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Go East, young hoops stars

July 3, 2023 by David Svien

Wolf hoops guru Brad Sherman (grey shirt) plots strategy. (Michael Davidson photo)

Turn up the heat, turn up the intensity.

Coupeville High School boys’ basketball coaches packed 24 Wolf players into various cars and trucks and headed East this past Thursday, landing in Spokane for a weekend full of hoops.

Gonzaga University was the destination, with a three-day basketball camp at the home of the Bulldogs the reward.

Playing at all hours in a heat not seen back in Cow Town, the Wolves got plenty of floor time.

Coupeville played seven varsity games, as well as appearing in six JV games, with the spare hours featuring clinics put on by Zags staff and players, as well as team bonding time.

Coupeville seniors, and their support crew. (Photo courtesy Charlotte Young)

“I need you to go in like a wrecking ball.” (Michael Davidson photo)

Looking for an opening in the defense. (Michael Davidson photo)

Getting ready for game time. (Michelle Glass photo)

Reppin’ Cow Town in a hoops mecca. (Courtney Simpson-Pilgrim photo)

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Big stage, big victory

July 2, 2023 by David Svien

Undefeated and flexing. (Kristi Stevens photos)

They embrace the spotlight.

With 10 of 12 players reaching base Saturday, and eight of them scoring, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball team opened the state tourney with a bang.

Playing in Vancouver, the Wolves demolished Asotin County 12-2 in a game mercy-ruled after four innings.

The victory lifts Central Whidbey to a crisp 15-0 on the season.

Now, the Wolves have several days off as they wait for the loser’s bracket to play out at the 10-team, double-elimination tourney.

Central Whidbey returns to the field Wednesday, July 5, when it plays the winner of South Hill and Evergreen.

South Hill hails from District 10, which pulls players from Auburn, Puyallup, and Kent, while Evergreen reps District 4, which covers Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties.

The championships run through July 9.

The Wolves huddle around coach Aaron Lucero, the Man in Black.

Saturday’s opening win was fueled by consistent work from the top of the lineup to the bottom.

The Wolves rapped out seven hits, with Chelsi Stevens blasting a double and Sydney Van Dyke whacking a pair of singles, while the team also collected eight walks.

Stevens also launched another successful long shot, coming all the way around to score off her base-knock.

The score book gives Asotin County two errors on the play, however, keeping it from being an “official” home run.

We know the truth, though.

Chelsi Stevens (with ball) carries a big bat, inflicting damage with each swing.

Central Whidbey jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one inning of play, then stretched the lead out to 11-1 through two frames.

“Solid play all around,” said Wolf coach Aaron Lucero. “Good hitting and base-running offensively.

“We put pressure on the defense every chance we had, and our ladies were relentless,” he added. “Good overall team hitting and win.”

Adeline Maynes prowled the pitcher’s circle for Central Whidbey, whiffing eight while scattering just three hits.

Toss in solid defense and a team-wide commitment to hustle plays and execution, and it’s simple to see why the Wolves continue to roll through an undefeated campaign.

“We’ve continued to preach “do the little things” and they’re executing,” Lucero said.

 

Saturday stats:

Samantha Antonio — One single
KeeAyra Brown — One walk
Adeline Maynes — Two walks
Allie Powers — One single, one walk
Cassandra Powers — One single
Selah Rivera — One walk
Chelsi Stevens — One double
Kennedy Strevel — One single, one walk
Cameron Van Dyke — Two walks
Sydney Van Dyke — Two singles

Posted in Little League, Softball | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Gebhard, pooches continue winning ways

July 1, 2023 by David Svien

Gabriella Gebhard spends some time with her top dog. (Stephanie Gebhard photos)

They’re crisscrossing the country in pursuit of ribbons and dog show glory.

Gabriella Gebhard, who’s heading into her junior year at Coupeville High School, continues to soar in her specialized world, with a little help from her pooches.

Her main dog — Walker (Set’r Ridge’s Legend in the Making) — helped her nab an invitation recently to the English Setter National Top 20 event for junior handlers.

That comes on the heels of the duo claiming three more Best Juniors titles at a show in Canby, Oregon.

The strong showing moved Gebhard up into the top Juniors class, known as Masters, where she also took home the top prize.

The standout Wolf student/athlete has earned a staggering 11 Best Juniors awards across the past eight months.

