Coupeville Sports

Sluggers hail sponsors

August 4, 2021 by David Svien

Madison McMillan and Co. ruled the softball diamond this spring. (Jackie Saia photo)

They got by with a little help from their friends.

Central Whidbey Little League sent two softball teams to the state tournament this spring, with their juniors squad, which finished fourth, a joint effort with North Whidbey Little League.

Both teams benefited immensely from the support of the local community, with numerous Whidbey businesses helping defer costs for players and families to travel off-Island.

“This was an amazing experience for 28 of these Whidbey Island young athletes!,” said juniors coach Fred Farris. “The memories will live with them for years to come.

“Both teams represented CW, NW, and District 11 admirably, both on and off the field, during their respective tournaments, against the best teams in the state, and we couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and excellent sportsmanship.”

Additional support was garnered through car washes and a GoFundMe page.

Businesses which supported the softball teams on their state tourney journey:

A+ Glass
Acorn Dental Clinic
Allure
Aqua Gifts
Ashley’s Design
BayLeaf
Cascade Custom Homes & Design
Dominoes
Ebey Academy
Enchanted Beedle
Flyers Restaurant and Brewery
Front Street Grill
Front Street Realty
Harmony Vet
Island Quality Construction
Iverson Insurance
Kapaw’s
Kingfisher Books
Land Title & Escrow
Laurie Black
Leisure Yacht Charters
Little Two Cottages
Main Street Collision
My Sister’s Closet
NAPA Auto Parts
OLF Storage
Pacific Indoor Tactical
Party City
PC Red Apple Market
Penn Cove Vet
Pizza Factory
Poppies
Prada Styles & Cuts
Quilters Workshop
Red’s Construction & Roofing
Salon Blue
Snakelum Point Investments
Sunshine Drip
Terra Firma Wealth Management
Toby’s Tavern
Touch of Dutch
Whidbey Natural Pet
Whidbey/Humphrey Sign
Whimsies
Windermere Property Management
Windermere Realty – Coupeville
Windytide
Wood Bee Custom Carpentry

Posted in Little League, Softball | Tagged Central Whidbey Little League, North Whidbey Little League, Softball, sponsors, state tourney | Leave a Comment »

9 for 9: Harriers rule the trail

August 4, 2021 by David Svien

Alana Mihill is ready to rumble. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

This blog turns nine years old August 15, and to mark the occasion, I’m picking what I view as the best nine Wolf athletes from each active CHS sport.

To be eligible, you had to play for the Wolves between Aug. 2012-Aug. 2021, AKA the “Coupeville Sports” years.

So here we go. Each day between Aug. 2-15, a different sport and (probably) a different argument.

They’re building back.

After a two-decades absence, during which time a handful of runners trained and traveled with either Oak Harbor or South Whidbey, Coupeville High School cross country roared back to life in 2018.

Guided by coaches Natasha Bamberger, Luke Samford, and Elizabeth Bitting, the Wolf harriers have spent three seasons building their numbers, while establishing a home course, and sending two runners to state.

While other CHS programs have six more seasons in the books during the Coupeville Sports days, cross country still offered me more than enough athletic stars to form a mythical nine.

Danny Conlisk zips for the finish line.

Danny Conlisk — A two-time state champ in track, he’s one of two Wolves to make it to the big dance in cross country during the rebirth of the CHS harrier program.

Mitchell Hall — Speedy front-runner who is Coupeville’s fastest active boy.

Catherine Lhamon — Arguably the most-accomplished Wolf harrier in the modern era, she went to state as a junior, then went undefeated during a pandemic-altered senior season.

Claire Mayne — Plucky and determined, and never afraid of running in the middle of the pack, elbows swinging to fend off larger competitors.

Alana Mihill — Running with Lhamon, or by herself, a hard-working competitor who attacked the trail with a quiet fieriness.

Helen Strelow — Rock-solid running ace, one of the most-reliable runners Coupeville cross country coaches have had on their rosters.

Aidan Wilson — One of Coupeville’s quickest on the trails, until soccer’s move to the fall pulled him away from cross country.

Henry Wynn — Never got the chance to be part of the new CHS program, graduating mere months before its rebirth, but joined Conlisk in training and traveling with South Whidbey in the years beforehand.

Sam Wynn — The younger brother followed in big bro’s footsteps, pounding away to great success on the trails.

