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“Love this team! Love this town!!”

November 9, 2022 by David Svien

After busting big plays all season, Coupeville senior Dominic Coffman is the Offensive MVP of the Northwest 2B/1B League. (Renae Mulholland photo)

The Wolves ruled both sides of the ball.

Fresh off winning its first league title in 32 seasons, and just days before opening the state playoffs, the Coupeville High School football team dominated All-League selections.

Northwest 2B/1B League coaches selected CHS seniors Dominic Coffman (offense) and Scott Hilborn (defense) as conference MVPs, while Benett Richter was tabbed as Coach of the Year.

Coupeville finished the regular season 4-0 in NWL play, clinching the program’s first title since 1990, and 7-1 overall.

The Wolves open the 12-team 2B state tourney Saturday in Oak Harbor, when they host Onalaska in a loser-out game.

The winner advances to the state quarterfinals to face Okanogan.

Richter, in his first year as CHS head coach after several seasons as an assistant, offered thanks to everyone involved in the Wolf program.

“Coach of the year was made possible by the hard work of my dedicated and passionate staff and the unbelievable buy in and hard work of the kids who truly do the heavy lifting,” he said.

“Without these guys, I’m just another Joe Schmo with a whistle! Love this team! Love this town!!”

Josh Upchurch, a huge key to Coupeville’s impressive play on both sides of the line. (Brittany Kolbet photo)

 

Coupeville’s honorees:

 

OFFENSE:

 

MVP:

Dominic Coffman (RB)

 

First-Team:

Logan Downes (QB)
Scott Hilborn (RB)
Tim Ursu (WR)
Kai Wong (OL)
William Davidson (OL)
Zane Oldenstadt (OL)

 

Honorable Mention:

Daylon Houston (WR/K)

 

DEFENSE:

 

MVP:

Scott Hilborn (LB)

 

First Team:

Dominic Coffman (LB)
Tim Ursu (DB)
Logan Downes (DB)
Josh Upchurch (DL)
William Davidson (DL)

 

Honorable Mention:

Jonathan Valenzuela (LB)
Kevin Partida (LB)

Wolf juniors (left to right) William Davidson, Zane Oldenstadt, and Logan Downes all earned All-League honors. (Michelle Glass photo)

Posted in Football | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

“We ask for prayers and good thoughts”

November 8, 2022 by David Svien

Coupeville volleyball coach Raven Vick and boyfriend Phillip Galvan enjoy a moment together. (Photos courtesy Vick)

It was a bittersweet homecoming.

Former Coupeville High School volleyball ace Raven Vick returned to the courts of her youth this fall, joining Cris Matochi in coaching the Wolf middle school spiker squads.

Being active in the same gym where she once played alongside twin sister Willow, helping a new generation of young women embrace a sport she loves, was fulfilling and gave her momentary respite from the real world.

What very few have known during this time is the journey Raven and her boyfriend of a year, Phillip Galvan, have been on.

The couple met while students at Seattle Pacific University, brought together initially by their work as resident advisors.

Raven, who was focusing on Communications and Women’s Studies, was wrapping up her degree.

Meanwhile, Phillip, whose family lives in Colorado, was in his third year of Mechanical Engineering.

The duo became an official couple Nov. 19, 2021, only to have their world upended several months later.

Phillip was diagnosed this past March with acute myeloid leukemia, an especially aggressive form of blood cancer.

Standing strong, together.

Phillip returned to Colorado for treatment, with Raven joining him there after her graduation from SPU in June.

In August, Phillip celebrated his 21st birthday and received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, Allie, which sent him into remission for two months.

Raven returned to Coupeville at the end of the summer, applying for the middle school coaching position as a way to help “clear my head and readjust to life at home.”

She chose to keep her boyfriend’s cancer fight largely private during the season but is publicly acknowledging it now as Phillip has recently relapsed.

“It was caught quickly,” Raven said. “So, we are hoping for this treatment to get him right back into remission.”

With the CMS volleyball season done, she plans to return to Colorado in the next few weeks to spend time with Phillip as he continues his fight.

As they move forward, the duo draw solace from their religious faith, and the emotional support of their many supporters.

Raven’s request is simple and heartfelt.

“We just ask for all of the prayers and good thoughts for him and his family.”

Posted in Not sports? Tough! | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

Wolf spikers notch All-League honors

November 8, 2022 by David Svien

Coupeville volleyball aces Grey Peabody (8), Maddie Georges (5), and Ryanne Knoblich (back) earned All-League honors. (Jackie Saia photo)

They were honored individually, and as a team.

