Feeds:
Posts
Comments
Jovanah Foote

Jovanah Foote

Jovanah Foote seems to have no fear.

The Coupeville High School senior, who celebrates a birthday today, has spent her final year at CHS taking full advantage of every opportunity.

She’s always been front and center in the world of Wolf cheer, and was a captain in two different seasons this year.

But Jovanah has also jumped at the chance to try new things in her final go-round, playing soccer and running track to keep her senior year a busy one.

On the pitch she became a fan favorite, working as hard as anyone on the team and building a cheering section one game at a time.

When Foote came super-close to scoring this season, Dawn Hesselgrave, mom to Wolf booters Mia and Kalia Littlejohn, about fell off the top row of the bleachers, she was so excited.

And while Jovanah didn’t bring the same years of experience to the field that many of her new teammates did, she more than matched them in enthusiasm and the joy she displayed every time she entered a game.

If you could, you’d like to take every person as they enter their last year of high school and point to Foote and say, “Follow her example.”

Take new chances, try new sports and activities, expand your repertoire.

That way, when you’re a few years down the road, you’ll look back and have more memories, and more positive memories, than if you just lock down and focus solely on grades.

But don’t get me wrong there. I’m sure her grades are impeccable.

Jovanah, like her older brother Nathaniel, comes across as highly intelligent, well-spoken and someone who is going to continue to dazzle folks long after high school.

As she celebrates her cake day, we want to wish her the best.

You have been a bright, shining superstar, Miss Foote, and I have no doubt the best is still yet to come for you.

CMS 8th grade basketball coach Bob Martin, displaying a look common to Whidbey Island coaches who have to deal with weather and ferry issues on a regular basis. (John Fisken photo)

   CMS basketball coach Bob Martin, displaying a look common to Whidbey Island coaches who have to deal with weather and ferry issues on a regular basis. (John Fisken photo)

No hoops for you.

Coupeville Middle School has cancelled its home hoops games scheduled for today, a victim of the wind storm that slammed the coast Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

CMS is actually totally fine, but Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend, which was supposed to travel to Whidbey today, is closed.

The school has no power, according to a report by the Port Townsend Leader.

Wolf coaches Ryan King and Bob Martin confirmed the games have been postponed.

They will likely be rescheduled, and we will update this story when and if that happens.

Coupeville, which swept Blue Heron the first time the two schools faced, sits at 4-2 (8th grade varsity) and 2-4 (7th grade varsity), with four games remaining in the season.

UPDATE: As of 11:30 AM Thursday, Blue Heron MS officials are saying they may be unable to reschedule.

If that’s true, CMS will lose one of its five home games and end up with a nine-game schedule.

Coupeville travels to Forks Monday, Mar. 14, hosts Stevens Thursday, Mar. 17 and travels to Sequim Monday, Mar. 21.

Jared Helmstadter, the only Class of 2016 athlete to play a sport in all 12 seasons of his prep career. (John Fisken photos)

   Jared Helmstadter, the only CHS Class of 2016 athlete to play a sport in all 12 seasons of his prep career. (John Fisken photos)

Wolf three-sport athletes

   Row 1 (l to r): Tiffany Briscoe, Lindsey Laxton, Gabe Eck, Nicole Lester. Row 2: Hunter Smith, Allison Wenzel, Lindsey Roberts, Ty Eck. Row 3: Lauren Grove, Cameron Toomey-Stout, Jordan Ford, Kyla Briscoe. Row 4: Hunter Downes, Lauren Rose, Sarah Wright, James Vidoni.

It takes dedication to be a three-sport athlete in high school, and a little luck.

Injuries, drivers ed, club sports, specialization, an unwillingness to play basketball (the only winter sport Coupeville High School offers) — there are a lot of things which can keep the modern athlete from living out what used to be routine.

So, we want to take a moment to honor the 17 Wolves (nine girls, eight boys) who kept the flame lit in 2015-2016.

Cause they may be a dying breed.

Of the four years Coupeville Sports has existed, that number is the smallest we’ve seen.

After we had 18 in 2012-2013, we topped out at 23 the next year, then slid to 20 and now 17.

But, maybe we’re jumping too fast to conclusions, because the core of the three-sport athlete group is young and appears to be deeply committed.

There are six freshmen and seven sophomores on the list.

Also, if you take the 9th graders out of the equation, nine of the 11 are repeat three-sport athletes.

Only two are seniors, which ties ’12-’13 and ’13-’14, while being down from a high of five 12th graders who went out strongly last year.

