Coupeville Sports

Former Wolf coach a state champ

November 20, 2021 by David Svien

Former Coupeville High School coach Breanne Smedley led Columbia River to a state volleyball title. (Photo property The Elite Competitor podcast)

We knew her before she was big time.

Former Coupeville High School coach Breanne Smedley, who helped build a strong Wolf program, sits atop the volleyball world Saturday night.

Her Columbia River spikers completed a masterful run, upending Ridgefield 25-23, 25-16, 20-25, 25-23 to claim the 2A state title.

The crown-clinching win came on the heels of straight-sets victories over Mark Morris, Anacortes, and Burlington-Edison.

The Rapids finish 22-1, having thoroughly avenged their only loss of the campaign.

Columbia River fell in three sets to Ridgefield in late September, than rebounded to beat the Spudders three straight times, with the state final the crowning touch.

It’s the third state title for the Rapids volleyball program, with each win coming in a different classification.

The school’s first spiker title came in 1991, when Columbia River was a 4A school.

The Rapids won again in 2000, this time at the 3A level, before adding Saturday’s 2A crown to the stash.

Breanne Smedley coached select and high school volleyball during her time on Whidbey, fronting the CHS varsity program between 2014-2015.

Her second Wolf squad toppled Seattle Christian in the playoffs, the first postseason win for Coupeville’s volleyball program in a decade.

That helped set the path for success achieved by her successor, Cory Whitmore, who has guided CHS to six-straight winning seasons and a trip to state in 2017.

Breanne Smedley and husband Brett, who coached high school football and middle school basketball in Coupeville, moved to Vancouver in 2016.

Along with coaching and being a mom, Breanne also co-hosts a podcast which focuses on female athletes:

https://www.kristinabreanne.com/

Posted in Volleyball | Tagged Breanne Smedley, CHS Wolves, Columbia River High School, state champs, volleyball | Leave a Comment »

Coupeville rival wins state soccer title

November 20, 2021 by David Svien

Coupeville’s Alex Murdy is pursued by a pair of Orcas Island players during an early-season game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Our league is #1.

Coupeville’s second season of playing boys soccer in the Northwest 2B/1B League ended with a conference rival winning the state title.

Orcas Island topped Providence Classical Christian 2-1 Saturday night in Sumner, with the game decided in a 4-3 shootout.

The victory, coming in an all-NWL final, gives the Viking booters the first team state title in program history, and the second in school history.

Orcas previously won a girls soccer state title in 2009.

This version of Vikings soccer finished 18-2, beating PCC three times in four meetings.

The two teams split games during the regular season, before Orcas came out on top 1-0 in the district tourney title game.

Saturday’s finale was knotted 1-1 at the end of regulation, then went through scoreless overtime to end in that most-beloved, or most-loathed, of events — “kicks from the mark.”

Orcas goalie Paxton White came up huge, deflecting a PCC ball away from his net on the first shot, before watching a second try go wide left.

The Vikings nailed their first three kicks, with Tommy Anderson-Cleveland, William Ibarra, and Diego Lago finding the back of the net, and seemed to be running away with things, up 3-1.

But there was some drama left, as PCC rallied to net back-to-back kicks, while blocking an Orcas try, pushing things to 3-3 headed into the 10th, and potentially final, attempt.

The ball was on Pedro Guerra’s foot, and the Orcas junior was golden, flicking the title-winning shot past a flailing PCC netminder.

That capped the fifth trip to state for the Vikings booters, whose best previous finish was 2nd place in 2018.

The NWL, which has nine teams for boys soccer — picking up outsiders PCC, Grace Academy, Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood, and Lopez Island — claimed three of four team awards at the 2B/1B state tourney.

Friday Harbor earned 4th place, falling 2-0 to Crosspoint Academy Saturday afternoon.

Overall, NWL schools brought home two team state titles this fall, with La Conner volleyball also winning a third-straight 2B crown.

Posted in Boys Soccer | Tagged boys soccer, CHS Wolves, Northwest League, Orcas Island, Providence Classical Christian, state tournament | Leave a Comment »

Stars, back before they were stars

November 20, 2021 by David Svien

Today’s Wolf hoop stars, back in earlier days. (Contributed photo)

The female athletes in the Coupeville High School Class of 2025 are already stars.

As a group, and as individuals, they have been achieving success since the first day they picked up a basketball, or a softball, or popped into a gym.

After a strong start with fall sports, the Wolves of 2025 are getting ready for their freshman season of CHS hoops.

