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Archive for the ‘Middle School’ Category

Royal rumbles, big buckets

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on March 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Willow Leedy-Bonifas rattled the rims for a season-high 20 points Thursday afternoon. (Alysabeth Leedy photo)

Three games, a tough foe, one win, and several breakout individual performances.

Thursday’s home middle school basketball clash between Coupeville and visiting Sultan had something for everyone, it seems.

How the day played out, while I was far away chasing chickens while my sister hugs penguins in Antarctica for her 50th birthday.

 

Level 1:

Wolf stars Tenley Stuurmans and Haylee Armstrong blistered the net, but a powerhouse Turks squad pulled away in the second half to notch a 42-24 victory.

Sultan jumped out to a 10-4 lead by the first break, before nudging its lead to 19-12 at the half.

After the break, the visitors continued to pad their lead, using 11-7 and 12-5 runs across the final two quarters to set the final score.

Stuurmans delivered her best shooting performance of the season, rattling the rims for a team-high 12 points while dropping a three-ball and netting three free throws, while Armstrong backed her up with eight points.

Lexis Drake and Tamsin Ward rounded out the Wolf attack, each banking in a bucket, with Adeline Maynes, Capri Anter, Sydney Van Dyke, Chelsi Stevens, and Rhylin Price also seeing floor time for CMS.

 

Level 2:

A defensive-minded game went to Sultan, which held Coupeville scoreless in both the second and fourth quarters en route to a 20-6 win.

The Wolves returned the favor, blanking the Turks in the third frame, but couldn’t generate enough offense to get back into the game.

Ari Cunningham, Melanie Wolfe, and Isa De Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge scored a bucket apiece for CMS, with Kennedy O’Neill, Izzy Bowder, Lina Shelly, Lillie Ketterling, Amaiya Curry, Taylor Marrs, and Ava Lucero bringing the heat on the defensive end of the floor.

 

Level 3:

You can’t stop her, you can’t control her, and you can’t beat her.

CMS 7th grader Willow Leedy-Bonifas went bonkers, knocking down a season-high 20 points, outscoring Sultan by herself and sparking the Wolves to a 25-13 win.

The younger sibling of former Coupeville athletic aces Ivy and Lily Leedy scored in three of four quarters, highlighted by an eight-point run in the second frame, when the Wolves cracked the game open with a 12-0 surge.

Allie Powers and Amelia Crowder both swished a bucket, while Sophia Batterman slipped a free throw through the net to cap Coupeville’s scoring effort.

Emma Cushman, KeeArya Brown, and Sage Stavros rounded out the active roster, with every player contributing to the crowd-pleasing win.

 

What’s next:

Coupeville closes its season with a pair of rumbles next week.

The Wolves hit the road Tuesday, Mar. 7 to travel to Lakewood for contests which were bumped from this week, then host South Whidbey in the season finale Thursday, Mar. 9.

Tip-off is 3:15 PM.

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Wolves, Tigers tangle on hardwood

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »

You get an “A” for defensive effort. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It’s still raining.

A day after a substantial amount of chunky hail peppered parts of Whidbey Island, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball squads dropped numerous buckets from above on visiting Granite Falls.

With 14 different Wolves scoring in their home gym Monday afternoon, CMS won a game and came within a basket of forcing overtime in another.

How the day played out:

 

Level 1:

Coupeville’s top squad built an early lead, but couldn’t hang on late, and was nipped 23-21 in a nip-and-tuck battle.

Five different Wolves kissed the ball off the backboard in the second quarter, sending CMS into the halftime break up 14-8.

Unfortunately for local fans, the visitors clamped down on the defensive side of the ball in the second half, cutting their deficit to 17-14 after three quarters, before pulling away for the narrow win.

8th grade ace Haylee Armstrong paced the Wolves with a team-high eight points, with Capri Anter chipping in with four.

Sydney Van Dyke (2), Rhylin Price (2), Tamsin Ward (2), Adeline Maynes (2), and Tenley Stuurmans (1) also scored, with Lexis Drake rounding out the active roster.

 

Level 2:

The Wolves bolted out to a quick lead, then held on for the victory in a defensive-minded rumble.

Holding Granite scoreless in the second quarter, Coupeville pushed a 4-2 lead at the first break out to a 10-2 advantage at the half, with the two teams combining for just 10 points in the second half.

Ari Cunningham had the hot hand for the Wolves, banking in six points, with Lillie Ketterling (4), Lina Shelly (2), and Melanie Wolfe (2) also tallying points for CMS.

Kennedy O’Neill, Izzy Bowder, Taylor Marrs, Amaiya Curry, and Isa De Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge all saw floor time as well.

 

Level 3:

You got me.

The Wolves lost 28-12, but it’s tricky to know more.