Jared Helmstadter exits on top, the only member of the Class of 2016 to have played a sport in all 12 seasons of his high school career.

Meanwhile, fellow senior Jordan Ford, having just arrived on the scene, went 3-for-3 in his one year at CHS.

The complete (I believe) list of Wolf three-sport athletes in 2015-2016:

*R* = repeated from 2014-2015

Kyla Briscoe (volleyball, basketball, track) *R*
Tiffany Briscoe (volleyball, basketball, softball) *R*
Hunter Downes (football, basketball, track)
Gabe Eck (football, basketball, track)
Ty Eck (football, basketball, baseball)
Jordan Ford (football, basketball, track)
Lauren Grove (soccer, basketball, track) *R*
Jared Helmstadter (tennis, basketball, track) *R*
Lindsey Laxton (soccer, basketball, softball)
Nicole Lester (volleyball, basketball, softball)
Lindsey Roberts (soccer, basketball, track)
Lauren Rose (volleyball, basketball, softball) *R*
Hunter Smith (football, basketball, baseball) *R*
Cameron Toomey-Stout (football, basketball, baseball) *R*
James Vidoni (football, basketball, baseball) *R*
Allison Wenzel (volleyball, basketball, track) *R*
Sarah Wright (volleyball, basketball, softball)

Sylvia Hurlburt (John Fisken photos)

   Track titan Sylvia Hurlburt is super-psyched to go run in the cold rain and wind. (John Fisken photos)

Wolf seniors (l to r) CJ Smith, Cole Payne and Brenden Gilbert

   Wolf seniors (left to right) CJ Smith, Cole Payne and Brenden Gilbert spend some time bonding on picture day.

Spring is here.

Well, maybe not weather wise, but the Coupeville High School sports calendar says it’s almost time to pretend otherwise.

All five Wolf teams will kick off their season within the next week, and all here on the Island.

Boys’ soccer is up first, followed quickly (weather permitting) by softball and baseball, then girls’ tennis and, finally, track and field.

The CHS booters will host a jamboree at Mickey Clark Field this Friday (3 PM), with South Whidbey, Skyline and Lake Stevens in attendance, while Wolf baseball heads to Oak Harbor High School Saturday for its own taste of jamboree life.

The diamond men will play three-inning games against South Whidbey (12:30) and Oak Harbor (2 PM).

That same day, the Wolf softball squad is scheduled to be the first to play a real, full game, hosting South Whidbey (12 PM) in a non-conference tilt.

Wrapping up the openers for each Coupeville squad, tennis hosts Granite Falls (3:30 PM) Monday, Mar. 14 and track travels to Oak Harbor (3:30 PM) Thursday, Mar. 17 for the Island Jamboree.

And somewhere Mother Nature just laughs and laughs.

Payton Aparicio (John Fisken photos)

Payton Aparicio, doin’ work. (John Fisken photos)

Sydney’s little sister has become a star in her own right.

Coupeville High School sophomore Payton Aparicio, who celebrates a birthday today, has fully stepped out of the shadow cast by her successful big sis, more than making a name for herself in the sports world.

A two-sport star (volleyball and tennis) who still has time to return to basketball and make it three (you never know), Payton is one of the true bright lights in Wolf Nation.

She tore up the tennis court as just a freshman, teaming with fellow 9th grader Sage Renninger to play #1 doubles, and play it well.

Now, with a season of experience under their belts, they seem on the verge of having a truly huge breakout season this spring.

If Aparicio sets the tennis world on fire, it will be the second time she’s captured the spotlight this school year.

In the fall, she made the jump from playing JV volleyball as a frosh to being a varsity sensation as a sophomore.

When the stats were added up at the end of the season, Aparicio was one of three Wolves to appear in 10 of 11 categories, cracking the top four in a startling seven categories.

She was second on the team in serving percentage and service points won, third in kill percentage, hitting percentage and service returns and fourth in kills and digs.

Fueled by Aparicio and a roster full of fellow young guns, Coupeville surged from one win the season before to six in 2015, including a playoff victory against Seattle Christian.

Watching Payton fly around the court, two things were obvious.

One, she is a talented athlete (who hails from impressive athletic bloodlines), and, as her confidence continues to grow, I fully expect Aparicio to soar even higher.

And two, she truly lights up the gym and the world around it.

Payton comes across as a thoughtful, smart young woman who has a deep love for her large extended family, both blood relatives and teammates.

As she hits her cake day today, just a few days away from the start of a new tennis season, we want to take a quick moment to wish her the best.

Happy birthday, Miss Aparicio. May it sparkle like you do.