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Posts Tagged ‘Anacortes’

Never stop swinging, never stop fighting

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on September 18, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Kylie Chernikoff racked up 10 digs and eight kills Tuesday, as Coupeville’s JV battled nearly evenly with 2A Anacortes. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Never give in, never give up.

Coupeville High School JV volleyball coach Chris Smith is all about improvement and fighting until that last moment, regardless of the score.

So, while his Wolf squad fell in three sets Tuesday at Anacortes, evening their early-season record at 1-1, he departed the gym with a positive attitude still in place.

“We started off a little slow, but made progress every set,” Smith said. “The key for me is progress, and they are lucky it wasn’t a best of seven contest!”

Facing off with a “tough-serving” 2A team which “did an excellent job of keeping the volleyball off the floor on their side of the court,” the Wolves fell 25-11, 25-16, 27-26.

“Overall, we survived to play another day,” Smith said. “We will learn and move on!”

One particular bright spot was how the Wolves shared the load, with multiple players filling up the stat sheet.

Freshman Maddie Georges doled out nine assists while running the attack as Coupeville’s setter, adding two digs and a service ace to her line.

Kylie Chernikoff was a two-way warrior, pounding a team-high eight kills to go with 10 digs, while Taygin Jump and Alita Blouin chipped in with two kills apiece.

The fab frosh duo were equally as impressive when it came time to pull the ball off the floor, with Blouin notching a team-best 11 digs and Jump picking up seven of her own.

Jaimee Masters (three digs), Anya Leavell (a kill), and Heidi Meyers (a dig and an ace) also penned their names in the stat book.

The Wolf JV returns to action next Tuesday, Sept. 24, when they host Cedar Park Christian in their North Sound Conference opener.

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Timmmmberrrrrrrrrr!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , on September 18, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Maddie Vondrak smoked seven kills Tuesday as 1A Coupeville toppled 2A Anacortes in volleyball action. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Lucy Sandahl (8) and Zoe Trujillo both played strongly for a Wolf team which got big contributions from everyone on the roster. (Brian Vick photo)

When you’re knocking down big trees, you bring your best axe.

Big 2A Anacortes High School features six players on its varsity volleyball roster who stand behind 5-foot-10 and 6’1.

Lil’ 1A Coupeville … does not.

But it mattered not Tuesday, as the Wolves carved up their taller foes, heading back to the bus with a 25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 25-17 victory.

The non-conference win lifts Coupeville to a pristine 2-0 heading into its home opener Saturday against Chimacum.

Its the fourth-straight season, all under the guidance of Cory Whitmore, that the Wolf spikers have opened a season with multiple wins.

Coupeville has gone 2-0, 2-0, and 5-0 to start the previous three campaigns.

The key to knocking off Anacortes for a second-straight year was showing no fear.

“We aren’t strangers to being the shorter of two teams on the court, but the height difference between us and Anacortes these last two seasons has been noticeable,” Whitmore said. “I’m really proud of the way that this team didn’t let something like taller players kill their tenacity and heart.”

What the Wolves might lack in height is more than made up for in talent and desire.

Embrace what you are, instead of worrying about what you aren’t.

“It was important for us to start to build and develop on our identity tonight,” Whitmore said. “We served very tough, which pushed their strong hitters off the net and it was our stable defense that allowed us to transition points our way.”

“All six of our serving rotations were strong and that was important for us to rack up some aces, or at the very least push their hitters off the net turning defense into offense.”

Coupeville spread out the love at the service stripe, with Lucy Sandahl and Scout Smith leading the way with three aces each.

Raven Vick (2), Maya Toomey-Stout (2), Hannah Davidson (1), and Chelsea Prescott (1) all chipped in to the ace parade as well.

That style of play, of each Wolf on the floor doing their part to form a powerful nucleus, left their coach wearing a smile.

“Tonight was especially fun, because we had huge contributions from a lot of different players,” Whitmore said.

“We expect a lot from Maya, Hannah, and Scout, both offensively and defensively, so for them to perform is always huge,” he added. “But I was especially impressed with Chelsea, Zoe Trujillo and Maddie Vondrak’s offensive efficiency.

