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Marin Winger rolls to the hoop. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Break? What break?

When the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team stepped on to the court Tuesday on Friday Harbor, it was the first time the Wolves were in action since Dec. 20.

And yet there was no rust, as Scout Smith’s squad came out on fire, running their hosts off the floor in a 47-16 win.

The victory lifts the CHS young guns to 2-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-4 overall.

“Our team travelled well and fought hard,” Smith said.

“Coming back after two weeks without a game, we picked up right where we left off.

“We continue to play a fast paced, aggressive brand of basketball. We focus on playing tough, pesky defense and transitioning quickly.”

With a different player leading the Wolves in scoring in each quarter Tuesday, Coupeville bolted out to an 11-3 lead, then kept pushing the advantage.

Up 21-9 at the halftime break, CHS dropped the hammer with an 18-2 run in the third quarter to put the game well out of reach.

“I am incredibly proud of how all the girls fought throughout a very physical and tough game,” Smith said.

“Overall, we played a very good game and executed our systems well.”

The Wolves, already ready to attack.

Coupeville spread out its offense, with Capri Anter banking in a game-high 12 points to lead the way.

Capri showed an incredible amount of composure right around the rim and worked hard to get up the court and be available for her teammates to pass up to her,” Smith said.

Adeline Maynes popped for nine points in support of Anter, with Haylee Armstrong (7), Lexis Drake (6), Tenley Stuurmans (5), Sydney Van Dyke (4), Marin Winger (2), and Ava Lucero (2) also scoring.

Amelia Crowder, Jeann Nitta, and Chelsi Stevens provided a boost on defense, and their coach praised their hustle and grit.

Jeann continues to do a great job by playing intelligent basketball and being a dynamic player that can be put anywhere the team needs her,” Smith said.

“Her knowledge of the game pays dividends and gives her an advantage over opponents.”

As her squad heads home for a game Friday against La Conner, Smith likes what she sees.

“The entire team deserves a shoutout for the dedication and energy they bring to each practice and game,” she said.

“They are clearly committed to developing their game and becoming better basketball players.”

Tuesday’s win gives the Wolves much to holler about. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Win when it matters most.

Showcasing nerves of steel, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team held on Tuesday to claim a major win on Friday Harbor.

Turning back a frantic late-game rally by their hosts, the Wolves headed back to the ferry with a 47-43 win and their first victory of 2025.

Now 2-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-8 overall, Coupeville snaps a five-game losing skid and pulls within a half game of the top spot in conference play.

La Conner, who CHS hosts Friday, and Mount Vernon Christian, are currently atop the seven-team league with 2-0 records.

Chase Anderson, Brad Sherman, and Co. return home Friday for another key league clash.

Tuesday’s tilt was a huge step forward for Coupeville, which has played seven of 11 games on the road while enduring a tough non-conference slate.

The Wolves claimed the lead early Tuesday, then continued to pull away, frame by frame, until the fourth quarter.

A 14-8 lead after one became a 25-18 advantage at the half, then a 40-27 margin through three quarters.

While the Wolverines mounted a fierce comeback in the waning moments, with Pierce Kleine pouring in 10 of his game-high 20 in the final frame, Coupeville held tough.

Chase Anderson and Hunter Bronec netted key free throws to ice the win, and Brad Sherman’s squad escaped a gym which has been one of the toughest for them to play in during their time in the Northwest League.

The Wolves split the offensive load, with senior big man Hurlee Bronec going off for a varsity career-best 16 points, while Anderson knocked down 15.

Jack Porter (8), Hunter Bronec (4), Malachi Somes (2), and Camden Glover (2) also scored, while Johnny Porter, Landon Roberts, and Davin Houston saw floor time in the win.

A day after her birthday, Danica Strong knocked down 10 points Tuesday in a big road win. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Bombs away.

Burying a season-high eight three-balls Tuesday, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad buried host Friday Harbor 48-20.

