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They all scream-i for Mimi!!

July 1, 2017 by David Svien

   Mimi Johnson, the newest member of the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame. (John Fisken photo)

Mimi Johnson did it all.

Down the road, when it sinks in that she and her family (husband Scott and children Elliott and Stella) have really left Whidbey behind for the wilds of Danville, Kentucky, her absence will be enormous.

Mimi wore many hats during her years in Cow Town, as a player, coach, volunteer and business owner, and today we induct her into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame for her full body of work.

After this, you may not find her down at the CHS softball field as often, but you will always find her up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.

We’re enshrining her as a Contributor, as a way to encompass everything she accomplished.

Back in her high school days, when she was still writing Iverson on her papers, Mimi was a standout softball player for CHS who later went on to play college ball.

After marriage and kids, she joined with brother Matt to do the seemingly impossible and resurrected Ebey Bowl after a decade-long absence.

The bowling alley of their youth had spent years neglected, basically a dumping ground for old car parts and boats, when the duo sparked a Phoenix-like rebirth.

When not working together to run the family insurance business, the brother/sister combo recreated a ’50s-style alley, and the place was popular with a new generation during its second run.

Around all that, Mimi, like her husband, devoted countless hours to Central Whidbey Little League.

Working as a coach, she took several softball teams, at different age levels, to the state tourney, capping her run by leading the Juniors squad to the big dance this year on the very day she was moving off-Island.

Through it all, Mimi rarely, if ever, lost her smile.

She was adept at bringing people together and worked to include players and families from North and South onto her Central Whidbey teams, when the other parts of the Island couldn’t field their own squads.

Mimi got along with everyone, even umpires, and her impact on a generation of young local softball sluggers, who have been ripping through rivals (but doing it with class) at every level, is immeasurable.

And now she’s gone, Kentucky’s gain and our loss.

Except, she’s not really gone.

Mimi’s fun, unassuming style will linger on through seasons to come, as her players go on to take the field for other coaches.

As future softball successes play out, she will be a part of them, if from afar.

And if Kentucky doesn’t work out?

Whidbey is always here waiting, and it wouldn’t be hard to find a coaching job upon her return.

Just start off with “So, yeah, I’m in the Hall of Fame…” and go from there.

Posted in Hall o' Fame | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment »

Hardball sluggers nipped in tourney opener!!

July 1, 2017 by David Svien

   Dane Lucero picked up Coupeville’s lone RBI in a 3-1 loss Friday. (John Fisken photo)

   Oak Harbor’s James Besaw (left) hangs out with Coupeville’s (l to r) Taylor Consford, Jonathan Thurston, Clay Reilly and Joey Lippo. (Teresa Besaw photo)

Razor-thin.

That was the margin between the Coupeville High School baseball squad and its foes Friday night.

Playing in their opening game at the Grays Harbor 4th of July Bash, the Wolves outhit and were slicker on defense than the Washington Rush Blue Elite.

But, in the end, the travel ball squad nipped them in the one category which truly matters, outscoring Coupeville 3-1.

The Wolves return to action Saturday afternoon, when they play the Avengers 17U squad at Olympic Stadium.

The three-day, 12-team tourney, which runs June 30-July 2, moves into bracket play Sunday.

Facing off with the Rush, who have a local connection on their roster in the form of Oak Harbor High School senior James Besaw, Coupeville held a 5-4 advantage in hits and were fairly flawless on defense.

“We played a good error-free game,” said CHS coach Chris Smith. “I was very proud of the way we composed ourselves and competed.”

Wolf hurlers Jonathan Thurston and Joey Lippo combined to keep the Rush at bay most of the evening, with a three-run third inning the only ding in the armor.

Thurston whiffed four in five innings of work before turning the hill over to his teammate.

At the plate, Clay Reilly led the way with a pair of hits while Hunter Smith, Dane Lucero and Nick Etzell added base-knocks.