“All three took advantage of their opportunities and it will be big for us to establish them as offensive threats.”

Mixing and matching players, the Wolf coach hit pay dirt with almost every lineup.

“Lucy and Raven Vick (also) came in and played very key roles, serving and defense,” Whitmore said. “I’m really proud of the balanced nature of this win.”

The stat sheet was bursting by the end of the match, with Smith (35 assists) and Toomey-Stout (13 kills and 21 digs) pacing their squad.

Emma Mathusek went low for 15 digs, while Prescott (nine kills, seven digs), Trujillo (eight kills), Davidson (eight kills), Vondrak (seven kills), and Sandahl (five digs) all played at the top of their games.

The Wolves controlled the net, with Smith, Prescott, and Vondrak collecting solo blocks.

As Coupeville heads back to Whidbey to start a three-game home stand, Whitmore and crew are ready for the challenges ahead.

“Plenty that we need to tighten up and situations we’ll need to prepare for,” he said. “But this was a big team effort and a confidence booster.”

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Big serves, big win

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on September 17, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Freshman Ryanne Knoblich had seven kills Tuesday as Coupeville’s C-Team spikers demolished Anacortes. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The stars of the future, supporting their older teammates today. (Brian Vick photo)

They kicked the season off with a bang.

The Coupeville High School C-Team volleyball players exited Anacortes Tuesday night flush with the thrill of victory.

Having dismantled the 2A Seahawks 25-15, 25-13, 25-10, the Wolves and new coach Krimson Rector sit at a flawless 1-0, with their home debut set for a week from tonight.

Getting production across the board, Coupeville came out strong and never took its foot off the gas pedal.

“It was great to get the first game jitters out and start our season strong,” Rector said.

The Wolves set up their success with pin-point accuracy at the service stripe, peppering Anacortes with nasty balls that were often nonreturnable.

Allie Lucero recorded a team-high 11 aces, while Maya Lucero, Vivian Farris, and Jordyn Rogers chipped in with five apiece.

When the ball did stay in play, the Wolves were efficient at the net, with Ryanne Knoblich (seven kills), Gwen Gustafson (six kills), and Jill Prince (four kills and three blocks) dominating play.

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It’s 95 days until kickoff

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on June 3, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Gavin Knoblich and Coupeville football face several new opponents this fall. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

First things first.

There is one way, and one way only, that Coupeville High School football can make the playoffs this fall.

The Wolves go 9-0 for the first time since 1990, or it’s regular season and done.

When CHS opted to bounce from the North Sound Conference for a season and play an independent schedule, school officials made the decision fully aware it closed off most avenues to the postseason.

That being said, Coupeville football hasn’t posted a winning record since going 6-5 in 2005.

Since then, there’s been a 5-5 finish in 2014 and 12 losing seasons.

So, maybe we won’t worry about the playoffs right now.

The biggest stumbling blocks for the Wolf gridiron program have been a lack of numbers, a lack of big bodies among those players actually on the field, and a whole lot of churn on the coaching staff.

Current CHS head man Marcus Carr is starting his second season and seems deeply committed, with a strong staff working at his side. That’s a definite positive.

Still, Coupeville has had five head coaches in the last decade, since Ron Bagby retired after 26 years at the helm of the program.

Part of the rebuilding process for Carr and school Athletic Director Willie Smith is trying to get the Wolves back on a semi-level playing field, allowing the program to grow.

All indications are that CHS will step down to 2B starting with the 2020-2021 school year, which is when new classification counts take effect.

Until then, taking a year off from league play, skipping King’s and Cedar Park Christian and company while allowing Smith to craft a (hopefully) more-favorable schedule, should help.

Looking at what awaits the Wolves this fall, it’s a schedule with four home games and five on the road.

Four games are against 2B schools, and three versus 1A institutions, plus one game apiece against 2A and 3A foes.

Five of the opponents, including the first four, are against schools Coupeville is familiar with. Then are four match-ups which will offer the Wolves a chance to experience new things.

