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Maynes marvelous, Granite (almost) untouchable

April 20, 2024 by David Svien

Wolf 8th grader Adeline Maynes delivered a stellar pitching performance Saturday. (Jackie Saia photo)

Adeline Maynes was ferocious Saturday, but Bella Frye was just a little better.

The Coupeville 8th grader struck out a varsity career-high 12 batters on the road in Granite Falls, but her junior rival came within one swing of a perfect game, leading the host Tigers to a 2-0 win on the softball diamond.

The non-conference loss, coming against a former league rival, drops the Wolves to 8-4 heading into a busy week.

CHS, coming off of back-to-back tough tangles with strong 1A teams, makes a bid to reclaim its Northwest 2B/1B League crown next week.

The Wolves, who are 5-0 in conference play, travel to Darrington Monday, then host Orcas Island Tuesday, Concrete Thursday, and Darrington Saturday.

Playing up against stellar competition in its non-conference games can only help a young Coupeville squad which starts three 8th graders and two freshmen.

Maynes may not be taking high school classes yet, but she more than held her own Saturday.

Striking out batters in all six innings she threw, the young gun finished hot, whiffing back-to-back hitters with runners at second and third to end Granite’s chances in its final frame.

The Tigers pushed across one run in that bottom of the sixth, thanks to two well-placed singles, but could get no more.

That gave Frye a little padding, as she had carried a 1-0 lead since the first inning.

The game’s first run came thanks to a two-out blow to left field from (who else?) Granite’s hurler, which curled away from the fielder, then got a nice bounce when it touched down.

Running full-tilt, Frye beat the incoming throw to give herself the only run she would end up needing.

Coupeville got out of the first inning thanks to catcher Teagan Calkins gunning down a would-be base stealer, her throw nailing the runner by several steps.

Between that first run, and the one which came across in the sixth, the two pitchers were lights out, with not a single walk issued, and almost every ball in play immediately snuffed out by defenders.

Frye, who struck out five Wolves, went through Coupeville’s lineup twice, retiring the first 18 batters she faced.

The spell finally broke when CHS leadoff hitter Haylee Armstrong scorched a single to center to start the seventh.

The fab frosh got all the way to third base, but that was it as Granite Fall’s ace ended the game with three consecutive groundouts.

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Tennis court work heats up

April 20, 2024 by David Svien

Wolf net ace Kaitlyn Leavell blasts a return while playing on South Whidbey’s courts. (Andrew Williams photo)

With improved spring weather, work on Coupeville High School’s new tennis courts is picking up speed.

Superintendent Steve King released an update Friday in which he predicted the courts should be “open for play sometime in June.”

With no available courts, the CHS girls’ tennis team is playing all of its matches on the road this season.

But, after being slowed down by cold weather, the increase in sunny days has helped the work move forward.

“Currently, most of the paving for the courts has been done,” King said.

“Over the next few weeks, they plan to paint and fence in the courts. They will also have to work on the landscaping around the area and seed grass around the perimeter.”

The new courts are being constructed next to the CHS gym, a hop and skip away from the old ones, which used to sit next to the school’s bus barn.

Along with the courts being finished, the dirt unearthed in the project, which has been sitting on the corner of Terry Road since last summer, is expected to depart in the next few months.

“We have also worked with contractors to create a plan to remove the large pile of dirt,” King said. “If things go according to plan, they will be taking care of this late summer or early fall.”

The construction of new tennis courts is part of the district’s capital improvement projects, which were approved by voters in February 2022.

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Road warriors rally, win key game

April 19, 2024 by David Svien

Jack Farrell comes up firing on defense. (Jackie Saia photo)

Don’t look now, but Coupeville is making its patented second-half move.

Upholding a longstanding tradition, the 2024 edition of Wolf baseball stormed from behind to topple host Mount Vernon Christian 10-5 Friday.

That pushes Coupeville’s win streak in Northwest 2B/1B League games to four-straight, gets them to 5-2 in conference action, and lets them hurdle the Hurricanes to move into sole possession of second place.