Lucero picked up an RBI, bringing home Coupeville’s lone run in the top of the fourth.

The Wolves manufactured their score by getting lead-off hitter Taylor Consford on base via an error, followed by hits from Reilly and Lucero.

CHS had scoring opportunities in each of the first three innings, but was unable to seal the deal.

In the first, the Wolves got a two-out single from Reilly, only to see him gunned down on an ensuing steal attempt.

An inning later, Matt Hilborn wore one for the team, getting plunked and scrambling down to first before the sting wore off.

A double play ball erased the threat, however.

Etzell came the closest to scoring until Consford stamped on home, getting all the way around third base in the top of the third.

After stroking a single, the Wolf senior moved to second on a sac bunt from Kyle Rockwell, then made a play for home on a single off the bat of Smith.

The Rush came up strong on D, though, catching Etzell on his way home, with the play set up by a throw from Besaw in right field.

Coupeville’s rivals netted all three of their runs in the bottom of the third, a time period when they garnered three of their four hits on the game.

Besaw lined out to second his first time up, then was hit by a pitch the second time he faced off with Thurston.

In a bit of an oddity, there were two Oak Harbor players on the field, as Besaw’s Wildcat teammate, Donny Kloewer, is playing with Coupeville this summer.

Toss in Consford, a former OHHS player who transferred to CHS and played for the Wolves as a senior this spring, and it was an old school reunion.

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“Our girls showed a lot of heart!!”

June 30, 2017 by David Svien

   Action was intense all week at the Minors softball district tourney. (John Fisken photo)

If it’s the final game of the season, might as well make it the craziest one, too.

The Central Whidbey Little League All-Star Minors softball squad bowed out of the District 11 tourney Thursday, falling to Sedro-Woolley in the championship round.

The 23-12 loss eliminated CW two wins shy of advancing to state.

But the score doesn’t tell half the story.

In a wild one, Sedro went up 11-0, gave back 10 runs in one half of an inning, then responded with 12 of their own the next time at bat, partially thanks to a missed call by the ump.

The tone of the game was set early, as Central missed a chance to take the early lead.

Trailing just 1-0 heading into the bottom of the first, the Whidbey squad got its first two runners, Mia Farris and Taylor Brotemarkle, on base thanks to walks.

Things took a tragic turn however, as speed demon Farris severely twisted her ankle leading off of third, forcing coach/dad Fred Farris to be cautious on sending his runners.

“We were set up for a lead,” he said. “Under normal circumstances both would have stolen home, considering all the passed balls that followed.

“Mia really sets the tone for us with her aggressive base running. She was hobbled throughout the game,” Farris added. “Would have been nice to have those two runs and the lead after one.”

Sedro tacked on three in the second, then broke the game open with five runs in the top of the third and two more in the fourth, making things look like a blowout.

Until the game took a wild swerve.

Leading off the bottom of the fourth, Madison McMillan ripped a single, Central’s first hit of the game, and it seemed to buckle Sedro’s resolve.

Or at least its ability to find the strike zone.

10 of the next 11 Whidbey hitters walked, and by the time Sedro had finally stopped the bleeding with an inning-ending strikeout, a romp had become a one-run thriller.

But then the game veered right back.

Four runs in the top of the fifth stretched the lead back to 15-10, but Central got the third out and was still close.

Except, the ump whiffed on the call which would have been the third out, and, given new life in the inning, Sedro tacked on eight more runs.

This time, a tired Central squad — many of its players pulled double duty, attending Girl Scout camp at Fort Casey, then heading to Anacortes three straight nights for playoff games — had no answer.

Even in defeat, Fred Farris had much to be grateful about.

“Tough loss, but Sedro is a good team. Our girls showed a lot of heart!,” he said. “Allison Nastali pitched great and Madison McMillan had a great game, both at the plate and on defense.