To get you ready, we offer up a little breakdown of the schedule, game by game:

 

Friday-Sept. 6 — Port Townsend

Kickoff: 6 PM

Miles to travel: None

Classification: 1A

Coach: Patrick Gaffney

Mascot: RedHawks

2018 record: 4-6

Players on preseason roster: 20

Past history: Coupeville won 28-18 in last year’s season opener in Port Townsend. The teams have played numerous times, most notably when they were both in the Olympic League between 2014-2017.

Fun fact: Port Townsend and Chimacum combined for 130 points in a FOOTBALL game last season, with the RedHawks winning 79-51.

 

Friday-Sept. 13 — @ Vashon Island

Kickoff: 6 PM

Miles to travel: 73.6 miles

Classification: 1A

Coach: Clay Eastly

Mascot: Pirates

2018 record: 1-9

Players on preseason roster: 21

Past history: Coupeville won 13-0 last year on Whidbey. Wolves have beaten Pirates three straight seasons.

“Fun” fact: Last time Vashon beat CHS came in 2015 … when Pirate running back Bryce Hoisington went off for a state single-game record 573 rushing yards against the Wolves. He also broke the state single-season rushing mark, and, thankfully, has since graduated.

 

Friday-Sept. 20 — @ Friday Harbor

Kickoff: 6:30 PM

Miles to travel: 48.4

Classification: 2B

Coach: Brock Hauck

Mascot: Wolverines

2018 record: 6-3

Players on preseason roster: 19

Past history: Coupeville lost 17-0 last year on Whidbey. First time the schools clashed in several years, but they have been on and off again rivals over the decades.

Fun fact: Friday Harbor finished in a tie with Concrete for the Northwest League title last season, but lost a mini-playoff game 7-6. With a state playoff berth on the line, the difference turned out to be a heavily-disputed two-point conversion run, with the refs ruling Friday Harbor failed to break the goal line.

 

Friday-Sept. 27 — La Conner

Kickoff: 7 PM

Miles to travel: None

Classification: 2B

Coach: Peter Voorhees

Mascot: Braves

2018 record: 1-8

Players on preseason roster: 37

Past history: Coupeville won 33-12 at La Conner last year. Wolves have won two straight against one of their oldest rivals.

Fun fact: Has one of the best home-field National Anthem traditions in Washington state. As the singer finishes with “and the home of the brave,” La Conner football players raise their helmets and scream “Braves” in place of the final word.

 

Saturday-Oct. 5 — @ Kittitas

Kickoff: 3 PM

Miles to travel: 165.3

Classification: 2B

Coach: Dusty Hutchinson

Mascot: Coyotes

2018 record: 1-7

Players on preseason roster: Not available; no roster for last season listed, either.

Past history: Never played (as far as I know).

Fun fact: Won their third-straight boys basketball state title this past winter. Star guard Brock Ravet, who is headed to Gonzaga on a full-ride scholarship, finished his career as the state’s all-time leading scorer.

 

Friday-Oct. 11 — @ Northwest Christian

Kickoff: 7 PM

Miles to travel: 131.9 (School is in Lacey, but game at Tenino)

Classification: 2B

Coach: Mark Smith

Mascot: Wolverines

2018 record: Didn’t play

Players on preseason roster: Not available

Past history: New football program

Fun facts: Private school may not have a football history, but it’s a powerhouse in cross country, with the girls team winning nine straight state titles between 2006-2014.

School was the Navigators (with an alligator mascot known as … Navi the Gator), but are switching to Wolverines. To which I say, why, and, booooooooo.

Football coach Mark Smith is no newbie. He’s in the state hall of fame for track and field coaches, and won 174 games in 23 years as the football coach at Tacoma Baptist, taking that school to the state title game three times.

 

Fri-Oct. 18 — South Whidbey

Kickoff: 7 PM

Miles to travel: None

Classification: 1A

Coach: Mark Hodson

Mascot: Falcons

2018 record: 6-4

Players on preseason roster: Not available. Had 36 last season.

