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Haylee Armstrong and her chauffeur hit the road for a softball tourney. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

They fire lightning bolts and make the heavens quake with the fury from their bats.

Hitting the travel ball trail this summer, the 14 young women who comprise the Whidbey Island Thunder 18U softball squad are a talented bunch.

Half the team hails from Coupeville, while the other half should convince their parents to move to Cow Town in pursuit of year-round coverage of their athletic exploits.

Jada Heaton, Madison McMillan, and Taylor Brotemarkle, who are all wrapping up their sophomore years at CHS, anchor the squad.

Joining them in the lineup are fellow Wolf sluggers Allie Lucero, Haylee Armstrong, Maya Lucero, and Teagan Calkins.

The Lucero twins graduate Saturday, while Calkins is currently a freshman and Armstrong an 8th grader who started for the CHS varsity while still in middle school.

Mia Farris (far left) is sitting this one out, but fellow Coupeville High School sluggers Madison McMillan, Taylor Brotemarkle, and Jada Heaton are tearing up the softball diamond this summer. (Jennifer Heaton photo)

The pack of Wolves are joined by Oak Harbor’s Layla Suto, Lilly Norman, Ramona Ryder, Mekayla Smith-Day, and Loto Tupu.

Rounding out the Whidbey-based team are Grace Swenson and Jaymie Kallio, who hail from Sedro-Woolley.

Matt Suto is the team’s head coach, while CHS diamond guru Kevin McGranahan is working as his assistant.

The Thunder, who opened play recently, are scheduled to vie in a string of tournaments in June and July.

Their road tour will take them through pit stops in Tacoma, Mount Vernon, the Tri-Cities, and Lynnwood, as well as a trip to Surrey, British Columbia for the Canada Cup.

Hunter Smith (far left) has left the CHS bench, leaving a job opening for a basketball coach. (Deb Sherman photo)

Feel the coaching itch?

Now’s the time to scratch it.

Coupeville High School has openings for a girls and boys tennis coach, while also looking for someone to head up the JV boys’ basketball program.

Meanwhile, the town’s middle school is looking for an 8th grade girls’ basketball coach to join Bennett Richter on the sideline.

The tennis jobs are open for the first time since 2005, with longtime net guru Ken Stange having retired this spring.

After this, he can be found groovin’ down at his establishment, Bailey’s Corner Store in Clinton, rockin’ trivia night and hosting an eclectic selection of bands.

Oh, and Stange can still kick your fanny on the tennis court as a player, even if he’s no longer an official coach.

JV boys’ basketball was led by former Wolf star Hunter Smith, but an impending marriage to fellow CHS grad Payton Aparicio and his real-world job lured the Coupeville Sports Hall of Famer away from Whidbey.

For the moment, at least.

Last, but certainly not least, former Wolf ace Mia Littlejohn, who worked with both high school and middle school hoops players, is returning to school herself.

Coupeville’s all-time leading female soccer scorer, now a mom to a very happy little girl, is hitting the books at Edmonds College.

 

To see the job openings and/or apply, pop over to:

https://www.applitrack.com/coupeville/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Athletics%2fActivities

Strong to the end.

Sparked by a stellar spring, Coupeville High School held on for its first-ever top-five finish in the annual chase for the Scholastic Cup.

The Wolves, who sent athletes to the state championships in baseball, track and field, and girls’ tennis this spring, while also winning a pair of academic state titles, were tied for #5 coming out of winter.

But while Liberty, Asotin, and Napavine slipped away, and Cle Elum-Rosalyn and Adna made late charges, CHS was one of three 2B schools to hold its slot.

Saint George’s won a third-straight title, while Okanogan remained in 2nd place from winter through spring, with the final results announced Wednesday afternoon.

The Scholastic Cup, which is awarded by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, “recognizes performance in the classroom as well as on the playing surface.”

Schools receive points for team athletic achievement at state tourneys, with top academic performance and sportsmanship also part of the criteria.

Coupeville finished with 840 points, putting it just 65 points out of 3rd place, while the Wolves held a 125-point lead on Goldendale and Asotin, which tied for 6th.

The final standings reflect 60 schools in 2B.

St. George’s was joined in the winner’s circle by Crosspoint (1B), Seattle Academy (1A), Sehome (2A), Cheney (3A), and Newport (4A).

Coupeville sent athletes to state in baseball, cross country, football, girls’ tennis, and track during the 2022-2023 school year, with girls’ track leading the way with a 3rd place finish in the team standings.

Academic state titles were brought home by girls’ cross country, boys’ track and field, and girls’ tennis.

Also picking up academic points for top-eight finishes among all 2B schools were boys’ soccer (2nd), cheer (4th), boys’ cross country (5th), baseball (6th), softball (6th), girls’ soccer (7th), and football (8th).

While Coupeville made a run for the top, its next-door neighbors didn’t do quite as well.

South Whidbey, a 1A school, finished #56 of 63, while 3A Oak Harbor was #67 of 76.

 

For more info, pop over to:

http://www.wiaa.com/cupranking.aspx?SecID=346

Jeff Stone, a legend at multiple local high schools, attacks the course at a fundraiser event. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

If you golf, the paparazzi will be there.

Responding to the thunk of drivers hitting balls, and the gentle sizzle of hotdogs on the grill, wanderin’ camera clicker John Fisken haunted the Whidbey Golf Course recently.

The links were abuzz thanks to an annual fundraiser for Oak Harbor High School athletics, with a considerable crowd in attendance.

The pics seen above and below have at least one Coupeville connection to make them semi-relevant to a blog which doesn’t normally cover the Wildcats all that closely.

Plus, I’m not going to say no thanks to free photos, am I?

Not likely.

 

To see everything Fisken snapped on the day, pop over to:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Events/OHHS-Golf-Tournament-2023-06-03/

 

Vivian Farris finished her prep tennis career as half of Coupeville’s top doubles team. (Jackie Saia photo)

It’s the final stop on the final ride.

Longtime Coupeville High School tennis coach Ken Stange called it a career this spring, after guiding Wolf netters for almost two decades.

But before he departed, the net guru handed out a final batch of varsity letters, awards, and desserts to his last group of players Tuesday at a season-ending banquet.

Sweet treats to cap a successful season. (Ken Stange photo)

Helen Strelow, who played three matches at the state tourney, was named team MVP, while fellow senior Hayley Fiedler earned Most Inspirational.

The duo shared captain honors with Vivian Farris, and the trio, along with Lucy Tenore, collected Four-Year awards for playing every season of their high school run.

Rounding out the award winners was sophomore Kaitlyn Leavell, tabbed as Most Improved.

Stange also honored the six Wolf netters who combined to bring home a Tri-District crown.

Strelow, who won the singles title at that tourney, punching her ticket to state, was joined by Fiedler, Farris, Tenore, Skylar Parker, and Djina Radenovic in hefting the team trophy.

Foreign exchange student Djina Radenovic added tennis to her American experience. (Jackie Saia photo)

Continuing a trend which has endured throughout Stange’s teaching and coaching career, his players were also aces in the classroom.

The Wolves won an academic state title as the 2B net squad with the highest team GPA.

All in all, it made for a stellar swan song for the hardcourt master.

“What a wonderful final season for me!” Stange said. “The seniors were great!

“I really enjoyed the season and the kids this year!”

The Dude exits. (Jackie Saia photo)

 

Varsity letter winners:

Karyme Castro
Vivian Farris
Hayley Fiedler
Kaitlyn Leavell
Elizabeth Lo
Emma Morano
Brynn Parker
Skylar Parker
Djina Radenovic
Helen Strelow
Lucy Tenore