CMS 8th grader Logan Downes pumped in 20 points at Granite Falls Monday, and is averaging 16.3 a game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
With five of their first seven games on the road, Wolf hoops stars get to see a lot of different gyms. (Michelle Glass photo)
A five-man coaching staff led by Greg White (kneeling) is teaching a promising pack of players. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Kicking off a three-game road trip Monday, the Coupeville Middle School boys basketball teams ran into a buzz-saw at Granite Falls, escaping with a tie in their best showing.
A tie???
Yes, in the continuing soccer-fication of the world, middle school hoops teams don’t play overtime.
Cause heaven forbid fans stay for five more minutes on a night when they’ve already put in four hours plus camped in the stands…
Anyways.
The trip to Granite is part of a rough early-season schedule for the Wolves, who play five of their first seven games off the Island.
After this, Coupeville travels to Sultan and Lakewood, finally returning to their own gym Dec. 4, when they welcome King’s to town.
The lopsided schedule does mean the Wolves get to play their final three games at home, however.
How Monday played out:
Level 1:
Logan Downes went off for his second-straight big-time scoring performance, but CMS fell 52-26.
The loss drops Coupeville’s top squad to 1-2 on the still-young season.
Downes, who suffered what seemed like a pretty-horrifying ankle injury in the opener, has continued to play through the pain and swelling, dropping 25 and now 20 points in back-to-back games.
The Wolf 8th grader pumped in half of his points Monday in the fourth quarter, as Coupeville finished strongly.
Unfortunately, a 14-4 deficit in the first quarter and a 17-6 margin in the third killed any chances of a comeback for the Wolves.
William Davidson and Ryan Blouin added buckets for CMS, with Cole White and Zane Oldenstadt each slipping a free throw through the net to round out the scoring.
Also seeing floor time for the Wolves were Landon Roberts, Nick Guay, Timothy Nitta, and Hunter Bronec.
Level 2:
The best, or most unsatisfying, result of the afternoon, depending on your own personal feelings about ties.
Down seven at the half, Coupeville rallied to tie the game in the third, then the two teams coasted in with a 15-15 finish.
The tie leaves the Wolves at 2-0-1 on the season.
Granite jumped out to an early lead in a defensive-minded game, taking a 6-2 advantage into the first break, then stretching it out to 8-5 at the half.
With Mikey Robinett throwing down four points in the third, Coupeville reclaimed the advantage, outscoring the Tigers 7-0 to pull back into a 12-12 tie.
And that’s where it stayed, as neither team could claim the lead for good in a tense, and low-scoring fourth quarter.
Robinett led the Wolves with six points, while Nitta (2), Johnny Porter (2), Nathan Ginnings (2), Jack Porter (2), and Hunter Bronec (1) also broke into the scoring column.
Hurlee Bronec and Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim rounded out the active roster, chipping in with defense and hustle.
Level 3:
A slow first quarter and a cold fourth quarter ultimately doomed the Wolves in a 26-11 loss.
The Coupeville young guns, who returned to action after sitting out the last game when Northshore Christian Academy didn’t have a third team, fell to 0-2.
Granite claimed a 9-2 advantage after the first seven minutes of play, before the teams fought to 4-4 and 5-5 ties across the next two quarters.
An 8-0 Tigers run in the fourth padded the final margin out.
Carson Fields scored his first points of the season for Coupeville, raining down a team-high six, with Harlan Mouw adding three and Justin Jansen knocking down a third-quarter bucket.
Jordan Bradford, Jesus Madrigal, Alex Clark, and Chris Villarreal also saw floor time for the Wolves.
