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Landon Roberts KO’s Auburn

January 8, 2024 by David Svien

Landon Roberts has a secret. “Psst, mom, next game, I’m gonna win it at the buzzer!” (Photo courtesy Sherry Bonacci)

Mama said knock you out.

So, following in the grand tradition of LL Cool J, Coupeville gunner Landon Roberts did just that Monday, tipping in a game-winning shot at the buzzer to lift the Wolf JV boys’ hoops squad to a win over visiting Auburn Adventist Academy.

While mom Sherry (allegedly) danced in the stands, her son lifted dad Jon’s squad to an emotional 55-54 win.

The non-conference victory runs Coupeville’s record to 7-1, with seven straight W’s in the books now.

Up next for Landon and Company?

A chance to have the spotlight totally on them Wednesday, as they play host to Oak Harbor in a game set to tipoff at 5:15 in the CHS gym.

After that, Coupeville’s varsity will join the JV for a trip Friday to Orcas Island, capping a busy week of rim-wrecking action.

Ready to bring the heat. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Monday’s battle was a wild one, with the teams exchanging body blows before the Wolves rallied at the end to maintain their hot streak.

“A pretty gritty game,” said Jon Roberts as he leaned against the gym wall, looking a little worn out but happy.

Auburn jumped out to a 15-12 lead at the first break, before Coupeville slightly trimmed the lead back to 26-24 at the half.

The Eagles inched ahead 43-40 through three quarters, before the Wolves made their move in the fourth behind big man Camden Glover, who went off for nine of his game-high 17 points in the frame.

The biggest bucket came at the end, however, with Auburn clinging to a 54-53 lead as the clock madly ticked down.

The ball went up, hit the rim, got knocked around and re-shot more than once, before Sherry’s favorite son knocked down the game-winner to send the middle school gym into madness.

Johnny Porter banked in 12 points in support of Glover’s 17, while Landon Roberts made the nets jump for nine.

Riley Lawless (8), Jack Porter (6), and Aiden O’Neill (3) rounded out the scoring, with Easton Green, Malachi Somes, and Jayden McManus also seeing floor time for the Wolves.

Posted in Boys Basketball | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Balanced scoring, beautiful win

January 8, 2024 by David Svien

Ari Cunningham is a lock-down defender. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Now that’s some depth.

With 10 players scoring Monday night, the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team blitzed visiting Auburn Adventist Academy from every angle.

Leading from start to finish, the Wolves grounded the Eagles, rolling to a 37-18 non-conference victory in their first game in almost a month.

Now 3-4 on the season, CHS has nabbed back-to-back wins — with the first of those coming way back on Dec. 19.

After that win over Forks, the JV sat, with only Coupeville’s varsity making trips to Eastern Washington for holiday tournament play and then to Darrington.

And now, basking in another win, the young guns will sit again for eight days, as the next foe on the schedule, Orcas Island, only has a varsity squad this season.

Kassie O’Neil’s squad is slated to return to action Jan. 16 with a home rumble against La Conner, and hopefully their coach will be able to join them.

She was out sick Monday, but fellow Wolf coach Lark Gustafson stepped in and led the team to the win.

What he got was extremely well-balanced scoring, with four different players tying for top honors with six points apiece.

“Good team game,” Gustafson said. “Lots of good hustle and able to get everyone some playing time.”

He praised his roster of rock ’em, sock ’em warriors, with a special shoutout to one of Coupeville’s key scrappers.

“Ari (Cunningham) might not have had a lot of points,” Gustafson said. “But she had great steals and rebounds and hustle.”

Coupeville edged out to a 6-2 lead after a defensive-orientated first quarter, before stretching the margin to 12-6 by the half.

The third quarter was where the Wolves really brought the heat, however, going on a 14-4 rampage to blow things wide open.

Five different CHS players scored in the frame, with 8th grader Adie Maynes leading the way, as she torched the nets for all six of her points.

Haylee Armstrong, Brynn Parker, and Lexis Drake matched her total on the night, with Tenley Stuurmans banking in four points.

Bryley Gilbert (2), Capri Anter (2), Taylor Marrs (2), Chelsi Stevens (2), and Cunningham (1) rounded out the attack, with Ava Lucero clamping down on the defensive end of the floor.

Ava Lucero looks for an open teammate.

Posted in Girls Basketball | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

“Torpedo” shines on the big stage

January 8, 2024 by David Svien

Sean Toomey-Stout, now with mustache, hits the big time. (Michael Davidson photo)

Sean Toomey-Stout is still enjoying the brights lights of the big stage.

