Feeds:
Posts
Comments

CMS girls hoops on horizon

January 1, 2026 by David Svien

Finley Helm powers to the hoop. (Julie Wheat photo)

One season rolls into another.

At least it will for a handful of Coupeville Middle School 8th grade girls, who are currently playing basketball with their high school counterparts.

The CHS JV girls wrap their season Feb. 6, with the CMS girls kicking off their own eight-game run just five days later.

It will likely make for a busy winter/early spring for Cami Van Dyke, Anna Powers, Finley Helm, and Zayne Roos, but you can never really play too much basketball, can you?

As the calendar turns into 2026, a look ahead at the schedule for the CMS girls’ hoops squad. As always, write things in pencil.

 

Wed-Feb. 11 — South Whidbey (3:15)
Thur-Feb. 19 — @ Granite Falls (3:15)
Fri-Feb. 20 — @ Sultan (3:15)
Tue-Feb. 24 — @ Northshore Christian Academy (3:15)
Thur-Feb. 26 — King’s (3:15)
Tue-Mar. 3 — Lakewood (3:15)
Mon-Mar. 9 — Sultan (3:15)
Tue-Mar. 10 — @ South Whidbey (3:30)

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Scrappy Wolves bounce big city rival

December 31, 2025 by David Svien

Fab frosh Kennedy O’Neill is a wild child when it comes to cleaning the boards. (Jackie Saia photo)

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

So, that sound you heard Wednesday morning coming from Bellingham? Not a single tree crashing to the Earth, but an entire forest going down.

Proving grit and talent outweighs size, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team clobbered Federal Way 43-39 to close out the three-day, 16-team Trojan Storm Classic hosted by Meridian.

The win puts a cap on 2025 for the Wolves and gets Scout Smith’s squad to 2-6 on the season.

It came in a game which featured a 2B school which is listed with 192.50 students in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association classifications and a 3A institution with 1,219.38 students on its books.

Wednesday’s tourney finale, which tipped off at the crack o’ dawn (or 8:00 AM…) capped a strong run for the young Wolves.

Coupeville opened the holiday tourney with a very competitive loss to 1A Blaine, then lost a one-point thriller to 1A South Whidbey before thrashing their big city rivals.

Federal Way pushed the intensity of the game, but the Wolves remained calm and composed in the spotlight, something their coach was pleased to witness.

“The girls did an excellent job keeping their cool and playing tough against a very physical and aggressive opponent,” Smith said.

“I am very proud of the way that we kept our head against an opponent that did their best to rile us up.”

The Wolves clamp down on defense. (Jackie Saia photo)

Wolf gunners Haylee Armstrong and Tenley Stuurmans combined to deliver nine points to the rim in the first quarter, as CHS built an 11-7 lead heading into the initial break.

The second quarter was a 9-9 stalemate, with Wolf senior Teagan Calkins popping for seven, before Coupeville ever so slightly stretched the lead out to 30-25 through three frames.

The fourth was a wild one, with the teams combining for 27 points, but the Wolves had an answer for everything Federal Way threw its way.

Armstrong went off for 11 of her game-high 18 points over the final eight minutes, including splashing home a trio of three-balls under pressure.

Also, Danica Strong tickled the twines, hitting both of her late-game free throws, while Federal Way rimmed out five of its six opportunities at the stripe in the final frame.

For the game, the Wolves were 7-16 on charity shots, while their foes stumbled to a 3-14 performance.

Coupeville also won the three-ball contest 6-4, with Armstrong netting four while Calkins and Strong each rippled the net once from long range.

Add in a strong defensive performance, and you have a happy coach.

“We carried on from the positives yesterday,” Smith said. “We rebounded well and played aggressive defense.

“I love the way that we moved the ball and managed the clock well at the end of the game.”

Lexis Drake looks for an opening in the defense. (Julie Wheat photo)

The Wolves get two days off for New Year’s, before kicking off the 2026 portion of the schedule with a road trip Saturday to Morton-White Pass for a non-conference fracas.