So, a perfect time to jump into the Wayback Machine and trip the light fantastic back to when these athletes were in first grade. Or, somewhere close to that.

Back row, left to right, it’s Chloe Marzocca, Candace Meek, Jada Heaton, Katie Marti, Savina Wells, and Lyla Stuurmans.

Front row brings us Taylor Brotemarkle, Edie Bittner, Mia Farris, Leela Burdge, and Shayla Towne.

Stars, one and all.

Posted in Girls Basketball | Tagged Basketball, Chloe Marzocca, CHS Wolves, flashback, Taylor Brotemarkle | Leave a Comment »

First shots, first pics

November 19, 2021 by David Svien

Carson Grove rocks some eye-popping shoes, and some killer moves. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The ball arced high, and the camera snapped with precision.

Wanderin’ photographer John Fisken found himself in the Coupeville Middle School gym Thursday, where he snapped glossies of the boys basketball season opener.

To see every bit of motion his cameras caught, pop over to:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Coupeville-Basketball-2021-2022/MSBBB-2021-11-18-vs-Langley-MS/

Chase Anderson, AKA “The Magic Man,” hard at work.

Riley Lawless (25) catches some air on the jump ball.

The Wolf bench is riveted.

Camden Glover plays strong in the paint.

Captain Teuscher slices to the hoop.

Malachi Somes swats away a shot.

“Oh man, let it go in!!”

Posted in Boys Basketball, Middle School | Tagged Boys Basketball, Chase Anderson, CMS Wolves, John Fisken photos, Malachi Somes | Leave a Comment »

Hardwood heroes shine on opening day

November 19, 2021 by David Svien

Aiden O’Neill pushes the pace. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Malachi Somes (left) and Chase Anderson battle for a loose ball.

First one is in the books.

The Coupeville Middle School boys basketball team kicked off a new season Thursday, splitting a pair of games with visiting Langley.

Playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, the Wolf varsity cruised in for a 45-25 win, while the CMS JV fell 41-10.

All in all, it made for a strong debut.

“The gym was full with many who have never been to see a CMS basketball game!,” said Coupeville coach Jon Roberts.

“It was awesome to feel the excitement and energy.”

How the day played out:

Varsity:

Langley hung around for a bit, trailing just 8-4 at the first break, then the Wolves found their shooting touch.

Shots which rimmed out in the first quarter started hitting nothing but the bottom of the net after that, as CMS pushed the lead to 21-6 at the half, then 35-16 heading into the final frame.

“Second (quarter) we started really jelling,” Roberts said. “Camden (Glover) with his high post screen on Chase (Anderson) or Aiden (O’Neill), and then the roll and dish.”

Anderson, who matched Langley by himself with a torrid 25-point performance on opening night, closed out the first half by netting a three-ball with just two ticks left on the clock.

Sharp shooting — after a little bit of an early dry spell — and lights-out defense spurred on the Wolves, who enter the season with only three veterans.

While Anderson had the hot hand, his teammates contributed with pinpoint passing, which pleased the Wolf coaches.

“I wish I had an assist count. It would have been shockingly high!,” Roberts said. “Good screens made for easy give and goes.

“Overall the coaches were happy with the win.”

Glover and O’Neill each tossed in eight points in support of Anderson, while Malachi Somes and Riley Lawless rounded out the scoring with a bucket apiece.

Mahkai Myles, Easton Green, Jayden McManus, and Carson Grove all saw playing time as well, contributing with hustle and smart defense.

JV:

Coupeville’s second team is very green, and it showed at times, as many of the Wolves were playing in their first organized team game.

And yet, the Wolves hung tough behind the shooting of Jacob Schooley, staying tied at 4-4 midway through the first quarter.

A 16-0 Langley run in the second frame put the game out of reach, but CMS responded well in the second half.

“South Whidbey was a better-skilled team, with some height to help,” Roberts said. “We will work to get better practice after practice.

“We will learn good solid basketball fundamentals, and hopefully build back this end of the team,” he added. “Hard work in practice will make us a better team.”

Wyatt Fitch-Marron, Captain Teuscher, and Lawless each banged home a bucket in support of Schooley’s four-point effort.

Also seeing playing time were Jonah Weyl, Beckett Green, Max Ohme, George Spear, Matthew Kuzma, Jackson Waterbury, Dylan Robinett, Ethan Walling, Zach Blitch, Joshua Stockdale, Kenny Jacobsen, and Grove.