Catherine Lhamon, the face of Coupeville’s cross country rebirth.

Next up: We head to the sidelines to honor Wolf cheerleaders.

Posted in Cross Country | Tagged 9 for 9, Catherine Lhamon, CHS Wolves, cross country, Danny Conlisk | Leave a Comment »

Coupeville girls rule soccer pitch

August 3, 2021 by David Svien

Coupeville soccer stars (l to r) Taylor Marrs, Lillian Ketterling, and Tamsin Ward. (Photo courtesy Emili Marrs)

Summertime is for soccer.

Three Coupeville girls are staying busy during the vacation months, running the pitch for the U12 Deception FC out of the North Whidbey Soccer Club.

Taylor Marrs and Lillian Ketterling are headed into 6th grade at Coupeville Middle School, while Tamsin Ward will be a 5th grader at the town’s elementary school.

The trio have three tournaments on their summer schedule, with the season rolling into the fall.

The summer finale is at the Starfire Extreme Cup in mid-August.

Taylor Marrs, who is following in the soccer footsteps of older sister Lauren, a standout goalie headed into her sophomore campaign at Oak Harbor High School, is in her second season.

Ward and Ketterling are both making their debuts this year for Deception FC, which is coached by Miko Delafield and Brian Marrs.

Posted in Girls Soccer | Tagged CMS Wolves, Deception FC, Girls Soccer, Lillian Ketterling, Tamsin Ward, Taylor Marrs | Leave a Comment »

Well, I amuse myself…

August 3, 2021 by David Svien

Our story begins…

My drawing skills are … limited.

I can do a passable apple and a cloud, and carrots, eggs, and pencils are within reach.

After that, well, things get downright sketchy from there.

Which is why I kept it simple in this four-page comic book, drawn during a recent competition staged by my nephews.

Is it flawless? Hardly.

But the nine-year-old did laugh and fall off his seat, so, mission accomplished.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Posted in Not sports? Tough! | Tagged Artie the Apple, comic books, egg cops, farmer, scribblings | 1 Comment »

9 for 9: Diamond dandies delight

August 3, 2021 by David Svien

Aaron Curtin brings the heat. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

This blog turns nine years old August 15, and to mark the occasion, I’m picking what I view as the best nine Wolf athletes from each active CHS sport.

To be eligible, you had to play for the Wolves between Aug. 2012-Aug. 2021, AKA the “Coupeville Sports” years.

So here we go. Each day between Aug. 2-15, a different sport and (probably) a different argument.

The little league champs still rule.

Central Whidbey’s juniors hardball team won a state title in 2010, when I was still writing for the Coupeville Examiner.

Jump forward into the blog years, and the guys from that title team stayed in the news, with many of them playing a full four years of high school ball.

Five of my nine picks from the diamond were part of that group, and they headline a mythical nine which includes two sets of brothers.

Hunter Smith is just here for the strikeouts.

Josh Bayne — A beast. The only Wolf player I’ve seen jack an out-of-the-park home run on Coupeville’s field, and that ball is still going up and far, far away, years later.

Aaron Curtin — He had a wicked touch as a hurler, a lively bat, and could stare down anyone.

Ben Etzell — Coupeville’s only league MVP, in any sport, during the 1A/2A Cascade Conference years, when ATM was the big baddie. Big bat, bigger arm, a strikeout machine who went on to a strong four-year college career as a pitching ace.

Cole Payne — From younger brother to team leader, he rose through the ranks to leave a large impact on the program, then tipped his hat and walked away, a winner to the end.

Morgan Payne — Big bro patrolled short and provided a dangerous bat; a quiet, very-effective player from little league through Senior Night.

CJ Smith — Captain Cool, he pitched Coupeville to its first baseball league title in 25 years, while seemingly never breaking a sweat.

Hunter Smith — Maybe the most-talented player to ever take the CHS diamond — a force on the mound, at short, and at the plate, where he had pop, speed, and an uncanny knack for big-game heroics.

Aaron Trumbull — Severely underrated, he was a steadying force for the Wolves wherever he played, whether taking the mound or hovering at first base. Also a class act who always put team first, a stand-up guy who never left a teammate hanging.

Jake Tumblin — Rock-solid behind the plate, he was the rare catcher who was also the quickest player on the team, hurtling around the base-paths to create perfectly-orchestrated havoc.