Coupeville Sports

Everyone scores, everyone wins

February 4, 2022 by David Svien

Katie Marti scored 10 points Friday as Coupeville’s JV rolled to a road win. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Yodnum Nakakul achieved the American dream.

The always-upbeat foreign exchange student tossed in her first bucket of the season Friday, becoming the 15th player to score for the Coupeville High School JV girls basketball team.

Sparked by Nakakul’s basket — and a whole lot of other ones, as well — the Wolves romped to a 46-19 win at Friday Harbor.

The win lifts Coupeville to 3-3 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-7 overall.

The Wolf JV closes its season next Thursday, Feb. 10 with another road trip, this one to La Conner.

Friday night Coupeville claimed the lead early and never let up.

Katie Marti dropped in a quick four points right out of the gate, and the Wolves ran away with a 9-2 lead after one quarter of play.

From there the Wolves stretched the margin out to 18-5 at the half, then 31-11 heading into the final frame.

Coupeville spread its offense out, led by Marti, who banged in a game-high 10 points.

Mia Farris and Desi Ramirez-Vasquez each added eight points, with Madison McMillan and Skylar Parker raining down five points apiece.

Kayla Arnold (4), Bryley Gilbert (2), Nakakul (2), and Brooklyn Thayer (2) rounded out the attack, with Edie Bittner and Reese Wilkinson also seeing floor time for the Wolves.

Marti made the nets jump, nailing a trio of three-point shots, while Parker also connected from long distance, dialing up a shot from the ferry parking lot.

Bryley Gilbert and associates wrap their season next week.

Posted in Girls Basketball | Tagged CHS Wolves, Friday Harbor, girls basketball, JV, Katie Marti | Leave a Comment »

Hot start, cold finish for JV boys

February 4, 2022 by David Svien

Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim and the Coupeville JV continue to battle hard every game. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Shooting touch is a delicate thing.

In the first half Friday night, the Coupeville High School JV boys basketball team had the magic touch.

After the halftime break, not so much.

Unable to hold on to an early lead on the road, the Wolves eventually fell 52-39 to host Friday Harbor.

The loss drops the JV to 1-5 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-7 overall, with one game left on the schedule.

Coupeville’s young guns close their season on the road at La Conner Feb. 10, then a few of them will hope to get a call up to the varsity for that team’s playoff run.

Facing off with Friday Harbor, the Wolves were scrappy, fighting for loose balls and rebounds, and played defense with intensity.

But the rim just turned unforgiving as the night rolled on.

“They battled tough but came out on the wrong end of it,” said Coupeville coach Hunter Smith.

The Wolves jumped out to a 14-9 lead after one quarter of play, benefiting greatly from a hot start by Nick Guay.

The sweet-shooting sophomore rattled the rims for 10 points in the first eight minutes, including splashing home a pair of three-balls over outstretched fingers.

Coupeville clung to a 24-23 lead at the half, but a Friday Harbor three-ball a millisecond before the buzzer ended play made things closer than they might have been.

That miracle shot, which was set up by a questionable foul call on the Wolves on the prior play, seemed to light a fire deep inside the host team.

Friday Harbor went on a 17-8 tear in the third, claiming a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

The Wolves were led by the one-two combo of Guay and Ryan Blouin, who each netted 12 points while combining to drain five three-balls.

Hurlee Bronec (4), Hunter Bronec (3), Landon Roberts (2), Zane Oldenstadt (2), William Davidson (2), and Mikey Robinett (2) also scored, with Jack Porter, Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim, Carson Field, and Johnny Porter rounding out the roster.

Hunter Bronec and Co. close their season next week.

Posted in Boys Basketball | Tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Friday Harbor, JV, Nick Guay, Ryan Blouin | Leave a Comment »

Rock the stands, roll the pics

February 4, 2022 by David Svien

Hawthorne Wolfe, rockin’ the finest in prairie fashion. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Don’t come a-knockin’ if the stands are a-rockin’.

Fan support for Coupeville High School basketball teams has been strong this season, even with Covid protocols dictating masks on most faces in the gym.

In between on-court action at recent Wolf girls hoops games, wanderin’ photo whiz kid John Fisken caught a fair amount of action going down in the stands, and these pics are courtesy him.

So, put your phone down, and make some noise!

The joint’s not fully rocking until Wolf super fans Kylie Van Velkinburgh (left) and Bella Velasco are in the stands.

The Brooklyn Thayer fan club, on the verge of getting rowdy.

And then a fashion shoot broke out.

CHS Vice Principal Leonard Edlund, possibly up to shenanigans.

Skylar Parker’s rooting section is having a grand ol’ time.

Mckenna Somes (third from left) has some constructive criticism for the refs.

Did Caleb Meyer (red shorts) throw Wolfe across the gym? Maybe, maybe not.

Posted in Basketball, Fashionable Fans | Tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, fans, Hawthorne Wolfe, John Fisken photos, Kylie Van Velkinburgh | Leave a Comment »

Wrong schools, right photos

February 4, 2022 by David Svien

Oak Harbor freshman Jiana Alcaraz-Carter rumbles down low. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

It’s a conundrum.

The name of the blog is Coupeville Sports, and that hasn’t changed since it debuted back in August, 2012.

Which would imply not a whole lot of the 9,004 articles previously published on here have focused on athletes wearing the uniforms of Oak Harbor or South Whidbey High School.

But … I am a sucker for free photos, and the page hits those pics generate.

So, here we go.

The pics, shot by John Fisken, come from Thursday’s varsity non-conference tilt between the Wildcat and Falcon girls basketball teams, a game won 46-35 by Oak Harbor.

Having already beaten Coupeville, the ‘Cat girls are the unofficial Whidbey Island champs for the 2021-2022 season.

They join Coupeville’s boys, who swept Oak Harbor and South Whidbey to rule the hardwood.

To see more of what Fisken shot Thursday, pop over to:

Oak Harbor:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Oak-Harbor-Basketball-2021-2022/GBB-2022-02-03-vs-South-Whidbey/

South Whidbey:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/South-Whidbey-HS/GBB-2022-02-03-SW-at-Oak-Harbor/

South Whidbey shot-blocker Hadley Eager (14) rules the paint.

Annaleah White lofts a picture-perfect jumper.

Defensive dynamo Nikki Murnane goes into lock-down mode.

Madison Knauer sends a gift to the net.

The Falcons clamp down on Tiana Jackson.

Murnane scans the floor.

Eager looks for an opening in the defense.

Posted in Girls Basketball | Tagged girls basketball, Hadley Eager, John Fisken photos, OHHS Wildcats, SWHS Falcons | Leave a Comment »

(Basketball) girls on film

February 3, 2022 by David Svien

Brooklyn Thayer puts the defense on its heels. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

If you shoot, he will shoot.

Put on a basketball game or two, and it’s likely John Fisken will wander into your gym, accompanied by his many cameras.

Tuesday night featured the Coupeville High School girls teams in action against visiting Sedro-Woolley, and the photos above and below capture the action from varsity and JV rumbles.

To see everything Fisken shot, and ponder buying some early Christmas gifts for Grandma Barb in Boise, pop over to:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Coupeville-Basketball-2021-2022/GBB-2022-02-01-vs-Sedro-Woolley/