The win, which was sparked by a huge second half run from the Wolves, lifts Megan Richter’s team to 2-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 5-6 overall.

A pristine 2-0 in 2025, Coupeville gets to play at home for the first time in three weeks this Friday, when it welcomes La Conner to Whidbey for a conference clash.

If the Wolves come out shooting like they did Tuesday, it’ll be a long night for the Braves.

CHS had five different players net a shot from behind the arc Tuesday, with Katie Marti, Danica Strong, and Haylee Armstrong each hitting a pair of treys.

Lyla Stuurmans and Teagan Calkins also connected on three-balls, as the Wolves strafed their rivals while living out in Damian Lillard country.

Coupeville restaged this celebration multiple times while playing on Friday Harbor.

The game was actually a nailbiter for a bit, before Coupeville really got locked in on the offensive end of the floor.

Up 11-6 after one quarter, the Wolves carried just a 14-12 lead into the halftime locker room.

After that, it was all Coupeville, all the time, however.

CHS blew the game open with a 16-5 tear in the third, with Calkins and Strong each tallying eight of those points, before Armstrong went nuclear in the final frame.

The Wolf sophomore slapped home all 11 of her points in the fourth as Coupeville cruised to the finish line on an 18-3 run.

Coupeville got points from seven of 10 players, with Armstrong (11), Strong (10), Calkins (9), and Marti (9) providing the bulk of the offense.

Lyla Stuurmans chipped in with five, while Jada Heaton and Madison McMillan both banked in a bucket to round things out.

Capri Anter, Mia Farris, and Tenley Stuurmans also saw floor time for the Wolves in the resounding win.

Hot finish, cool win

Davin Houston drills a jumper. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

They hadn’t played in nearly three weeks, so they made sure their return was special.

Closing the game on a 7-0 run, the Coupeville High School JV boys’ basketball squad roared from behind on the road Tuesday, upending host Friday Harbor 34-31.

The victory, coming in the Wolves first contest since Dec. 20, lifts the CHS young guns to 2-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-4 overall.

Tuesday’s clash was a tense back-and-forth affair, and it looked like Friday Harbor was going to pull out the win when it went ahead 31-27 late in the fourth quarter.

But Coupeville, which got points from five different players in the final frame, responded with lock-down defense and some big buckets at the end.

Mahkai Myles and Malachi Somes got the Wolves back to a tie, before freshman Liam Blas and sophomore Davin Houston combined to slam the door shut on the Wolverines.

Blas, working aggressively in the paint, ripped down an offensive rebound with the game knotted at 31-31 and fed Houston for what turned into the game-winning jumper.

Then, after forcing a turnover, the Wolves played keep-away with the ball, before Blas got crunched and sent to the free throw line with only a handful of ticks left on the clock.

The fab frosh arced in one of two to ensure Friday Harbor would have to net a three-ball to force overtime, but the Wolverines never got that final shot off, instead throwing the ball away on the game’s final play.

Riley Lawless led a balanced Wolf offense, banging away for a team-high nine points in the win, while Houston finished with six.

Somes (4), Myles (4), Carson Grove (3), Blas (3), Easton Green (2), Sage Arends (2), and Khanor Jump (1) also scored, with Nathan Coxsey and Kyle McCrimmon also seeing floor time.

It was the first high school point for Jump, another hard-playing freshman.

The Wolf bench keeps an eye on the action.

An investigation by the Whidbey News-Times has revealed what is behind the “non-disciplinary leave pending an investigation” of the Coupeville High School/Middle School Principal and Vice Principal.

Geoff Kappes and Allyson Cundiff were placed on leave Dec. 16.

Coupeville Schools Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood briefly stepped in to cover the positions heading into winter break.

Springy Yamasaki, a longtime teacher and administrator from off the island came out of retirement to take the position of interim Principal Jan. 6.

The News-Times article, which documents social media threats against minority students, and a shared video of an alleged sexual assault, can be read here:

‘Minority Rape Cult’ has consequences for administrators, students at Coupeville schools