New CHS scoring king Logan Downes is congratulated by one of the men he passed Saturday, Mike Bagby. (Jon Roberts photo)
It was a mixed bag, man.
Saturday’s matchup with visiting Neah Bay was a Jekyll and Hyde sort of experience for the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball squad, with one huge high and way too many lows.
Wolf senior Logan Downes delivered the spotlight moment, drilling a second-quarter three-ball to become the #1 scorer in the 107-year history of CHS boys’ hoops.
But at virtually every other moment, Coupeville, fresh off a huge league win the night before, played its worst game of the season.
Falling 64-41 to the Red Devils, the Wolves looked out of sorts on offense, on defense, and even when taking water breaks.
Not even a fire drill midway through the fourth quarter — with a possibly burnt concession stand hamburger sending the crowd two steps out the front door before everyone got to turn right back around — was a complete success.
The good news is the loss was a non-conference one.
And the upcoming schedule breaks much more in the favor of the Wolves, with Concrete (6-9) and South Whidbey (2-12) coming to Coupeville next Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Oh, and the gym didn’t burn down. There’s that, too.
Neah Bay, ranked #5 in 1B by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association RPI, arrived in Cow Town looking for a sixth-straight win, and the Red Devils led from start to finish.
Downes, who entered play needing 11 points to pass Jeff Stone and Mike Bagby for the career scoring title, dropped a pair of three-balls through the net in the opening quarter.
But that was it for offense from the Wolves, who found themselves on the wrong end of a 14-6 score at the first break.
Things didn’t get much better from there, as the visitors stretched the lead out to double digits early in the second quarter, never allowing CHS to get the margin down under 10 the rest of the night.
A third trey from Downes midway through the second quarter gave him the record with 1,138 points, but Coupeville went to the locker room looking for answers and trailing 33-18.
The new scoring king will be honored in a pre-game ceremony at Tuesday’s clash with Concrete.
The Wolves finally seemed to flip a switch, for a moment, opening the third on a 7-2 run, only to have Neah Bay answer with a 10-5 surge of its own.
Things got sloppy in the fourth, with Coupeville throwing bad passes, being outrebounded at a terrifying rate, and being unable to keep any rallies alive.
A late 13-2 run by the Red Devils made the final score seem more lopsided than it really was, but it was never close, either.
Mikey Robinett prepares to get hydrated with Gatorade. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
The hometown crowd had one late roar left in its collective lungs for Mikey Robinett, who came off the bench to bank in the game’s final bucket, but that was a small salve.
Downes finished with a game-high 23, running his career total to 1,150, while Chase Anderson rattled the rim for seven points.
Cole White (4), Ryan Blouin (3), Nick Guay (2), and Robinett (2) rounded out the scorers.
Also seeing floor time were Zane Oldenstadt, Hurlee Bronec, Timothy Nitta, William Davidson, Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim, Hunter Bronec, and Aiden O’Neill.
One and all should expect an intense practice Monday afternoon.
Coupeville Sports 