After that, CHS will plunge back into the heart of Northwest 2B/1B League play.

As she headed home Wednesday, Smith did so with a skip to her step.

“Overall, a very beneficial tournament for us and our development,” she said. “Lots of positives to take away and use going into the second half of the season.”

Eight Wolves saw the floor in the tourney finale, with six scoring.

Armstrong’s 18 led the way, shooting her up to #70 on the CHS girls’ career scoring chart, while Calkins (9), Strong (7), Stuurmans (4), Adeline Maynes (4), and Lexis Drake (1) also tallied points.

Kennedy O’Neill and Ari Cunningham provided lights-out defense to aid the cause.

Two Wolves hit personal milestones in the win, as well.

Calkins pushed her career varsity scoring total to 302 points, becoming the 38th Wolf girl to crack that club since 1974.

Meanwhile the sweet-shooting Strong (104) is the 116th CHS female player, and second in her family after mom Danette Beckley, to reach triple-digits.

Posted in Girls Basketball | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Falcons nip Wolves in tourney thriller

December 30, 2025 by David Svien

Haylee Armstrong leads the CHS girls in scoring this season. (Julie Wheat photo)

The rematch was a nailbiter.

Squaring off with next-door neighbor South Whidbey Tuesday, in a game played in Bellingham, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad pushed their rivals to the final shot before falling 44-43.

The loss, coming on day two of the three-day, 16-team Trojan Storm Classic hosted by Meridian, drops the Wolves to 1-6 on the season.

But, for Scout Smith’s squad, who close 2025 with a final tourney game Wednesday before opening 2026 on the road Saturday against Morton-White Pass, the razor-thin defeat was a huge improvement on the first time the two Whidbey schools clashed.

Back in the season opener, Coupeville hosted South Whidbey and suffered through a brutal shooting performance en route to a 45-28 loss.

This time around, the early going was an eerie bit of déjà vu for the Wolves, but then they found their groove.

“We had a hard time with shots not falling in the first half,” Smith said. “But we showed a lot of grit and determination to come back in the second half.”

South Whidbey jumped out to a 16-4 advantage by the first break, with four different Falcons splashing a three-ball, but then CHS clamped down.

“We played a really good game and showed a lot of good improvements from the last time,” Smith said. “Loved the defensive tenacity we had, and we turned it into a lot of transition buckets.”

Coupeville held their rivals in check from long distance after the first quarter and rattled the rims for a trio of their own treys after halftime.

Down 27-13 at the half, the Wolves cut the lead back to 36-28 through three and outscored the Falcons 30-17 across the game’s final 16 minutes.

CHS also had a huge advantage in getting to the free throw line but missed too many charity shots along the way.

While South Whidbey was just 2-6 at the free throw stripe, Coupeville was 14-30, ultimately having too many freebies rim out to claim the victory.

Still, Smith came away pleased with her team’s defensive stand and praised the glass-cleaning ability of junior Ari Cunningham.

“Shoutout to Ari for getting after it rebounding,” Smith said. “We gave her a goal of 10 rebounds and she met that.

“Super excited to continue to watch her develop.”

South Whidbey’s Ali Young led all scorers with 14 points, while Haylee Armstrong (11) and Tenley Stuurmans (10) paced the Wolves.

All seven Coupeville players to see game time scored, with Teagan Calkins banking in nine, while Cunningham (5), Adeline Maynes (4), Danica Strong (2), and Kennedy O’Neill (2) all joined the offensive effort.

The game marked personal milestones for several Wolves, as well.

Calkins, a senior who now has 293 career points, moved from #41 to #39 on the all-time CHS girls’ scoring chart Tuesday, passing Bessie Walstad (288) and the aforementioned CHS coach, one Scout Smith (290).

Meanwhile, Stuurmans, a sophomore, cracked the top 100, jumping up to #95 where she sits with 128 points.

There are three active Wolves in the top 100, with Armstrong, a junior, in a tie with Sherry Bonacci and Marie Hesselgrave at #78 with 165 points.

