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Balanced Wolves savage Lions

January 24, 2024 by David Svien

Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim and friends are 12-4 after drilling Concrete. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“We’d love it if every game was like this.”

The Coupeville High School boys’ basketball coaching staff was in a righteous mood Tuesday, basking in the afterglow of a 66-30 win over visiting Concrete.

It wasn’t just the win, which lifts the Wolves to 5-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 12-4 overall, but how the win was accomplished.

CHS put three guys into double digit scoring — including a career-best performance from bearded banger Zane Oldenstadt — got points from nine players and gave floor time to 13.

That should leave the Wolf starters fresh as they kick off a three-games-in-five-days stretch, while giving the role players a chance to earn big cheers from their home fans.

So, exactly the kind of game you want coming off a fairly lackluster performance Saturday against Neah Bay in a rare loss.

This time around, the Wolves hit the floor with purpose and passion, sharing the ball, making the small plays, and never once taking their collective foot off the gas pedal.

Concrete’s one and only lead came at 3-2 extremely early in the first quarter, and then it was fun times under the bright lights for the run-and-gun Wolves.

Chase Anderson drilled a short jumper to put CHS ahead for good, then snatched a rebound and fed Logan Downes for a three-ball and the rout was on.

Another trey, this one flying off the fingertips of Ryan Blouin, staked the Wolves to a 15-8 lead at the first break.

From there, Coupeville steadily stretched the advantage, with first Anderson, then Hunter Bronec, reeling off three straight buckets.

Five different Wolves scored in the second frame, with Oldenstadt converting putbacks and Downes outsprinting the defense on breakaways, as CHS pushed things out to 36-17 at the half.

Bearded banger Zane Oldenstadt arrives to inflict damage and destruction. (CHS Yearbook Staff photo)

Cole White stepped up to showcase the hot hand in the third, with the final one of his three baskets in the frame coming on a wild play.

A ballet of destruction, playing out precisely in favor of the Wolves, it began with Nick Guay bounding airborne to punch the ball half the length of the floor, before Anderson chased down the errant orb a half-inch away from stepping on the end line.

Flicking the ball back to White, he watched in fascination as his older teammate stopped on a dime, throwing the shot down in one smooth motion as Lion defenders skidded past, silent screams etched on their faces.

Things got really brutal for Concrete in the fourth, as they discovered a painful secret.

Once unleashed, you can’t put Oldenstadt back in the bottle.

Like a genie granting all the wishes — even the one for more wishes — the burly Wolf senior ripped off eight straight points to cap the greatest offensive display of his career.

Known for his rebounding, love of planting fools on their butt while patrolling the paint, and willingness to wear a hollowed-out pumpkin on his head at Halloween, Oldenstadt finished with a hyped-up 12 points.

This, after scoring 13 points total across the first 15 games.

It brought a big smile to CHS coach Brad Sherman’s face as he scanned the scorebook, while Oldenstadt’s faithful fans chanted “More playing time! More playing time!!”

Downes led the Wolves with 15, and on the night when he was honored for becoming the #1 scorer in CHS boys’ basketball 107-year history this past weekend, he passed yet another milestone.

With 1,165 points and counting, he slips past Makana Stone (1,158) to become #3 all-time at the school regardless of gender.

Next up? Novi Barron (1,270), then Brianne King (1,549).

Anderson slapped home 14 to slide in between Downes and Oldenstadt, while White (8), Hunter Bronec (7), Blouin (5), Aiden O’Neill (2), Mikey Robinett (2), and Guay (1) also scored.

William Davidson gets frisky. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

William Davidson, Timothy Nitta, Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim, and Hurlee Bronec also saw floor time for the Wolves, who host South Whidbey Wednesday before traveling to Puyallup Saturday to play Chief Leschi.

 

No JV action:

Coupeville’s red-hot ‘n rollin’ second unit had the night off Tuesday, as the Lions don’t have a JV boys’ team this season.

The Wolf young guns, sitting at 10-2 on the season, return to action Wednesday with a home game against South Whidbey.

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Down a star, Wolves win with team ball

January 23, 2024 by David Svien

“Your bench is short tonight, mom? Put me in! I’ll burn those nets down!!” (Photo courtesy Megan Richter)

Teamwork makes the dream work, especially when you’re missing a star.

With two-way warrior Mia Farris riding the bench while recovering from a nasty fall in a game this weekend, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad spread the love Tuesday night.

Six different Wolves scored multiple times, and a second-half surge carried Megan Richter’s squad to a convincing 45-24 win over visiting Concrete.

The victory lifts CHS to 2-4 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 6-10 overall.

It also propels the Wolves from the cellar up to fourth place in the seven-team NWL, with the final days of the regular season fast approaching.