My sister is in Antarctica for two weeks (seriously), so I’m holding down the farm — and three nephews, two dogs, a cat, 75,612 chickens, and assorted wayward coyotes — and unable to attend any of the home games in person.

Monday’s book?

Willow Leedy-Bonifas is visible, pulling off the Beyonce-style one-name thing, but everyone else appears to have joined the Witness Relocation Program and I have no list of players matching names with jersey #’s, so…

 

What’s next:

Coupeville has a busy week, traveling to Lakewood Tuesday, before hosting Sultan Thursday. Tipoff is 3:15 PM.

The season wraps the following week, with a final home royal rumble Thursday, Mar. 9 against South Whidbey.

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Fight hard, enjoy the trip

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Bennett Richter guides Coupeville’s young hoops stars. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“The kids of Coupeville are very resilient!”

Having endured their annual pilgrimage to Shoreline to face off with richnik-funded sports factory King’s, the Wolves came away with hard-earned lessons.

While all three CMS teams fell by lopsided scores Thursday against a powerhouse program, the players superior effort and attitude earned the approval of Wolf coaches Bennett Richter and Mia Littlejohn.

There were bright moments on the hardwood, such as 7th grader Willow Leedy-Bonifas busting out for a career-best 14 points in the day’s opening loss.

“Willow played extremely well,” Richter said.

Willow Leedy-Bonifas, the earlier days. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

But the day’s biggest highlight came in how the young Wolves responded to the losses.

“It wasn’t long before the girls were laughing and singing and eating food,” Richter said.

“Sometimes it’s things like the bus ride home that you remember most,” he added. “And these girls definitely know how to make the best of a long trip!”

Coupeville has four games left on its eight-game schedule, with three of those set to go down in its home gym.

The Wolves host Granite Falls Feb. 27, travel to Lakewood the next day, then welcome Sultan (Mar. 2) and South Whidbey (Mar. 9) to town to bring a wrap to the season.

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All gave some (Some gave all)

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Ari Cunningham sells out in pursuit of a loose ball. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

You can play basketball, or you can PLAY basketball.

Coupeville Middle School 7th grader Ari Cunningham is the kind of athlete every coach loves — one who comes hard on every play, as documented in the pics above and below.

The photos are courtesy wanderin’ photo bug John Fisken, but the pics here are just the tip of the iceberg.

To see everything he shot Tuesday, and possibly purchase some glossies for Aunt Livia over in Leavenworth, pop over to:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Coupeville-Basketball-2022-2023/MSGBB-2023-02-21-vs-Northshore-Christian/

The wall always wins.

“DANG!!!!”

“I’m fine. I’ll just stay here until the world stops spinning.”

“I told myself I wouldn’t cry … too late.”

Adeline Maynes preaches defense, while Chelsi Stevens tempts passersby with tasty snacks.

Amaiya Curry leads the charge.

The CMS gym, where the fans are packed in like sardines.

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Wolves scrappy to the final buzzer

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , , on February 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Capri Anter (left) and Haylee Armstrong (right), rising hoops stars. (Photo courtesy Michelle Armstrong)

“We are working on putting together a full game.

“When we can play the first half as tough as we normally do the second half, we will be a very tough team to deal with.”

That’s how Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball coach Bennett Richter felt after the Wolves played their home opener Tuesday afternoon.

Facing off with ritzy private school Northshore Christian Academy, both CMS teams to see action progressively got better as the game unfolded.

How the day went, as I stayed home to fight off a head cold:

 

Level 1:

8th grader Haylee Armstrong poured in a team-high 11 points and the Wolves put together their best stretch of play in the 4th quarter.

“Haylee is showing that she is and will be a force to be reckoned with!” Richter said.

While the Wolves fell 40-17, they played NSC even in the final frame, holding their own in a 10-10 stalemate.

Lillie Ketterling added four points in support of Armstrong’s 11, while Rhylin Price also banked home a bucket.

Adeline Maynes, Lexis Drake, Capri Anter, Sydney Van Dyke, Chelsi Stevens, and Tamsin Ward also saw floor time for the Wolves in the day’s first game.

 

Level 2:

Coupeville fell 32-15 in the nightcap but increased its scoring total in each quarter.

“Slow start, strong finish,” Richter said. “Team Two really made Northshore work in the second half.”

Ari Cunningham paced the Wolf attack with six points, with Isa De Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge rattled the rims for four.

Kennedy O’Neill (2), Lina Shelly (2), and Ava Lucero (1) also scored, with Izzy Bowder, Amaiya Curry, and Taylor Marrs rounding out the active roster.

 

What’s ahead:

Coupeville hits the road Thursday, traveling to Shoreline to face King’s, then closes with three of four in its home gym.

The Wolves welcome Granite Falls (Feb. 27), Sultan (Mar. 2), and South Whidbey (Mar. 9) to town, while also riding the bus to Lakewood (Feb. 28)

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