The Coupeville High School grad, the only former Wolf to ever rack up stats for the University of Washington football team, had to take a medical retirement at the start of the season.

But the Huskies have kept Maya’s twin brother as part of their program, and he’s been with his U-Dub teammates every step of the way during a miracle campaign.

That run included an undefeated regular season, with numerous close calls, a #2 ranking in the national polls, a narrow win over Texas in the Sugar Bowl, and, finally, an appearance in the national championship game Monday against top-ranked Michigan.

Sean is in the program, he’ll be wearing his #30 jersey on the sidelines, and he may even make an appearance on ESPN — if they want to see their ratings spike.

Following in the footsteps of older brother Cameron, “The Torpedo” was a football, basketball, and track and field standout at CHS, before beating the odds to become an NCAA D-I gridiron warrior for the storied Husky program.

Making the team as a walk-on, Sean played in six games, collecting five solo tackles and two assists.

He also made the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll twice and became the first Coupeville athlete to get his own trading card.

Welcome to ThunderDome. (Michael Davidson photo)

Grabbing a pic with the parentals. (Photo courtesy Beth Stout)

Looking snazzy and snappy. (Photo courtesy Beth Stout)

Part of history. (Photo courtesy Beth Stout)

Family and friends pack the stands. (Photo courtesy Beth Stout)

Posted in Football, Wolves in college | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Hail a hardball legend

January 7, 2024 by David Svien

Jim Hosek, Coupeville High School’s most successful baseball coach.

Wolf Nation lost a diamond legend late last year.

Jim Hosek, who passed away at age 76 on Oct. 30, 2023, was the most successful baseball coach in Coupeville High School history.

During his six years in charge of the Wolf hardball program from 1973-1978, he led his teams to 103 wins, five straight league titles and four district crowns.

Hosek’s crew advanced to the state tournament four times during that run, with the ’77 team becoming the first CHS baseball squad to win a game at the big dance.

Those Wolves bopped Kittitas 14-0.

Coupeville was primed to keep the surge going, only to lose Hosek thanks to a questionable at best decision by the school board of the time.

After stepping down as a teacher to run the family’s novelty business, he offered to remain as Wolf baseball coach.

Instead, the board insisted it wanted a teacher as coach, and Hosek moved on to take over the Skagit Valley College baseball program.

To no one’s surprise, he was equally as successful at the college level as he had been leading high school teams.

Along with collecting a string of wins and titles, Hosek was unique in making sure all of his team’s uniforms had a one somewhere in the jersey number.

That was to reinforce the mandate that he and his team always view themselves as #1.

While I’m too young to have written about Hosek during his CHS days, I came to know him as a faithful customer at Videoville, and, before that, as dad to Mika, one of the first Wolf stars I covered during my stint at the Whidbey News-Times.

Later, with the blog, I spoke to many of his former players, from Bill Jarrell to Keith Jameson, and beyond, and they all praised their former diamond skipper.

He had an admirable baseball career, helped put Coupeville High School sports on the map, and always came across as a genuinely nice guy.

Inducting Hosek into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame in 2016 was an incredibly easy decision. He more than earned that spot.

As we approach another windswept spring on the prairie, the next time you head out to the CHS baseball diamond, take a moment and tip one out for a hardball legend.

Posted in Baseball, In memory | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment »

Rough day on the hardwood

January 7, 2024 by David Svien

Pro hoops star Makana Stone watches a rival player clang a shot off the rim. (Photo property Simeon Bacolod)

That first quarter was a killer.

Throw it out and Sunday’s Norwegian women’s pro hoops game between Ammerud and Ulriken was a close affair.

Unfortunately for Coupeville grad Makana Stone and company, the first 10 minutes are part of the official score, and a 42-2 deficit at the first break fueled a 109-62 loss to the league leaders.

The defeat drops Ammerud to 3-9, while Ulriken sits atop the standings at 9-1.

The Queens, who were led by Stone’s 16-point, three-rebound, two-assist performance, rallied in the second quarter, prevailing 22-18 across the frame.

That slightly cut the deficit to 60-24 at the half, but then Ulriken, which was led by 24 points from all-world gunner Stine Austgulen, stretched the margin back out to 86-42 by the end of the third.

Stone and her hardwood compatriots get a week off, returning to action next Sunday, Jan. 14, when Ammerud will clash with Baerum, which sits at 5-6.

Now in her third season of overseas hoops action, the former Wolf ace has racked up 257 points, 135 rebounds, 38 assists, 37 steals, and seven blocks, leading the team in virtually every category.

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