Tuesday’s win was a team effort from start to finish.

Nine players saw the floor, and the three who didn’t score still had a solid impact, with Kayla Arnold and Reese Wilkinson snaring rebounds and tougher-than-she-looks Brynn Parker holding up well under stress while handling the ball.

Brynn Parker slices ‘n dices the defense. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coupeville came out firing, with Lyla Stuurmans banking home the game’s first shot, before Katie Marti sank a three-ball from the top after being set up by a rebound and kickout pass from Wolf sparkplug Jada Heaton.

The visitors made their one stand of the night in the first, briefly creeping ahead 8-7 on a three-ball at the tail end of the quarter, but then CHS went to work.

The aforementioned Heaton was spectacular in the second frame, getting her hands on seemingly every loose ball and interjecting herself into nearly every play.

While she still showed off her enormous heart by stopping in the middle of a fight for a loose ball to check on a Lion who bounced off the hardwood, she was also a cold-blooded killer when needed.

Peppering Concrete with buckets, Heaton knocked down the shot of the game when she put back a rebound a half tick before the shot clock buzzed, then merrily cartwheeled down the floor, slapping hands left and right as she went.

Junior Jada Heaton (12) is the glue that holds the Wolves together. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Still, Concrete hung tough, trailing just 17-13 at the half, with a little help from the world’s thinnest-skinned ref.

His operating style? Spending almost as much time lecturing Coupeville’s coaches for imaginary conversations as he did calling fouls on the Wolves with no time left on the clock.

Ignoring the zesty zebra, the Wolves seized control of the game in the third quarter, however.

Madison McMillan dominated in the paint, Skylar Parker slashed the Lion defense to ribbons, and Teagan Calkins was everywhere and nowhere at once, an assassin making the kill, then vanishing before the victim knew they were dead.

CHS exited the third quarter up 28-17 and it would have been more, only to have a ref try to interject themselves back in the game by waving off a Calkins shot at the buzzer.

Not that it mattered, because even when the officials fouled out Heaton early in the fourth quarter — to the wails of her robust fan club — there was no slowing down the Wolves.

Whipping the ball around the arc, and up and down the floor, Coupeville triggered multiple buckets on precise passes, as everyone got in on the point explosion.

The Wolves closed the game on a 17-3 surge, with five of the last eight baskets directly set up by an assist.

Calkins popped for a game-high 13 points to pace CHS, with Marti banking in nine, and Stuurmans and McMillan both rippling the nets for seven.

Heaton had five, before the refs knifed her in the back, while Skylar Parker added four, making for very balanced books.

With the win in hand, the Wolf girls are off until Saturday, when they travel to Puyallup to face Chief Leschi in a non-conference tilt.

After that comes home matchups with Friday Harbor and Orting, and a road trip to La Conner to wrap the regular season.

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Haylee Armstrong is killin’ folks!!

January 23, 2024 by David Svien

Haylee Armstrong sees your defense, and she is not impressed. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Mama said knock you out, so Haylee Armstrong went and threw some haymakers.

Raining down 20 of her career-high 30 points in the second half Tuesday, the Coupeville High School freshman turned a JV game against visiting Concrete from a nailbiter to a blowout.

The Wolves went into the locker room up by just a single point, only to come away with a 47-26 victory thanks to their hot-shooting guard.

The win lifts Kassie O’Neil’s squad to 1-3 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 4-6 overall, with a road trip to Chief Leschi Saturday next up on the schedule.

Tuesday’s rumble with Concrete was a sticky one for the first 16 minutes, as the two teams exchanged body blows, warily circling one another.

Armstrong popped for 10 in the first half, propelling the Wolves to an 8-4 lead after one and a narrow 16-15 advantage as everyone heading in for pep talks and (maybe) orange slices.

Whether she got to nibble on citrus or not, the fab frosh came out flexin’ in the second half.

Raining down 11 points in the third quarter alone, Armstrong spurred an 18-8 run to bust the game wide open.

She had some help, with Tenley Stuurmans and Capri Anter combining for seven points in the frame, and the Wolves kept the heat cranked up in the fourth quarter.

Closing on a 13-3 tear, CHS slammed the door shut, locked it, and threw the key away.

While Armstrong’s 30 was the best performance by any Wolf girl this season, varsity or JV, she wasn’t the only young gun to score.

Anter backed up her cousin with a solid seven-point effort, while Stuurmans (6), Brynn Parker (2), and Ari Cunningham (2) also kept the scorekeeper busy.

Ava Lucero, Lexis Drake, Bryley Gilbert, Adie Maynes, Taylor Marrs, and Chelsi Stevens rounded out the rotation for the Wolves, who have four games left in their season.