When Northwest 2B/1B League coaches handed out All-Conference awards, Coupeville High School volleyball players were named six times.

The Wolves shared the league’s Team Sportsmanship honor with Orcas Island, while five CHS spikers were singled out for their play.

Jill Prince awaits the serve. (Jackie Saia photo)

Seniors Alita Blouin and Maddie Georges were named First-Team All-League picks, with junior Grey Peabody and senior Ryanne Knoblich landing Second-Team honors.

Jill Prince rounded out the Wolf honorees, earning Honorable Mention for her senior season.

In the year’s biggest non-surprise, La Conner senior Ellie Marble repeated as league MVP, while mom Suzanne Marble was named Coach of the Year in her 30th, and final season, with the Braves.

Alita Blouin launches a serve. (Bailey Thule photo)

 

First-Team All-League:

Alita Blouin – Coupeville – Senior
Bethany Carter – Orcas Island – Junior
Maddie Georges – Coupeville – Senior
Josie Harper – La Conner – Senior
Makayla Herrera – La Conner – Senior
Morgan Huizenga – La Conner – Junior
Claire Wright – Darrington – Sophomore

 

Second-Team All-League:

Mia Blackmon – Friday Harbor – Senior
Kelsey Edwards – Concrete – Sophomore
Allie Heino – Mount Vernon Christian – Junior
Kenadie Hoglund – Darrington – Senior
Ryanne Knoblich – Coupeville – Senior
Grey Peabody – Coupeville – Junior
Milana Schneider – Orcas Island – Junior
Abby Udlock – La Conner – Junior

 

Honorable Mention:

Ava Ashcraft – Orcas Island – Sophomore
Ayana Berube – Friday Harbor – Senior
Jill Prince – Coupeville – Senior

Ryanne Knoblich, comin’ at you. (Jackie Saia photo)

Posted in Volleyball | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Bow to our league, one and all

November 8, 2022 by David Svien

Coupeville football is one of nine NWL fall sports teams still chasing state title dreams. (Bailey Thule photo)

Support your school, but also support your league.

While most of the readers of this blog want Coupeville High School sports teams to whomp on their rivals, there is some small satisfaction in seeing fellow Northwest 2B/1B League schools do well when they play outsiders.

Listen, all the titles should be hanging in the CHS gym, end of story.

But, if they can’t, when La Conner wins a state volleyball crown, or Orcas Island captures a boys soccer title, or Mount Vernon Christian girls’ basketball rules the hardwood, it helps builds a rep for the NWL.

We want people from far-flung locales to stop chattering about their own leagues and realize, “Hey, maybe we should learn some facts about the upper left corner of the state, cause those teams are kickin’ our sweet fannies.”

Coupeville comes first, but every time a fan from say, Kalama or Liberty (Spangle) goes quiet as their team loses to someone from our league, it’s a win for all of us in this region.

With that in mind, there are nine teams from six NWL schools still in there swinging for a state title.

Mount Vernon Christian (girls’ soccer, volleyball, boys’ soccer) tops the list, while Concrete is the lone league school with no shot left at hanging a new banner this fall.

Where NWL teams stand heading into this weekend:

 

BOYS SOCCER:

The NWL has three of the eight teams in the 2B/1B state tourney, with Friday Harbor seeded #1, defending state champ Orcas at #3, and Mount Vernon Christian at #7.

Orcas won the regular-season league crown, but Friday Harbor toppled the Vikings 2-1 in the bi-district championship game to claim front-runner status.

Fun fact – the top-seeded Wolverines have lost twice this season, and one of those was a 3-1 defeat while visiting Coupeville in late September.

Our seven-team league expands to nine schools for boys’ soccer, with Concrete and Darrington avoiding the pitch, while Grace Academy, Providence Classical Christian, Lopez Island, and Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood join the party.

Grace almost gave the NWL a fourth team at the season-ending tourney, but the Eagles were nipped 2-1 by Puget Sound Adventist in a loser-out, winner-to-state clash.

 

FOOTBALL:

Coupeville stands alone, the league champs and seeded #7 in the 12-team 2B tourney.

The Wolves first state playoff game in 32 years is Saturday against Onalaska at Oak Harbor’s Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

Darrington fell a game short of the big dance on the 1B side, blown out by Mossyrock in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.

 

GIRLS SOCCER:

The 2B/1B state tourney has 12 teams in the draw, with NWL champ Mount Vernon Christian seeded #2, behind just top-ranked Kalama.

Friday Harbor had a shot at joining the Hurricanes, but came up a win short, KO’d by Crosspoint Academy at bi-districts.