Past history: Coupeville lost 48-20 last year in Langley, allowing Falcons to regain possession of The Bucket. Wolves had won four of previous six clashes against their arch-rivals.

Fun fact: South Whidbey, which won just four games between 2014-2016, went the independent schedule route, and it paid off big time.

Playing 2B and Canadian schools, Falcons rebounded with a 7-2 record, then carried that over into 2018, when they joined the new North Sound Conference.

 

Fri-Oct. 25 — Anacortes

Kickoff: TBA

Miles to travel: None

Classification: 2A

Coach: Chris Hunter

Mascot: Seahawks

2018 record: 0-9

Players on preseason roster: Not available. Had 31 last season.

Past history: Haven’t played football against each other in decades. Used to be a rivalry back when players wore leather helmets.

Fun fact: Anacortes has lost 13 straight games. Seahawks last tasted victory the night of Sept. 29, 2017, when they beat Blaine 36-30.

 

Fri-Nov. 1 — @ Interlake

Kickoff: 7 PM

Miles to travel: 58.6 (Bellevue)

Classification: 3A

Coach: Shawn Hartline

Mascot: Saints

2018 record: 2-7

Players on preseason roster: 45

Past history: Have never played (as far as I know).

Fun fact: Famous alumni included baseball legend John Olerud, as well as musicians Nancy Wilson (Heart), and Chris DeGarmo (Queensrÿche).

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So many hits, so many runs

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , , on May 11, 2019| Leave a Comment »

“Can’t talk, have to check my stats!” (Photo by Suzan Georges)

Scoring runs? Not a problem.

After sweeping a doubleheader from visiting Anacortes Saturday, the Central Whidbey Little League Juniors softball team has scored 15 or more times in every single one of its 11 games.

So little wonder that the Wolves, after grabbing 18-10 and 19-9 victories at Rhododendron Park, sit at a flawless 11-0.

They’re doing it with pitching, with defense, but most of all, with booming bats, opportunistic base-running, and a love for stamping their feet on home plate.

And how many times have their spikes slammed down, you ask?

Oh, just 209 times so far, which means the Wolves are averaging an uncanny 19 runs a game. No big deal.

How Saturday played out:

 

Game 1:

After throwing five runs up on the board in the bottom of the first to claim a 5-2 lead, Central Whidbey never relinquished its advantage.

Though Anacortes didn’t go down all that easily.

The visitors twice rallied to within just two runs, at 6-4 and 12-10, but both times the Wolves responded emphatically.

The first time things got momentarily tense, Central Whidbey piled up five runs in the bottom of the fourth to stretch the lead back out.

Cue Anacortes chip-chip-chippin’ away at the lead, and then the Wolves hammering their rivals one more time, with a six-run assault in the sixth sealing the win.

Wolf pitcher Gwen Gustafson held Anacortes scoreless over the game’s final two innings, with barely a flicker of danger, and it was on to game two.

Central Whidbey piled up a mountain of hits on the day, raining down 20 in just the first game.

Savina Wells and Gustafson led the way with four base-knocks apiece, with Wells collecting a pair of doubles, while Sofia Peters, Maddie Georges, and Melanie Navarro had three singles each.

Rounding out the hit parade were Vivian Farris, Jill Prince, and Cypress Socha, while Adrian Burrows and Karyme Castro saw field time as well.

 

Game 2:

If the opener was semi-close, the nightcap turned into a rout quickly.

Trailing 3-0 when they came up in the bottom of the first, the Wolves promptly threw down 13 runs, with the first 11 batters reaching base safely.

Given a lead, Farris took to the pitcher’s circle and held Anacortes at bay, while getting some solid work from her defense.

Georges ripped a triple, while Wells, Socha, Gustafson, and Peters all doubled.

Central Whidbey collected “only” 13 hits in the second game, with Georges rattling a pair of singles to go with her three-bagger, but also eked out eight walks.

Burrows and Gustafson both picked up two free passes, Wells, Peters, Navarro, and Gustafson each finished with two hits, and Farris aided her own cause with a sharply-smacked single.

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