This pic, snapped at a CHS soccer game, is a family photo of sorts, since it features three sisters. (John Fisken photo)
Leave your camera at home and let a pro do all the work for you.
John Fisken, the fast-snappin’ force behind John’s Photos (and the guy who delivers most of the pics used here on Coupeville Sports) has been branching out recently.
Along with sports action photos, he has been focusing on providing a wide variety of non-athletic snapshots to the public.
As the holidays come roaring up on us, now is the perfect time to let Fisken and his camera work their magic for you.
He’s offering a special family photo sitting price of $100 from Nov. 1-15, with a guaranteed print delivery of Dec. 1, which will allow you plenty of time to fire off your Christmas cards.
Cards which will now sparkle with a hint or two of that Fisken photo magic.
To take advantage of the deal of the century (or at least of the month) contact him at johnfisken@comcast.net today.
And yes, this is a shameless plug, but rest assured, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think he was very, very good at what he does.
Jasmine (left) and Tamika Nastali at work. (John Fisken and Beth Nastali photos)
The day, and the world, belongs to the twins.
Coupeville High School sophomore sensations Tamika and Jasmine (Jazzy) Nastali, who celebrate a joint cake day today, are two of the brightest shining stars living in our town.
Superb athletes — Tamika rakes on the softball diamond while Jasmine is a fleet-footed wonder on the track oval — the duo, like older sister Heather, are also really incredible young women in other parts of life as well.
The Nastali twins are smart, kind, caring, friendly, effervescent even.
Very supportive of each other, and of their many family members, Tamika and Jasmine reflect extremely well on parents Beth and Robert.
There is little doubt the titanic twins are going to accomplish big things, both on the athletic stage and off.
The best thing we can all do right now is get in good with them and hope they remember the small people after they’ve hit the big time.
So happy birthday, Nastali sisters.
You make our small town a much better place with your presence, and we, the fans, want to wish you the best on your birthday, and every day.
May you continue to dazzle the world for a very long time to come.
Wolf defender Megan DePorter is ready to help carry her teammates to their first-ever playoff win. (John Fisken photo)
Into the great unknown.
When the Coupeville High School girls’ soccer squad opens the playoffs Saturday, the Wolves will be facing a foe they haven’t played before — at least on the pitch.
While CHS memorably clashed with Charles Wright Academy in a sometimes-brutal basketball playoff game last winter, the two schools don’t appear to have met on the soccer field before.
So, as you prepare for Soccerageddon 2016, here’s a cheat sheet.
What: District 3 girls’ soccer playoff game.
Where: Wildcat Memorial Stadium in Oak Harbor (1 Wildcat Way), which is covered and seats 3,000.
When: 1:30 PM kickoff, Saturday, Oct. 29
Admission prices:
$8 Adults/Non-ASB
$5 Students with ASB
$5 Sr. Citizens (62+)
$4 Elementary
At stake: Winner advances to face Nisqually League champ Cascade Christian Nov. 1 in the double-elimination round of districts, from which three of four teams qualify for state.
Common foes: None. They would have had one, but Bellevue Christian, which split games with CWA this season, cancelled its late season non-conference match-up with Coupeville because of “a shortage of players.”
BC is also in the playoffs, on the other side of the bracket, so the Wolves still might get that game, just with a lot more riding on the outcome.
So, you have the basics down cold. But what about the trivia, in case you need common ground to talk to a Charles Wright fan?
Boom.
CWA is a private K-12 school located in Tacoma. It’s associated with the Episcopal Church, but doesn’t push one religious doctrine to its 700+ student body.
It was founded in 1957 as an all-boys school. Opening with 40 students, it graduated its first senior class (14 of them) in 1964.
The school went co-ed in 1970 and is named after a guy who never stepped foot in our state.
Charles Barstow Wright was a Pennsylvania businessman who chose Tacoma as the Pacific terminus for the transcontinental railroad.
While the school is named in his honor, there’s never been a direct connection between the academy and the Wright family.
And lastly, but maybe most importantly, the school mascot is NOT a scruffy little dog, as CWA hails the Tarrier, not the Terrier.
And what’s a Tarrier?
It’s a name given to Irish workers who worked on building the railroad so important to the original Charles Wright, though it almost lost the mascot battle on day one.
Apparently there was a pretty heated fight back in the day (1962 or so), with the runner-up being Hodag.
And if you wouldn’t have been super excited to have your school mascot be named for a legendary 200-pound, seven-foot-long lizard with razor sharp spikes for teeth which (allegedly) stalked lumberjacks, there’s just something wrong with you.
The Hodag monster was “the living embodiment of deceased lumber oxen, filled with rage and hatred towards mankind for forcing upon them an enslaved existence during their previous life” and you can read much more here:
Lauren Rose, seen here in an earlier match, had a team-high 16 assists Thursday night. (John Fisken photo)
“I’m very happy with our fight tonight.”
Roaring from behind while playing in front of a hostile crowd Thursday, the Coupeville High School volleyball squad almost pulled off a miracle win.