The Wolves, who are 6-8 overall, are a game-and-a-half back of frontrunner Orcas Island (7-1), with MVC (5-3), Friday Harbor (4-4), La Conner (2-4), Concrete (1-5), and Darrington (1-6) rounding out the combatants.

CHS has five conference clashes left on the schedule, with three of those, including a second meeting with Orcas, slated to go down in Cow Town.

No baseball escapes Aiden O’Neill’s glove. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Friday, playing on the mainland, the Wolves came out strongly, slipped up for a bit, then reclaimed the lead and never let it go.

Coupeville took advantage of Hurricane errors all day, beginning in the second inning, when it used a wild pitch, a passed ball, and two bobbled balls to push three runs across the plate.

Wolf hurler Seth Woollet kept MVC largely at bay, getting some slick defensive play from 8th grader Carson Grove at second base, though eventually the hosts regained the lead for a hot second.

With CHS unable to score across the third, fourth, and fifth innings, the lead slipped to 3-1, then went to a 3-3 stalemate, before the Wolves fell behind at 4-3.

Never fear.

The final two frames thoroughly belonged to Coupeville, as the road warriors surged for seven runs to claim the win.

Three more ‘Cane errors in the top of the sixth helped a lot, then Steven Gonzalez tore the hide off the ball, lacing a two-run single to left field to push CHS ahead 7-4.

Landon Roberts prepares to inflict great harm on the baseball. Nothing personal, just business. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

MVC got one run back in the bottom half of the inning, but the Wolves iced things in the seventh as Coop Cooper walked, before Landon Roberts and Johnny Porter laced back-to-back base knocks.

The final blow came off the bat of Peyton Caveness, with Mount Vernon committing its sixth, and final error, on the play to compound matters.

Up 10-5, Woollet handed the ball off to Roberts, and the lanky lefty struck out the side in the seventh to close things down.

 

Friday stats:

Chase Anderson — Two singles, one walk
Coop Cooper — Two walks
Steven Gonzalez — One single
Carson Grove — One walk
Jack Porter — One walk
Johnny Porter — One single
Landon Roberts — One single
Cole White — One single, one walk
Seth Woollet — Two singles

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“We can hang with real good teams”

April 19, 2024 by David Svien

Only a sensational defensive play prevented Mia Farris from being a hero Friday afternoon in Blaine. (Ryan Blouin photo)

Give credit where credit is due — Blaine won; Coupeville didn’t lose.

Friday’s matchup of high-rolling softball squads was a pitcher’s duel decided by a couple of plays, and the host Borderites made a couple of stunners to seal their 4-1 non-conference win.

An inch here, a gust of wind (or lack of a gust of wind) there, and the 2B Wolves, who roll out three 8th graders and two freshmen in the starting lineup, could very well have upended their 1A rivals.

But Blaine’s pitcher pulled off a stunner of a double play to thwart one threat, and then its centerfielder went all Superman on the final play of the game to rob Coupeville of a chance to tie the game.

So, you tip your hat, you get back on the bus and mentally plan for another road trip Saturday — this one to Granite Falls — and you look at what went right.

Which was a lot of things for a Wolf team which sits at 8-3 on the season.

From Sydney Van Dyke and Madison McMillan gobbling up groundballs on defense, to Wolf catcher Teagan Calkins bursting from behind home plate to gun down runners, to leadoff hitter Haylee Armstrong getting aboard three times.

CHS came out strongly, loading the bases in the top of the first thanks to infield hits from Armstrong and Calkins packaged around a walk to McMillan.

Van Dyke then eked out another free pass to force in the game’s first run, before Blaine escaped the half inning with a strikeout.

With starting pitcher Armstrong retiring the first five hitters she faced, Coupeville held on to its razor-thin lead until late in the bottom of the second inning.

Blaine finally broke through thanks to a two-run double from its #8 hitter, inching ahead at 2-1, and the stage was set for a tense tussle.

The Wolves had their chances, getting two aboard in the third, but the Borderite hurler, while not untouchable, was hard to pin down.

And then came the web gems, which drove a stake through the hearts of CHS fans.

With a runner at first and one out in the top of the fifth, Taylor Brotemarkle smashed a red-hot liner back up the middle.

Only to see the Blaine pitcher spear the ball in the tip of her glove at the last second, then whirl to double off the runner for an inning-ending double play.

