James Smith (top, left) is joined by fellow inductees (clockwise) Chris Hutchinson, Jon Chittim, Kyle King, Steven McDonald and Sid Otton.
Record-setters, one all all.
The six guys who comprise the 45th class to be inducted into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame operated (and still do) at the highest levels of their sports.
Whether working as an individual, a team, or the commander of a dynasty, all of them have set standards which will be hard to surpass.
So, with that, we welcome James Smith, Sid Otton and the only CHS relay team to ever win a state title — the 2006 boys’ 4 x 400 unit of Chris Hutchinson, Jon Chittim, Kyle King and Steven McDonald.
After this, you’ll find them sitting atop the blog under the Legends tab.
Which is hardly a surprise.
Our first inductee, Otton, is the most famous of the bunch, and, admittedly, a large part of his success has come post-Coupeville.
But he started as a Wolf, and we’re claiming him.
Fresh on the job market, the former college football star landed his first coaching gig in Cow Town, where he ran the CHS football and baseball programs for two seasons.
While he was on Whidbey, he led the 1969 Wolf baseball squad to a Northwest B League title and the future was promising.
Then Wolf Nation lost Otton and he went and got all legendary at a couple of other stops on the road, most famously Tumwater, where he’s been the head football coach for 42 seasons and counting.
As well as being my 9th grade health teacher. Which was probably harder than all of his football seasons combined.
The winningest high school gridiron guru in state history, with 384 victories and five state titles, he’ll take the field for his 50th season overall this fall.
Before he does so, we’re giving him one more honor, while trying to ignore the age-old questions of “What if he hadn’t left? What if he had stayed in Coupeville? What if we were a dynasty?!?!”
As you all ponder that, we’ll skip on to our second inductee, which comes four men strong.
King won four individual state titles during his time at CHS (his five titles total ties Natasha Bamberger for most in school history) and Chittim snagged two, but they go in today with their oval brothers.
In 116 years of Coupeville High School history, only one time has a Wolf track relay unit stood astride the winner’s podium at the final meet of the season, and that foursome celebrates the 10-year anniversary of their accomplishment later this month.
On May 25-27 of 2006, the Wolves were darn near unstoppable, winning three individual state titles (Chittim in the 200 and 400 and King in the 3200), finishing a school-record fourth in the team standings.
In the premier relay event, Coupeville blasted all of their rivals, coasting to first in the prelims before savaging Goldendale, Charles Wright and a bunch of much-slower squads in the finale.
As the current girls 4 x 200 unit of Lauren Grove, Lindsey Roberts, Makana Stone and Sylvia Hurlburt aim to make their own history (they’re ranked #1 in 1A heading into the postseason), it’s a perfect time to bow in the direction of the original relay gods, who made the entire state Bow Down to Cow Town.
And then we reach our final inductee this week, a coach’s son (both mom Cherie and dad Willie) who joins his siblings in the hall.
James, like Megan and Ian, was a rock for the Wolves, a talented, hard-working athlete who excelled at every single sport that came his way.
A two-time CHS Male Athlete of the Year (2006-2007 and 2007-2008), Smith copped a ton of honors for his work on the gridiron, hard-court and diamond while operating as a captain in multiple years for all three of his sports.
Which was his strongest sport? It’s a toss-up.
Smith was tabbed as an All-League shortstop all four seasons, the first two in the 1A Northwest League, the last two in the 1A/2A Cascade Conference.
Toss in two All-League selections in basketball and three in football, where he was honored on both sides of the ball and was the First-Team QB in the Cascade Conference his senior season, and it’s an impressive body of work.
If I had to call it, I’d lean towards baseball, I guess.
It’s where he played under the watchful eye (and threat of wedgies) from a coach who he called dad away from the diamond, and he mixed power with panache.
But what the heck, if we have a time machine and need a win in any of those sports, I’m super-confident if I see James striding out there, huge grin in place, ready to kick tushie and take names.