But while the Wolves ran out of gas a point or two from keeping their league record flawless, CHS coach Cory Whitmore was still impressed with the fight he saw from his players.
“Klahowya is a very good team and at their house they play even better,” he said. “We never gave up and got battle-tested going into districts.”
The Eagles escaped with a 27-25, 25-16, 26-28, 19-25, 15-12 win, making up a bit for Coupeville winning a five-set thriller the first time these two schools squared off in Silverdale back in Sept.
In between, the Wolves slammed Klahowya in straight sets during the one time they faced-off on Whidbey, and, if a fourth showdown is coming, it will be on Coupeville’s turf.
CHS, which is 7-1 in 1A Olympic League play, 10-4 overall, has one more regular season match Saturday at Port Townsend (0-8, 2-12).
After that, the Wolves carry a #1 seed into districts Saturday, Nov. 5.
Win two matches (while not losing more than one) that day in their own gym and they punch their ticket to state.
Klahowya (6-3, 7-7) will have to win a loser-out game against Seattle Christian Nov. 3 to make it to the double-elimination round of districts.
Thursday, the Eagles opened strongly, but the Wolves responded.
“We lost a tight first set and didn’t let it determine the entire rest of the match,” Whitmore said. “Our defense was scrappy and lit a fire.”
Hope Lodell led the attack, firing off eight aces on her serve while also going low for a team-high 21 digs.
She was joined on the stat sheet by Katrina McGranahan (nine kills, seven aces), Lauren Rose (16 assists), Ashley Menges (11 assists), Valen Trujillo (nine digs) and Mikayla Elfrank (eight kills).
JV stays red-hot:
With the varsity match being a long one, the young guns got the short end of the stick on the road. As the ferry revved its motor in the distance, the two schools played just a single set.
The results? Same old, same old, as Coupeville crushed Klahowya 25-16 to nab its ninth straight win.
The JV squad sits at 8-0 in league play, 11-2 overall and will go for a perfect conference season when it faces Port Townsend.
While the Wolves time on the floor was limited Thursday, they continued to shine brightly.
“We had to play pretty quickly but we did play well,” said Wolf JV coach Kristin Bridges. “We are growing into a really cohesive unit.”
William Nelson (top, left) and Joey Lippo will hitch a ride to Tacoma Tuesday with coach Ken Stange. Win and they’re off to state this spring. (John Fisken photos)
They enjoyed Tacoma so much they’re going back.
Coupeville High School juniors William Nelson and Joey Lippo won two of three matches Thursday at the 1A West Central District tennis tourney, keeping their state dreams alive.
The Wolf duo and coach Ken Stange will return to the Sprinker Tennis Center Tuesday, Nov. 1 for one more match.
Lippo and Nelson will face Micha Wibowo and Jack Jorgenson of Charles Wright Academy to decide 2nd and 3rd place, with the winner punching their tickets to state.
The loser Tuesday might (and it’s a very big might) also advance, as high school tennis in Washington state is a complicated mess.
With some schools playing in the fall and others in the spring, state is not held until May 26-27 in Yakima.
Along with the delay, the WIAA also doesn’t release allocations for each district until the spring.
That means District 3, where Coupeville plays, won’t know if it gets two or three slots to state for months.
For now, the district champs (Dylan Sam and Raghav Agrawal of CWA) are definitely in, as are the winners Tuesday.
To get to that match, Lippo and Nelson had to knock off their own teammates, beating CHS seniors Joseph Wedekind and JohnMcClarin for the first time this season.
The older duo had been Coupeville’s #1 doubles team for two seasons.
The Wolves were strongly represented at districts, with eight players. Charles Wright had six, Klahowya four and Cascade Christian and Vashon Island three apiece.
It was the final tourney for Coupeville seniors Wedekind, McClarin, Jimmy Myers and Grey Rische.
Complete Thursday results:
Singles:
Nick Etzell
Lost to Zane Mian (CWA) 6-0, 6-1
Lost to Jimmy Opitz (CWA) 6-1, 6-2
Jakobi Baumann
Lost to Jack Hannah (CC) 6-0, 6-1
Lost to Caden Haga (K) 6-0, 6-3
Joseph Wedekind/John McClarin
Lost to Mason Rice/Finley Oswald (V) 7-6(7-3), 7-6(7-5)
Beat Grey Rische/Jimmy Myers (CP) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Lost to Joey Lippo/William Nelson (CP) 6-1, 6-3
Joey Lippo/William Nelson
Beat Wulf/Bartels (CC) 6-7(4-7), 6-4, 6-3
Lost to Dylan Sam/Raghav Agrawal (CWA) 6-1, 6-2
Beat Wedekind/McClarin (CP) 6-1, 6-3
Grey Rische/Jimmy Myers
Lost to Jack Jorgenson/Micha Wibowo (CWA) 6-3, 6-0
Lost to Wedekind/McClarin (CP) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