With Armstrong and Adeline Maynes combining to whiff five batters from the circle, Coupeville hung tough, and made its move in the top of the seventh.

“I get on base, son. It’s kind of my thing.” (Jackie Saia photo)

Both Wolf pitchers walked, bringing Mia Farris to the plate with the Wolves down to their final out.

The junior slugger smoked a shot to centerfield which, on a less windy day, mighty have cleared the fence for a three-run homer.

Instead, the ball got caught in the crossflow just long enough for Blaine’s centerfielder to make a superb diving catch while on a full sprint.

What could of have been…

Instead of cutting the lead to 4-3, with Farris bouncing on second or third with the crush crew of Brotemarkle, McMillan, and Calkins on deck, it was game over.

But while the Wolves lost, coach Kevin McGranahan was thrilled with a lot of what he saw from his very young team after a very long drive to the border.

“4-1 against them is a big win in my book,” he said. “We learned today that we can hang with real good teams and if the ball bounces differently a time or two we could come out on top.

“They kept their ace in for all seven innings even though now she pitched 24 innings since Monday, and they play Lynden Christian tomorrow — a league game for them.

“I told the girls that is a very high show of respect for us and our young squad.

“Great game for us and another that will only make us better and stronger.”

 

Friday stats:

Haylee Armstrong — One single, two walks
Teagan Calkins — One single, one walk
Adeline Maynes — One walk
Madison McMillan — One walk
Sydney Van Dyke — One walk

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Music program on chopping block?

April 19, 2024 by David Svien

Can’t stop the beat? We’ll see.

The first draft of proposed budget cuts for the Coupeville School District includes “elimination of the secondary band/music program.”

That program has been without its primary instructor since Jamar Jenkins was placed on paid administrative leave in January.

At that time Superintendent Steve King released a statement stating:

“In order to make sure you have accurate information I’m writing to inform you that Mr. Jenkins is on paid administrative leave while the concerns that were reported are being investigated.

“This leave is not disciplinary, and the district has reached no conclusions regarding what personnel actions, if any, may be appropriate.

“We ask for patience and respect for the investigative process, as well as your understanding that we are not able to discuss further specifics of the concerns at this time.”

The proposed budget cuts, which were discussed at a school board workshop Thursday, also call for the “elimination of one elementary specialist program – to be determined” and the reduction of up to six certified teacher positions “through a combination of attrition and Reduction in Force (RIF).”

In an email to the public sent out Friday, King stated the specialist programs under consideration are STEM and Art/Music.

“While both program reductions are difficult, they will help us keep class sizes down in our core academic program while achieving the financial reductions that need to be made,” he said.

At the workshop, King said the district has papers in hand for four teachers who are retiring or resigning and are waiting for confirmation on a fifth.

None of the departing teachers was named, with the superintendent citing privacy concerns.

In his Friday email, King stated the district will attempt to only “temporarily eliminate” the music program.

“This is a difficult decision, but our recent student numbers in the secondary band are much lower than expected due to the lack of student interest,” he said.

“Given our current financial situation and staffing challenges, we believe temporarily eliminating the program is our best option. We plan to bring back the program when it is financially viable.”

He went on to state that the district will seek to “find ways to provide after-school band/music opportunities for students through after-school clubs and possibly offer opportunities during tutorial periods.”

“In the long term, we believe that Coupeville should have a thriving band and music program, so we look forward to bringing the program back in the future,” King said.

The proposed cuts, part of what is termed a “modified education plan,” will be presented to the school board to vote on at its Thursday, April 25 meeting.

They are only the start, however.

District officials have stated they need to cut $1.66 million from the budget, in hopes of restoring the general fund balance to its preferred amount, which is 6% of the budget year’s expenditures.

“Any other reductions, including other programs and non-certificated staff, will be communicated sometime in May,” King said in his email.

“I will work with the board and, specifically, the board budget committee regarding future communication on decisions and possible feedback or question-and-answer opportunities.”

 

To see the modified education plan to be presented at the April 25 school board meeting, pop over to:

Click to access Modified%20Education%20Plan%2024-25.pdf

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