Coupeville Sports

New CMS hoops coach a Stone-cold winner

January 15, 2025 by David Svien

Makana Stone drills a jumper while playing pro ball overseas. (Photo property of Erik Berglund)

She’s coming home.

Pending approval from the school board, Wolf hoops legend Makana Stone has been hired as a Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball coach.

The move was announced Wednesday by Athletic Director Brad Sherman.

Stone replaces Bennett Richter, who stepped down to spend more time with his family, and she’ll join Brooke Crowder on the CMS sideline.

Practice for a new season of middle school girls’ basketball kicks off Monday, Jan. 27, with the first game tipping off Feb. 12.

Stone joins other CHS alumni such as Scout Smith, Megan Richter, and Sherman in coaching basketball at her alma mater.

She is the first, however, to make the jump from playing professional basketball to teaching the sport in Cow Town.

After stellar runs on the floor at CHS, Whitman College, and Loughborough University, Stone earned paychecks for putting the ball in the hoop in England, Norway, and the Netherlands.

The former Wolf ace has also worked extensively coaching younger players, both overseas and through clinics in America, with visits to Coupeville included in that work.

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School | Tagged Brooke Crowder, CMS Wolves, girls basketball, Makana Stone, new hire | 1 Comment »

CHS baseball season in jeopardy?

January 15, 2025 by David Svien

Steve Hilborn has guided Coupeville High School baseball to state in both seasons he’s been at the helm of the program. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Time to put the rally hats on.

A combination of injuries and family moves is forcing Coupeville High School baseball coaches to scramble even before the season arrives.

The Wolves have advanced to the state tourney in back-to-back seasons but are “in danger of not having enough kids for a team this year,” said head man Steve Hilborn.

A team meeting has been set for 1:30 PM Wednesday to give coaches a better idea of how many players may be available.

It will be held in the health room inside the entrance to the CHS gym.

For Hilborn and his staff, the push to save the campaign is underway.

“Two straight years to state and then we can’t even make a team?” he said. “Doesn’t seem possible.”

Posted in Baseball | Tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, information meeting, state tournament, Steve Hilborn | Leave a Comment »

Bleachers alive with the sound of cheers

January 14, 2025 by David Svien

Wolf hardwood assassin Jada Heaton gives her fan club president a piggy-back ride. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Action on the court, action off the court.

The pics seen above and below capture Wolf basketball players, and their support crews, in moments where the ball is not flying skyward towards the hoop.

Look around; you never know when something may be happening.

Posted in Basketball, Fashionable Fans | Tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Jada Heaton, John Fisken photos, Madison McMillan | Leave a Comment »

Bronec big, but Tigers too tough

January 13, 2025 by David Svien

Hurlee Bronec slaps home a bucket. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The Wolves got caught in the bounce-back.

Napavine, one of the best varsity boys 2B hoops squads in the state, got stung Saturday in a narrow loss to Adna, as the two schools scrapped for first place in the always-tough Central 2B League.

Monday rolled around, and Coupeville, having made the 152-mile trek off island for a non-conference tilt, found itself in the bullseye.

Outscored 27-7 during a frantic first quarter by the host Tigers, the Wolves rebounded to play three competitive quarters but fell 76-52.

The loss drops Coupeville to 3-10 on the season, and the Wolves now turn to the heart of their own league schedule.

CHS, which sits at 2-2 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, visits Darrington Friday to kick off a six-game string of conference games, with prime playoff positioning up for grabs.

On to league play!

While Monday’s first quarter may be something they want to forget, the memory of the next three frames could be a strong inspiration for the Wolves.

Coupeville dug deep to “win” the second (12-11) and fourth (16-14) quarters and got scoring from nine of 11 players.

While Napavine star Karsen Denault topped all players with a game-high 20 points, Wolf big man Hurlee Bronec almost matched him.

The CHS senior, who has been on a bit of an offensive rampage of late, poured in a team-best 19 points, while scoring in every quarter.

Hurlee Bronec topped out with eight points in the third and passed a personal milestone in the game, cracking the 150-point club for his varsity hoops career.

That leaves him hot on the heels of twin brother Hunter, who, for the moment at least, still leads the family scoring race at 158-153.

Chase Anderson rattled the rims for nine points in support of Hurlee Bronec, including netting a pair of second-half three-balls, while Johnny Porter banked in six.

Camden Glover (5), Landon Roberts (4), Jack Porter (4), Hunter Bronec (2), Davin Houston (2), and Malachi Somes (1) also scored, with Easton Green and Carson Field rounding out the rotation in the road game.

Houston’s fourth-quarter bucket was his first as a varsity player, as he becomes the 428th Wolf boy I’ve been able to document scoring in a varsity game between 1917-2025.