Ava Lucero dares a foe to try and get past her.

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They got the beat, and the shooting touch

January 22, 2024 by David Svien

Bryley Gilbert has scored for two different Wolf teams this winter. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The numbers keep trending up.

Heading into a busy week of basketball, there are now eight Wolves who have cracked 100 points this season — six boys and two girls.

Logan Downes, who reached #1 on the Coupeville High School boys’ basketball career scoring chart Saturday, is, not surprisingly, our top scorer this season.

Sitting at #2 is sophomore Camden Glover, who leads an explosive JV squad which features three 100+ point scorers, and two more guys close to joining them.

Overall, CHS hoops stars have combined to rain down 2,237 points this season, of which 2,211 are fully accounted for in our stats watch.

Hurlee Bronec looks for an opening in the defense. (Parker Hammons photo)

 

Where things sit on the morning of Jan. 22:

 

Varsity – Girls
(15 games)

Katie Marti – 115
Mia Farris – 101
Madison McMillan – 62
Lyla Stuurmans – 46
Teagan Calkins – 40
Jada Heaton – 29
Haylee Armstrong – 12
Skylar Parker – 11
Reese Wilkinson – 3
Kayla Arnold – 2
Bryley Gilbert – 2

 

JV – Girls
(9 games)

Haylee Armstrong – 84
Tenley Stuurmans – 55
Bryley Gilbert – 34
Capri Anter – 21
Brynn Parker – 21
Adie Maynes – 17
Lexis Drake – 14
Teagan Calkins – 9
Taylor Marrs – 6
Chelsi Stevens – 5
Ari Cunningham – 3

**Missing 26 points​​**

 

Varsity – Boys
(15 games)

Logan Downes – 372
Chase Anderson – 129
Cole White – 117
Ryan Blouin – 92
Hunter Bronec – 58
Nick Guay – 38
Hurlee Bronec – 22
Zane Oldenstadt – 13
William Davidson – 12
Mikey Robinett – 4
Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim – 4
Timothy Nitta – 2
Aiden O’Neill – 2

 

JV – Boys:
(12 games)

Camden Glover – 150
Johnny Porter – 115
Jack Porter – 108
Aiden O’Neill – 85
Landon Roberts – 70
Riley Lawless – 42
Jayden McManus – 23
Malachi Somes – 23
Easton Green – 18
Davin Houston – 16
Makai Myles – 4

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Embrace that 2B life, Wolves

January 21, 2024 by David Svien

Coupeville Athletic Director Willie Smith contemplates a future in which his school will have increased playoff opportunities. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Get comfortable, cause no one is going anywhere.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association finalized its classification numbers Sunday for the 2024-2028 cycle, and the seven-team Northwest 2B/1B League won’t be affected at all.

Well, a little bit, but in a pro-Coupeville way.

The Wolves, Friday Harbor, and La Conner remain as 2B schools, while Mount Vernon Christian and Orcas Island go from 1B to 2B.

Darrington and Concrete remain as 1B institutions.

With the NWL going from a league where 1B schools held the edge at 4-3, to one where 2B schools now dominate 5-2, will increase playoff opportunities in most sports for the bigger schools.

So, a positive for Coupeville, which has the largest student body in the league.

Now, the change won’t affect football, as MVC and Orcas don’t practice the dark arts of the gridiron, but God’s Chosen Sport — basketball — will definitely benefit.

When setting numbers, the WIAA takes into consideration each school’s free and reduced lunches, though it calls that “Direct Cert” now.

If a school has a rate greater than the state average of 34%, its enrollment number is reduced, with a cap at 40%.

Two NWL schools — La Conner and Concrete — had their numbers adjusted for this reason.

Schools with an adjusted student body of 1-104 land in 1B, with 105-224 calling 2B home.

Going forward, there are 54 schools in 2B and 105 in 1B.

For those that care, the other numbers are 60 schools in 4A, 73 in 3A, 63 in 2A, and 55 in 1A.

Whidbey Island’s two other schools, Oak Harbor (1,179.88 students) and South Whidbey (273.63) remain 3A and 1A schools in the next cycle.

Where NWL schools currently sit:

Coupeville — 192.50
Friday Harbor — 185.63
Mount Vernon Christian — 134.63
Orcas Island — 123.00
La Conner — 108.36 adjusted from 129.00
Concrete — 87.31 adjusted from 93.88
Darrington — 85.38

The next classification cycle begins in August and runs through the 2027-2028 school year, assuring current Coupeville Middle School 8th graders will be 2B athletes for the entirety of their high school careers.

 

To crunch all the numbers, pop over to:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10QWzZeJ2LOeHhIMS3waPTz7SXEAXWWHxuUXJ2qI4RAw/edit#gid=0

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