 

VOLLEYBALL:

Three-time defending 2B state champ La Conner heads back to Yakima, ranked #3 in a 16-team field after beating Coupeville in the bi-district final.

While there was just one ticket to state available for 2B teams in this region, it’s a far different tale over on the 1B side of things.

With a 20-team(!) state tourney, three NWL schools which were all handily beaten by Coupeville during the regular season advance to the SunDome.

MVC (#6), Orcas Island (#16), and Darrington (#19) are still alive, though the latter two teams do have to open with a loser-out match.

Win those rumbles, and the Vikings and Loggers join the double-elimination portion of the state tourney like the Hurricanes and La Conner.

Posted in Football, soccer, Volleyball | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Chasing records, one yard at a time

November 8, 2022 by David Svien

Tim Ursu, making ’em miss. (Helen Strelow photo)

The only record that matters is the win/loss record.

Sure, that’s true, to a point.

But individual and team stat marks are important as well, particularly to bloggers who get strong page hit numbers when they write about said records.

So, compromise a bit, hardliners. Or don’t read this story.

Your choice.

Either way, as the Coupeville High School football team preps for its first state playoff game in 32 years, some of us are taking a moment to look at what records have fallen, or may fall, during this gridiron campaign.

So far, we have one change on the big board, with junior quarterback Logan Downes having broken a three-way tie for most touchdown passes in a single game.

Previously, Wolf QB’s Corey Cross (1971), Brad Sherman (2001), and Hunter Downes (2016) jointly held the record with four scoring heaves.

That changed, however, with Logan Downes putting the ball into his receiver’s hands, and watching five different Wolves hit paydirt during a 78-0 rout of a downtrodden La Conner squad.

Like it. Love it. Hate it.

It’s a record, and stands forever, or at least until another Wolf gunslinger comes along and peppers a defense for six TD’s.

Logan Downes limbers up his touchdown-tossing arm. (Brenn Sugatan photo)

Moving forward, Coupeville has between one and four games left to play this season, depending on how the postseason works out.

Saturday’s matchup with Onalaska, set to kickoff at 4 PM at Oak Harbor’s Wildcat Memorial Stadium, is guaranteed.

After that, the 12-team 2B football playoffs are single-elimination, so win and play on, lose and start thinking about basketball.

While it’s always possible a Wolf goes off and shatters single-game marks like Ian Barron’s 320-yard rushing effort from 1998, Gabe Eck’s 403-yard passing performance from 2015, or Scott McMartin’s 27-tackle night from 1981, here’s what seems likely to be in play.

 

Season-Individual:

 

Passing TD’s:

Joel Walstad (18) – 2014

Logan Downes (17) – 2022

 

Receiving TD’s:

Hunter Smith (11) – 2016

Tim Ursu (7) – 2022

 

Rushing TD’s:

Ian Barron (16) – 1998

Dominic Coffman (10) – 2022
Scott Hilborn (9) – 2022

 

Interceptions:

Steve Konek (7) – 1986
Dan Neider (7) – 1986
Hunter Smith (7) – 2015

Logan Downes (3) – 2022

 

Sacks:

Nick Streubel (10) – 2013

Scott Hilborn (6) – 2022

 

Season-Team:

 

Passing TD’s:

(20) – 2014

Joel Walstad (18)
Wiley Hesselgrave (1)
CJ Smith (1)

 

(18) – 2022

Logan Downes (17)
Chase Anderson (1)

 

Receiving TD’s:

(20) – 2014

Josh Bayne (10)
Wiley Hesselgrave (6)
Ryan Griggs (3)
CJ Smith (1)

 

(18) – 2022

Tim Ursu (7)
Daylon Houston (3)
Dominic Coffman (2)
Scott Hilborn (2)
Chase Anderson (1)
Hunter Bronec (1)
Henry Ohme (1)
Aiden O’Neill (1)

 

Rushing TD’s:

(26) – 2014

Josh Bayne (15)
Lathom Kelley (5)
Joel Walstad (4)
Wiley Hesselgrave (1)
Chance Kleinfelter (1)

 

(24) – 2022

Dominic Coffman (10)
Scott Hilborn (9)
Johnny Porter (3)
Logan Downes (1)
Tim Ursu (1)

 

Sacks:

(22) – 1996

Nick Sellgren (7)
Joey Biller (4)
Bill Marti (3)
Rich Morris (3)
Jason Sechrist (3)
Justin Thiesen (2)

 

(17) – 2022

Scott Hilborn (6)
Dominic Coffman (3)
Peyton Caveness (2)
Josh Upchurch (2)
Jonathan Valenzuela (2)
Coen Killian (1)
Mikey Robinett (1)

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