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Archive for the ‘Where are they now?’ Category

Where have all the ‘staches gone?!?!

Posted in Boys Basketball, Memories, Ranting and Raving, Where are they now? on November 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

   I count four, maybe five ‘staches in this photo, with the Aparicio brothers prominently rockin’ the fuzzy lip.

I have come to mourn a loss. The loss of the high school ‘stache.

Let me take a step back here and explain. I’m not talking about my own ‘stache (I didn’t grow a beard until my days as Sports Editor at the Whidbey News-Times, when I was trying to look semi-distinguished (ha!) and hide the fact that at 21 I was barely older than the athletes I was covering.)

No, I’m talking about the glorious assortment of “Dazed and Confused” ‘staches I saw on Coupeville High School athletes (and a young football coach sportin’ short shorts by the name of Ron Bagby) when I recently went through Sherry Roberts’ Big Bag ‘o Newspaper Clippings.

I’m working on features on both Sherry and husband Jon, both of whom are former CHS Athlete of the Years and the former Ms. Bonacci let me go through her impressive collection of memories from her high school athletic exploits. Or, as Jon calls it, the “Sherry Loves Sherry” box.

And, oh lord, along with the ’80s hair (which I expected) there was also a bevy of ‘staches. In one boys’ basketball photo, at least four of the players were rockin’ the ‘stache.

During this same time period depicted in the photos, it was mentioned that FOUR Wolf teams had gone to state that year, and another two had missed by a single game. At a time in 2012 when CHS has hit a bit of a dry spell when it comes to sending teams of any sport to state, that is freakin’ unbelievable.

And it means only thing. The ‘stache has to come back.

I am calling on every member of the Wolf boys’ basketball team to accept the ‘stache challenge. I’m not talking about merely taking part in No Shave November. I’m talking bout bringing back the Full Bagby!

I just saw a Coupeville Middle School basketball game where one of the 7th graders from King’s was sporting a beard, so don’t tell me you don’t have the face for it. You just need to step up and embrace your manhood.

If a few girl hoopsters want to jump in and join the challenge, well … yeah.

And spring athletes, be you baseball players, track runners or soccer players, get those hairs sproutin’!

We’re going back to a time when Coupeville High School was a lot hairier and went to state on a regular basis in every sport — and we’re getting there one ‘stache at a time.

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True story: Lexie Black is still a superstar!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Softball, Where are they now?, Whidbey's Best on November 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Lexi(e) Black: Superstar

     Defense was taught early in the Black household, something Brittany (left) and Lexie both picked up quickly.

It’s sad, but true — Coupeville High School does not have the brilliant sports history of a King’s or an Archbishop Thomas Murphy.

But, when your teams don’t go to state in every sport, every year (oh, the wonders of “scholarships”…) you tend to appreciate those moments a bit more. At least that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

The Wolves have had multiple state champs in track (Kyle King, Amy Mouw, Jon Chittim, etc.) and cross country (Tyler King and Natasha Bamberger), but have yet to win the big one in a team sport.

The closest Coupeville came was the brilliant 2002 softball squad led by Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby, which won four of five games (knocking off Cle Elum, Royal, Okanogan and Napavine while being nipped by Adna) to finish 3rd.

The dynasty of Wolf sports was the girls’ basketball program in the early 2000’s, as Coupeville finished 6th in 2002 and 8th in both 2003 and 2005. And, while the 2002 team got halfway to a state title, it was the 2005 squad that still sits in the record books.

Lexie Black (born with an E at the end of your name, whether you use it now or not, little missy!) and her little sis, Brittany, dominated the paint all season, and Lexie topped out with a sense-shattering 10 blocks in a win over Zillah on March 4, 2005. The sound of rejection was a sweet song all night long at the Yakima SunDome.

Both her individual mark and the Wolves team-record of 14 blocks still holds down first-place in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association record books for 1A teams, more than seven years later.

So, next time someone gives you grief about Coupeville’s lack of a sports heritage, tell them to look in the record books, and then bow down to the eternally awesome Ms. Black!

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Does the bench have a seat belt?!?!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Where are they now?, Whidbey's Best on November 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

“This is MY gym.”

   Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby, angelic college student. Not quite full pig tails, but the closest I could find.

Ten years back, Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby was wrapping up a splendid high school basketball career.

One of the best to ever wear the red and black on the hard court, she would stride the floor, two little pig tails sticking up in the air, baggy shorts flapping in the breeze. Other teams would wonder why Coupeville had let a ball girl have a uniform and then … then she would carve them up with a surgeon’s precision, leaving bloody, stunned foes in her wake as she sliced ’em off at the knees with a nasty cross-over dribble.

One of the nicest people you’ll ever meet in real life, an all-star behind the counter at Videoville and now an emergency room nurse, she’s back in the gym she once ruled.

Joining fellow former Wolf stud Brittany Black, she’s one of three volunteer coaches along for the ride this season with CHS coaches David and Amy King.

