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Boys soccer schedule shrinks

March 7, 2019 by David Svien

Chris Cernick will have two less games to play, thanks to Granite Falls abandoning its season. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

April just got a lot more open.

The Coupeville High School boys soccer team was originally set to play seven games that month, but now it’s down to five.

Granite Falls abandoned its season Thursday, citing a lack of numbers, which shrinks the North Sound Conference soccer title race from six teams to five.

For Coupeville, the games falling off the schedule are a home game Apr. 9 and a road game Apr. 25.

The Wolves, at least for the moment, are looking at a 13-game schedule, with eight league clashes.

CHS opens the season 12:30 PM this Saturday, Mar. 9 at home against non-conference foe Chimacum.

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Three-sport athletes provide foundation for Wolf athletics

March 7, 2019 by David Svien

Lindsey Roberts is one track season away from lettering 12 times as a high school athlete. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They were there, every season, without fail.

As we head into spring sports, 22 Coupeville High School athletes – 13 girls and nine boys – are set to complete a run as three-sport athletes during the 2018-2019 school year.

The list is headlined by Lindsey Roberts, the only Wolf senior to complete a perfect 12 for 12 career, with four seasons of soccer, basketball and track to her credit.

That’s down from last year, when Allison Wenzel, Hunter Downes, Cameron Toomey-Stout, and Hunter Smith graduated after playing a sport in every possible season of their high school days.

Roberts, though, can accomplish something none of those four did.

Barring a major injury or a sudden desire to go on a walkabout mid-season, Forrest Gump-style, she’ll finish as a 12-time letter winner, as well.

The last Wolf to do that was Hailey Hammer, who graduated in 2015.

At a small school like CHS, putting bodies in uniforms is a major need.

Those who are brave, determined, able to avoid serious injury, and willing to play basketball, Coupeville’s lone winter sport, are the backbone of the school’s athletic program.

In the seven years of writing Coupeville Sports, I’ve monitored the numbers, and we’re currently on our best streak, having hit 22 or more three-sport athletes for the third straight year.

Nine freshmen accomplished the feat in 2018-2019, while seven juniors and four sophomores matched them.

After a year in which four seniors capped a 12 for 12 career run, it was a little odd that only two 12th graders, Roberts and Dane Lucero, went 3 for 3 this school year.

 

The yearly numbers:

2012-2013 — (18 three-sport athletes)
2013-2014 — (23)
2014-2015 — (20)
2015-2016 — (17)
2016-2017 — (23)
2017-2018 — (22)
2018-2019 — (22)

 

Coupeville’s three-sport athletes for 2018-2019, with grade and sports: 

Andrew Aparicio – 9 – tennis, basketball, soccer
Mollie Bailey – 10 – soccer, basketball, softball
Miles Davidson – 9 – football, basketball, soccer
Mason Grove – 11 – tennis, basketball, baseball
Gavin Knoblich – 11 – football, basketball, baseball
Ivy Leedy – 10 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Lily Leedy – 9 – soccer, basketball, softball
Dane Lucero – 12 – football, basketball, baseball
Alana Mihill – 9 – cross country, basketball, track
Abby Mulholland – 9 – volleyball, basketball, tennis
Xavier Murdy – 9 – football, basketball, soccer
Chelsea Prescott – 10 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Avalon Renninger – 11 – soccer, basketball, tennis
Lindsey Roberts – 12 – soccer, basketball, track
Chris Ruck – 11 – cross country, basketball, track
Audrianna Shaw – 9 – soccer, basketball, softball
Ben Smith – 10 – football, basketball, soccer
Scout Smith – 11 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Sean Toomey-Stout – 11 – football, basketball, track
Kylie Van Velkinburgh – 9 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Izzy Wells – 9 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Tia Wurzrainer – 11 – soccer, basketball, tennis

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CHS softball finally gets its wish

March 7, 2019 by David Svien

Thanks to a schedule shuffle, Izzy Wells and her Coupeville High School softball teammates will travel Mar. 16 to Oak Harbor. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

This is not a drill. This is really happening.

Thanks to a last-second schedule shuffle, true Whidbey Island high school softball supremacy will up for grabs for the first time in more than a decade.