“It was a great experience for this young team,” Farris added. “I think seeing Sedro pose with the banner and celebrate, makes them want to be there next year.”

Central’s playoff roster was comprised of Taylor Auld, Brionna Blouin, Brotemarkle, Teagan Calkins, Farris, Mimi Forde, Jada Heaton, Katie Marti, Chloe Marzocca, McMillan, Nastali, Molly Nattress and Mayleen Weatherford.

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Wolves headin’ East!!

June 29, 2017 by David Svien

   Gavin Knoblich will lead the Coupeville Babe Ruth baseball team to state in mid-July. (John Fisken photo)

Pack your bags. We’re off to Ephrata.

OK, well not for two weeks, but you get the point.

After a second-place finish at the District 11 tourney, the Coupeville Babe Ruth baseball squad is state tournament bound and will make the 221-mile trip (one way) to compete at the big dance.

Action gets underway Monday, July 10 under (likely) toasty skies in Eastern Washington.

Coupeville closed districts Tuesday with a 12-1 loss to Sedro-Woolley, which gave the Outlaws a two-game sweep and the tourney crown.

The Wolves hung around through the third, with George Dailey using his arm and bat to stake his squad to a 1-1 tie.

A resident of Oak Harbor who’s playing with Coupeville this summer, he whiffed six and drilled an RBI double that shot down the third-base line, sending Scott Hilborn scampering home.

Sedro countered by inadvertently beaning Dailey in the back on an ensuing pick-off try.

Apparently they hit just the right muscles on the play.

“His pitching wasn’t the same after that, and then the wheels fell off,” said Coupeville coach Steve Hilborn.

Dailey eventually gave way to Gavin Knoblich, but the CHS sophomore-to-be was hampered by a defense which sprung multiple leaks behind him.

Coupeville had six base-runners in the game, with Dailey crunching a pair of doubles to lead the way.

Caleb Meyer added two singles, with Knoblich and Scott Hilborn earning walks.

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Stayin’ alive!!

June 29, 2017 by David Svien

   With a win Wednesday, Central Whidbey advances to the championship round of the District 11 tourney. (John Fisken photo)

Pressure? What pressure?

With it season on the line, the Central Whidbey Little League All-Star Minors softball squad fired up the offense Wednesday and thumped North Whidbey 23-7 in a loser-out playoff game.

CWLL advances to the championship of the District 11 tourney, where it will seek revenge against Sedro-Woolley, a team it lost to Tuesday night.

Win twice — Thursday and Friday, with both games played in Anacortes —  and Central is bound for the state championships.

Sedro, 2-0 at districts, needs just one win to claim the crown.

If Central Whidbey takes advantage of its offensive opportunities like it did against North Whidbey, anything is possible.

Pouring in runs in every inning, the Coupeville sluggers (and their trio of South Whidbey mercenaries) built a 14-1 lead after the first inning and a half and never looked back.

After opening with five in the first and nine in the second, CW settled for two in the third, then closed with fury, plating seven in the fourth and final inning.

Central benefited from a keen eye at the plate, picking up a staggering amount of walks.

The few times the Whidbey hitters did get a pitch somewhere in the vicinity of the plate, they seized the moment, drilling hits left and right.

Mia Farris, Allison Nastali, Chloe Marzocca, Taylor Auld, Mimi Forde and Brionna Blouin all collected base-knocks.

With runs flying across the plate, Auld, Farris, Nastali and Marzocca stepped on home three times apiece, with Blouin, Mayleen Weatherford and Madison McMillan scoring twice.

Coupeville hurlers Blouin and Nastali were a deadly duo in the pitcher’s circle, with Nastali shutting North Whidbey down completely over the final 2 and 2/3 innings.

Behind them their teammates stepped up in the spotlight.

“The girls played stellar defense throughout,” said CW coach Fred Farris. “Teagan (Calkins) was a vacuum behind the plate.”

Posted in Little League, Softball | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

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