And something to keep on eye on in the near future — Strong is just a three-ball shy of becoming the 116th Wolf girl to join the 100-point club for a program launched in 1974.

Posted in Girls Basketball | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Oak Harbor Chamber cancels fireworks show

December 29, 2025 by David Svien

Bombs bursting in air? Not on their dime.

Two days before the event was scheduled to happen, the Oak Harbor Chamber announced Monday that its annual New Year Eve’s fireworks show has been cancelled.

Responding to comments on its Facebook page, the Chamber clarified the decision had been in place for some time.

“The decision was made months ago. Admittedly, we should have made an announcement sooner and unfortunately it got overlooked.

“An announcement was made today because we had multiple inquires and realized we hadn’t made our decision public.”

 

The Chamber’s complete statement:

 

After careful consideration, the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce has made the difficult decision to cancel the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks show for 2025.

The decision reflects a thorough review of available resources, funding limitations, and the Chamber’s ongoing commitment to serving its members and supporting the local economy.

A primary factor in this decision is the rising cost of producing the event, coupled with a continued decline in funding.

Rather than overextending resources, the Chamber will refocus its efforts on programs and initiatives that directly benefit local businesses and the broader Oak Harbor community.

Although the New Year’s Eve fireworks display will not take place, the Chamber is committed to providing a spectacular 4th of July fireworks show and is already planning for a larger show in celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

The Chamber remains committed to staying true to its core values. Our mission is to serve and promote the business interests of greater Whidbey Island.

We do not believe the New Year’s Eve fireworks drive tourism, helps our members, or strengthens the local economy.

Instead, we will invest in initiatives that provide long-term value to our community. At this time, redirecting our resources toward those goals is the most responsible choice.

The Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce appreciates the community’s understanding and continued support.

The organization looks forward to collaborating with partners and members on future initiatives that align with its mission and strengthen the region’s economic landscape.

Posted in Not sports? Tough! | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

B-Ball queens battle Blaine

December 29, 2025 by David Svien

Tenley Stuurmans? Too quick for you. (Julie Wheat photo)

They’re back in action.

Returning to the hardwood after a two-week gap between games, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad opened the three-day, 16-team Trojan Storm Classic Monday in Bellingham.

The Wolves played in the day’s opening game, squaring off with 1A Blaine in a clash where a cold-shooting middle two quarters cost them in a 44-30 loss.

The non-conference defeat drops Scout Smith’s team to 1-5 on the season, but they’ll get right back at it Tuesday and Wednesday with rumbles against yet-to-be-disclosed foes.

Monday’s matchup started as a defensive struggle, with the teams battling to a 6-6 tie heading into the first break.

But then Blaine caught fire for the next 16 minutes, using a 13-4 tear in the second frame, and a 13-6 run in the third, to pull out to a 32-16 advantage.

Coupeville didn’t go down easily, however, rallying to outscore the Borderites 14-12 in a furious fourth, with five different Wolves rattling the rim for points.

Blaine got most of its scoring from two players, with junior Kate Koreski (17) and senior Aaliyah Bowman (15) combining for 32 of their team’s 44 points.

Wolf sophomore Tenley Stuurmans banked in buckets in every quarter Monday to pace her squad with 15 points, while Haylee Armstrong knocked down six.

Kennedy O’Neill (4), Teagan Calkins (3), Ari Cunningham (1), and Danica Strong (1) also scored for CHS, with Capri Anter, Sydney Van Dyke, Adeline Maynes, and Lexis Drake all seeing floor time.

Armstrong reached a personal milestone in the loss, cracking the 150-point club, and currently sits with 154 for her prep career.

Meanwhile, Calkins (284) and Stuurmans (118) are on the cusp of their own achievements.

The former is four points shy of moving into the top 40 scorers all-time for a CHS girls’ program which launched in 1974, while the latter is two points away from cracking the top 100.

Posted in Girls Basketball | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »