shoes. (John Fisken photo)

Must be the shoes. (John Fisken photo)

Katrina McGranahan: rising star. (Justine McGranahan photos)

Game face. Always keep your game face on. (Justine McGranahan photos)

The fish whisperer.

The fish whisperer.

The future of Wolf girls’ basketball is a bright one.

A strong freshman group made a big impact on the Coupeville High School JV squad this past season, and the group of Coupeville Middle School eighth graders coming up hot on their heels is a talented, feisty band of ball-hawks.

One of the players with the most promise is Katrina McGranahan, who patrols the paint clad in eye-popping shoes and is a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball.

Blessed with height, and natural athletic ability (she’s a superb softball player) she throws in hard work and hustle and it makes for a winning package.

Not bad for someone who wasn’t sure she even wanted to try the sport when she first entered CMS.

“To me, basketball didn’t look fun, but like my parents say, how do you know you don’t like it if you’ve never tried it?” McGranahan said.

So she did, and immediately found the experience was better than she expected.

A big fan of “the challenge of the game” and facing “the competitiveness the other team brings,” McGranahan, whose older brother Wade Schaef is a CHS senior who starts for the Wolf football and baseball squads, continues to fine-tune her skills.

“My strengths are my defensive abilities and my height,” she said. “I really need to work on my shooting and our offensive plays. My goals are to get better at my shooting.”

McGranahan, who enjoys her history and gym classes, is actually a three-sport star, with volleyball thrown into the mix as well.

When not on the court or diamond, she remains active, fishing, crabbing and swimming.

A big country music fan, she enjoys hanging out with friends, holds “Finding Nemo,” “The Hunger Games” and “Lone Survivor” as her favorite films and picks “Princes of the Universe” by Queen as the best song of all time.

And, like any good young athlete who knows she’ll need rides to practice, she’s quick to remember to thank parents Kevin and Justine McGranahan for their support.

“My parents helped me become who I am today because they always push me to do my best in everything.”

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