That’s because Oak Harbor, Coupeville, and South Whidbey will play each other, a rarity when it concerns the first two teams.

Coupeville and South Whidbey are reunited in the 1A North Sound Conference this year, and are scheduled to clash three times, twice in April and once in May.

The Wolves have dominated the series in recent years, winning four non-conference games over the past three years, including 12-0 and 10-0 routs last season.

But the biggest school on the Island, 3A Oak Harbor, hasn’t accepted a challenge from Coupeville in a very long time.

You can go all the way back to 2009 using the North Sound Conference web site, and there is not a single meeting between North and Central Whidbey on a high school field.

That changes Saturday, Mar. 16.

Coupeville was originally set to host 2A Lakewood that day, but now will travel to Oak Harbor and play a road triple-header.

The Wolf varsity opens at 11 AM against Lakewood on the OHHS softball field.

Coupeville’s JV squad also plays Lakewood, but at 1 PM at Hillcrest Elementary just down the street, while Oak Harbor and Lakewood’s varsity play on the high school field.

Then, at 3 PM, on the high school field, Coupeville gets what it’s been dreaming about for some time, a chance to square off with the Wildcats.

South Whidbey and Oak Harbor were already scheduled to meet in the season opener Mar. 12, meaning all three Whidbey teams will get a chance to recreate the magic from back when their players were in little league.

Last season, Coupeville went 12-9, South Whidbey 12-13, and Oak Harbor 2-18, but all enter a new year with a fresh slate and new challenges.

One Island, three teams, one “champion” to rule them all.

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Wolves storm back, remain undefeated

March 6, 2019 by David Svien

Maddie Georges (with ball) tossed in seven of her 14 points in the fourth quarter Wednesday, as Coupeville’s 8th graders rallied to remain undefeated. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Three games, three very different results.

Hitting the road for the second time in as many days, the Coupeville Middle School girls basketball teams traveled to Lakewood Wednesday, returning home with a big win, a narrow loss, and a not-so-narrow defeat.

How the afternoon played out:

 

8th grade varsity:

The most-successful Wolf squad of them all continued its unbeaten season, rallying late to knock off their hosts 35-29.

Saved by a 14-5 tear in the fourth quarter, with Maddie Georges tossing in half of Coupeville’s points, the Wolves kept their record pristine at 6-0.

In the early going, the situation, if not dire, was still not what CMS coach Alex Evans might have hoped for when he sent his players on the floor.

Down 15-10 after a furious first quarter in which five different Wolves scored, Coupeville needed a bit of a spark.

And they found it by clamping down on defense, limiting Lakewood, a large middle school which funnels athletes to a 2A high school, to just 14 points over the final three quarters.

It still took the Wolves some time to retake the lead, however, as their own second-quarter offense was limited to a pair of free throws, one each from Georges and Carolyn Lhamon.

Trailing 19-12 at the half, CMS kept the defensive lock-down in place, cutting the lead down to three after a 9-5 run in the third fueled by four points apiece from Georges and Gwen Gustafson.

With Coupeville’s inside bangers, Lhamon and Nezi Keiper, held relatively in check, it was the Wolf guards who led the comeback and eventual win.

Georges knocked down seven of her team-high 14 in the fourth frame, while Alita Blouin tossed in five of her eight points at the same time.

Gustafson chipped in with a season-high seven, while Lhamon added four points, and Ryanne Knoblich banked home a bucket to round out the scoring.

Coupeville’s guards were feeling it from distance, with Gustafson, Blouin, and Georges all ruffling the net for a three-ball.

Hayley Fiedler, Jordyn Rogers, Jill Prince, and Keiper rounded out the roster for a team which is three games from wrapping up a perfect season.

 

7th grade varsity:

Both teams only had three players score, but with one of Lakewood’s trio going off for 21 points, the host team strolled to a 37-17 win.

The loss drops the Wolves to 2-5 on the season.

Lakewood jumped on Coupeville early, building a 13-3 lead after one quarter, then stretching the margin out to 26-9 at the half, and 35-10 headed into the fourth.