Gebhard is building an army of award-winning pooches.

Gebhard also shows a second dog — Everest (Set’r Ridge’s Climbing to the Top), who is hot to trot in his own pursuit of grandstand glory.

Competing in Oregon, the tandem received Select Dog status, finishing right behind the top-rated English Setter in the USA.

With the five points he notched for that, Everest has rung up 15 of the 25 points needed to earn Grand Championship status.

Aiming for perfection.

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Former Wolf grapples for glory

June 30, 2023 by David Svien

The older one’s a wrestling legend, the younger one an international superstar. (Sean LeVine photos)

The little girl who used to give me free rocks at her sister’s softball games is now ripping heads off.

On the wrestling mat, at least.

Izzy LeVine may not be on target to graduate from Coupeville High School like siblings Micky and Jae — she does live in Arizona now — but she’s upholding a family tradition of excellence.

Both of her sisters and dad Sean are in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, while mom Joline is the true superstar, but it’s the youngest family member who is currently claiming the spotlight as her own.

Izzy finished first in her weight class at the five-day Wrestle the World Camp in early June, impressing a Colorado crowd which included Terry Brands.

I can pretend like I knew who he was prior to writing this story, or I can admit I Googled him.

Either way, Brands is a two-time NCAA wrestling champ, two-time world freestyle champ, a bronze medalist at the 2000 Olympics, a highly accomplished coach, and a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

He sort of knows his way around the mat is what I’m saying, and he’s in the pic at the top of this story.

Which means, one day, he’ll be able to say he shared the same frame with Izzy “The Destroyer” LeVine.

So, he’s got that going for him, which is nice.

Izzy LeVine’s collection of fine medals and trophies continues to grow.

The youngest LeVine isn’t stopping with her performance in Pagosa Springs, though.

Izzy is locked and loaded for the 16U Nationals, which runs July 15-23 in Fargo, North Dakota.

While there she’ll wrestle freestyle in the 122-pound class.

Just getting the invite to nationals is a big deal, as each grappler has to qualify through their state association.

Izzy is one of two 122-pound female grapplers on Arizona’s roster, joined by Brooklyn Perez, who can now Google herself and be all like, “What in the heck is Coupeville Sports?”

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“He is irreplaceable, plain and simple”

June 30, 2023 by David Svien

Coupeville High School Class of ’82 grad Matt Bepler injects some rock and roll into the conversation with his new take on a classic design.

United, with one voice.

From the moment Superintendent Steve King cut the position of Dean of Students at Coupeville High School/Middle School, the outcry has been intense.

And it’s not stopping anytime soon.

Wolf Nation wants the world to know what Tom Black has accomplished the past 19 years, and they want him reinstated.

Our latest letter comes from Nicole Strelow, mother to two Coupeville students — Class of 2023 Valedictorian Helen and younger brother Thomas.

 

Mr. Black is an immeasurable resource in our school district.

The kids in Coupeville know he is genuinely invested in their lives and that is a trust built from years of his efforts within our schools.

This trust is something that cannot be replaced by dividing his role to other staff members. 

Mr. Black has provided a source of comfort for the kids knowing that an adult is in their corner in what may be the only safe place for some children.

For the kids lucky to have a secure home the comfort comes in knowing he is their cheerleader as well.

Removing Mr. Black and splitting his job between multiple employees is an unrealistic step.

He is irreplaceable, plain and simple.

In doing this we would be relinquishing some kids to fall through the cracks in the system.

Removing Mr. Black would unfortunately be taking Coupeville schools in the wrong direction for the sake of budget.

Having Mr. Black so visible around the schools and knowledgeable about the students is our largest factor in prevention and keeping our schools safe.

I know the school board is trying to fix our budget and this is a hard task.

But the most important investment the board can make for the children is keeping a valued staff member that makes the biggest positive difference in their lives.

I urge the board to reconsider a different budget cut for the sake of the community.

I would also like to thank Mr. Black personally.

Thank you for not only being a guardian to all the children of Coupeville but thank you for being a support for all of us parents.

You always had kind words of encouragement to parents bringing their 6th grader for the first time to middle school or the parent watching their senior graduate.

Knowing you are walking the halls and greeting every child is a great relief to parents.

Thank you for being the example to our children of what a productive and kind human being in our community looks like.

Nicole Strelow

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