The biggest lingering question (at least for me), can the youthful-looking assistant coach resist pulling a “21 Jump Street” and ripping off her jacket to reveal a Wolf jersey mid-game while screaming, “Put me in coach!!”?

“Ha Ha Ha. Well, so far I have kept my cool in practice. Not sure if I will be able to contain myself in a game though. Stay tuned,” Ellsworth-Bagby said. “I think if I go for the pig tail look they might mistake me for a player, which wouldn’t be a bad thing I guess…”

Jump! Jump! “21 Jump Street!!”

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Riddle rises to the top (again)!!

Posted in Volleyball, Where are they now? on November 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Former Wolf star Jessica Riddle (13) and some of her Anacortes High School teammates celebrate their impressive run at the state tourney.

Two years as a Wolf. Two years as a Seahawk. Four years as a star.

The wild ride for volleyball sensation Jessica Riddle has reached an end (at least at the high school level), with her being proclaimed as pretty much the best spiker in this region.

The Anacortes High School senior — who played her first two seasons for Coupeville with older sister Michelle — was named MVP of the Northwest Conference this season, was picked as the Skagit Valley Herald Player of the Year and led her squad to an unbeaten regular season. The Seahawks eventually claimed 5th at state in 2A.

“It was a great season overall and I am really honored to lead such an awesome group of girls,” Riddle said. “It was a fantastic way to end the season and to begin my senior year!”

Anacortes claimed fifth-place state trophies both seasons Riddle suited up for them.

They opened this year’s tournament by downing Fife 25-17, 25-21, 25-23, then lost a heart-breaker to Tumwater in the quarterfinals, falling 23-25, 28-26, 25-20, 18-25, 18-16 despite 27 kills from Riddle.

Tumwater eventually finished second, losing to West Valley (Yakima), last year’s 3A champ. While this year’s school reclassification shuffle had dropped the Eastern Washington squad a rung, Colville, the 1A champ a season ago, moved up a class and finished 4th in 2A.

Riddle and her teammates closed the tourney by bouncing Sequim 25-12, 25-19, 25-18 behind 17 kills, 22 digs and four aces from the former Wolf. They then avenged a bi-district loss to league rival Burlington-Edison, shredding the Tigers 25-15, 25-19, 25-21 in Riddle’s high school swan song.

And over here on Whidbey? CHS fans were left to wonder what might have been, if a family move hadn’t plucked Riddle away and she had played two more seasons along side Bessie Walstad in the red and black.

If only. If only.

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The chosen ones have returned!!

Posted in Memories, Middle School, Ranting and Raving, Where are they now?, Whidbey's Best on November 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Left to right, Aiden, Maggie, Jon and Jodi Crimmins.

“A bear going after pic-a-nic baskets in my park? No sir!!”

Forever a legend.

I have a splitting headache today.

The why and how is not important. I mean, it’s possible I ate something I knew was 99.3% likely to give me a migraine, but that would be stupid and when was the last time I was called stupid and … fine, I guess it’s possible … probable … oh, shut up.

But in the midst of the little men with their jackhammers assaulting my frontal lobe, a ray of sunshine shot through the pouring rain outside and brightened the world. It was the realization that all was well in the world of Wolf sports once again.

After daring to tempt the fates themselves by living, working and sending their children to schools on South Whidbey, revered former Coupeville High School athletes Jon and Jodi (Christensen) Crimmins have finally accepted reality and returned to the fertile soils of their youth.

The legend decreed that the spawn of a Crimmins/Christensen union, born of a man who once was a laid-back tennis ace and a woman who was an elbow-flingin’ basketball wild child, must only wear the black and red. The blue of a Langley uniform may be fine for some, but not for the chosen ones.

And now, with park ranger dad and school teacher mom having accepted fate and moved down the Island, their kids (Aiden and Maggie) can once again walk the same hallways where their parents-to-be once lounged, casting googly-eyes at each other in between classes.

Aiden is playing basketball for the Coupeville Middle School 8th grade team, and Maggie, after a brief dalliance with the dark side in which she wore the volleyball uniform of a South Ender (ag-o-neeeee for Wolf diehards!!) can now lay claim to her mom’s legend. And what a legend it is.

There was never a nicer person off the court, or more of a hellion on the court than young Jodi Christensen. One walking, talking, gum-popping black ‘n blue bruise, she threw herself with wild abandon after loose balls, crashing into bleachers, wiping out any teammate who dared to get between her and a rebound (poor Marlys West is probably still flinching) and thoroughly freaking out her opponents, who wondered where that nice girl with the pleasant smile had gone.

Other Wolves have scored more than Jodi. Other Wolves have had more natural talent. But no one has ever played the game as hard as the angel with hellfire coming out of her elbows.

If Maggie is 3% of the hard-charging force of nature her mom was, Coupeville coaches and fans are set. The good times (and possibly heads) will roll.

Party on, Wolf Nation. Party on.

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