The Wolves put together their best run during the final frame, outscoring their foes 7-2 behind five points from Lauren Marrs.

Scoring seven of her team-high 12 from the free-throw stripe, Marrs was the one constant for CMS, which also got three points from Brionna Blouin and two from Desi Ramirez.

Allison Nastali, Erica McGrath, Skylar Parker, Ava Mitten, Kaitlyn Leavell, Reese Wilkinson, Jackie Contreras, and Kayla Arnold also saw floor time for Megan Smith’s squad.

 

8th grade JV:

The two-quarter tussle was fairly close, but with Coupeville unable to hit a single field goal in 14 minutes of action, it’s probably not a surprise the Wolves fell 9-4.

The loss drops the JV to 2-5 on the season.

All of Coupeville’s scoring came at the free throw line, with three different players netting charity shots.

Adrian Burrows, daughter of Wolf legend Jaime Rasmussen, who hit some of the biggest free throws in CHS girls basketball history, made like mom and drained both of her attempts.

Jill Prince and Jordyn Rogers added a single free shot each, but Lakewood countered with three field goals and a timely three-ball in the second quarter.

Claire Mayne, Melanie Navarro, Abigail Ramirez, Jesse McMahon, Mercedes Kalwies-Anderson, Jessenia Camarena, Karyme Castro, Trinity McGee, and Cristina McGrath also played for CMS.

 

Rest of the season:

Coupeville returns home for two games, hosting Lakewood Mar. 12 and Sultan Mar. 14, before closing the season Mar. 19 at Granite Falls.

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Young Wolves step up to claim diamond

March 6, 2019 by David Svien

Four-year starter Matt Hilborn is one of five returning letter winners for Coupeville High School baseball. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The Wolves enjoy rare blue skies as they prep for their season opener.

Let’s shake things up.

Coupeville High School baseball soared through much of the 2018 season, winning its second Olympic League title in three years and falling a single win shy of advancing to the state tourney.

Jump forward to this spring, and many things have changed for third-year head coach Chris Smith.

He needs to replace an especially strong group of seniors from last year’s 15-6 squad, having lost eight to graduation, including league MVP Hunter Smith.

And, while doing so, the Wolves are bouncing into the new North Sound Conference, a league headed up by Cedar Park Christian, which has finished 2nd and 4th at state the past two seasons.

After playing a scattershot schedule during their four-year run in the Olympic League, Coupeville returns to a more traditional schedule in their new surroundings.

Much like the Wolves did in their old stomping grounds in the Cascade Conference, NSC teams will play three-game series in a single week.

Instead of a game here, a game a month later, and then a final match-up sometime after that, the new league operates with a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule.

So, when the Wolves open their league schedule, against the aforementioned CPC, they’ll go to Bothell Monday, host the Eagles Wednesday, then travel back to Bothell Friday.

The new schedule more closely replicates what college and pro teams play, while giving coaches more of a chance to use strategy as they set up their pitching and adjust to changes as each week plays out.

While he won’t have his son ready to take the mound this year, Smith can lean on a pair of veteran hurlers.

Seniors Matt Hilborn and Dane Lucero top the mound rotation, and are joined by three other returning lettermen, seniors Jake Pease and Shane Losey and junior Gavin Knoblich.

“All are expected to start this year and make a strong impact,” Smith said. “We have strong returning pitching and a strong senior core, but we will be a very young team.”

Among the younger players expected to play key roles include juniors Ulrik Wells and Mason Grove, sophomore Daniel Olson, who got the strikeout to clinch last year’s league title, and freshman Hawthorne Wolfe.

The roster will lean towards players making their varsity debuts this time around.

“(There are) some other up and coming players that will definitely have the opportunity to help out when called upon,” Smith said.

While his team may not be the most-experienced, the eternally-upbeat Wolf coach is aiming for success, as always.

With the season opener at home Mar. 12, against non-conference foe Friday Harbor, Smith is rarin’ to get going.

“Our number one goal is to make a run at the league title; our number two goal is to qualify for the state tournament,” he said.

“It will be a successful season if we play good baseball, and maintain a high level of motivation, energy and effort regardless of the outcome.”

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