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Ian Smith (right) imparts wisdom to one of his succesors, Aaron Trumbull, in 2012. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

   Ian Smith (right) imparts wisdom to one of his successors, Aaron Trumbull, while coaching American Legion ball in 2012. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Erik King

Homer-happy Erik King takes the field in 2010. (Amy King photo)

The base-knocks never stopped landing.

Look back at the last three decades of Coupeville High School baseball and no team has put together an offensive run to equal what the 2010 squad accomplished.

They weren’t the most successful Wolf team in terms of record or postseason accomplishments.

Didn’t make it to state. Didn’t win a league title. Finished at dead .500 with a 12-12 mark.

And yet that last sentence is deceiving.

The reality is Willie Smith’s squad played superb ball at times, but faced a truly brutal year as the smallest school in a tough 1A/2A Cascade Conference.

The Wolves finished fourth in the league standings at 8-9, a full four games ahead of South Whidbey, the only other 1A league school playing baseball at the time.

King’s used to sit the hardball season out back in the day, leaving the Wolves and Falcons to tangle with the five 2A schools.

Archbishop Thomas Murphy and its rotating band of future college players and MLB draftees went 22-4 and finished 3rd at state in the 2A tourney, while Cedarcrest finished 15-5.

While the 2016 Wolves snapped a 25-year dry spell and won the 1A Olympic League title, it’s hard to really compare their three foes (Klahowya, Port Townsend, Chimacum) to the razor-tipped romp through a no-man’s land Coupeville “enjoyed” in its old league.

Having survived the trek, CHS split four postseason games, beating Lynden Christian 6-4 and Nooksack Valley 10-9, while falling to Meridian 7-1 and (in what became the season finale) Seattle Christian 8-7.

Meridian went on to claim 3rd at the 1A state tourney.

But while their record, as hard-earned as it was, may not be an all-time best, the Wolves were a force to be reckoned with at the plate.

Coupeville had five All-Conference players in ’10, with infielder JD Wilcox landing on the First Team and Ian Smith (P), Chase Griffin (C), Chad Brookhouse (INF) and Erik King (OF) Second-Teamers.

The Wolves were a veteran group that year, with seven seniors in their lineup (though Jason Bagby missed a huge chunk of time) as one era closed out.

That summer a group of Central Whidbey Little League players like Ben Etzell and Morgan Payne won a state title and they joined the high school program almost en masse the next year.

And promptly got beat on for awhile by the 2A powers and their junior and senior-heavy rosters.

But in 2010, Coupeville claimed as many grizzled vets as any team, and they swung the bat like no Wolf team in memory.

The stats are uncanny, frankly.

The top four single-season highs for hits by an individual CHS player in the last 30 years all came that season, and the Wolves hit for average and power.

Wilcox, a certified star, was exactly that, but Coupeville also got career-best work from Brookhouse, a tough-nosed journeyman, and a surprising power show from a slightly unexpected source.

King is not a big, burly dude, but he had exceptional bat quickness and a well-honed eye and used both to pace the team in home runs and slugging percentage.

League titles are not to be sneezed at, and state trophies (like the 3rd place one nabbed by the ’87 CHS squad) live forever, but don’t sleep on the 2010 Wolves.

They blew up the scoreboard and should be remembered for all they accomplished.

Take a look at their plate stats, then tip your hat to the greatest offensive show the prairie may have ever seen.

The stats:

Player AB Runs Hits 1B 2B 3B HR SB BB RBI Avg. Slug.
Griffin 68 28 22 19 2 1 9 20 10 .324 .397
Smith 78 23 30 19 8 2 1 7 8 22 .385 .577
Wilcox 78 31 31 22 6 2 1 12 12 18 .397 .564
King 66 19 27 20 4 3 3 15 20 .409 .606
B-house 70 20 32 26 4 2 2 10 32 .457 .600
Bagby 15 5 6 4 2 3 3 7 .400 .533
Eaton 68 12 22 17 5 1 9 16 .324 .397
McClain 67 8 17 17 2 10 10 .254 .254
Wheat 59 7 12 10 2 6 5 .203 .237
Thurman 50 6 12 10 2 3 4 8 .241 .281
Bodamer 5 1 1
Sele 3
Chan 9 1 1 1 2 .111 .111
Carlson 1
McCormick 1
Gooch 1
TOTALS 639 159 212 165 35 4 8 42 99 151 .332 .437

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Hawthorne Wolfe, seen here during basketball season, is one of six Central Whidbey baseball players (Pat Kelley photo)

   Hawthorne Wolfe, seen here during basketball season, is one of six Central Whidbey baseball players taking part in district tourney action. (Pat Kelley photo)

It’s a joint venture, but most of the stars are from Coupeville.

Or at least that’s the way I’m choosing to see it (this ain’t called South Whidbey Sports…) as the Central/South Whidbey 11/12 little league all-star baseball squad battles at the district tourney in Sedro-Woolley.

The team includes six Coupeville athletes — Caleb Meyer, Hawthorne Wolfe, Scott Hilborn, Drake Borden, Cody Roberts and Sage Sharpe — and has split its opening games.

After taking a 6-3 loss to the tourney hosts Friday, Central/South rebounded to drill Anacortes 12-1 Saturday.

The mixed squad plays North Whidbey in a loser-out game Monday (6 PM), for a chance to gain a rematch with Sedro.

Against Anacortes, everything was working, with Roberts thumping a three-run home run to invoke the ten-run mercy rule.

Wolfe swung a big bat, as well, cracking a three-run double, then returning later to notch an RBI single.

Before smacking his tater, Roberts reached twice on errors, while Hilborn plated Sharp on a fielder’s choice.

In the opening tourney loss, Roberts doubled and scored twice.

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JD Wilcox

   JD Wilcox (left) whacked 85 hits over four years, best by any Wolf since 1990. (Mindy Wilcox photo)

Morgan Payne

   Morgan Payne (left) and Ben Etzell were four-year starters and both finished in the top five for career hits between 1990-2016. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Need one hit to save the day?

Over the last two decades-plus, the man you wanted at the plate for Coupeville High School was JD Wilcox, then.

Having gone through a pile of old baseball score-books, which featured wildly different recording styles (favorite notation from the late ’90s scrawled under a wild inning — “No clue. It was a cluster…”), I have a better idea now of who were the true Wolf hitting machines.

And no one recorded more career base-knocks during that time frame than Wilcox, who scorched 85 of them.

Now, having access to 18 of 27 score-books from 1990 to 2016, my research work is not complete, but reasonably close.

Even with nine missing books, I can piece together two-thirds of the time period.

So, a pretty good slice of the pie.

The best single season that I know about?

Chad Brookhouse, who stroked 32 hits in 2010.

In fact, that year produced the top four single-season performances found in my research, with Wilcox (31), Ian Smith (30) and Erik King (27) also swinging hot sticks.

Now, the question which lingers — was the ’10 team, which outhit the ’08 district champs 212-171, truly the best-hitting squad of the last 26 years?

Or was that year’s scorekeeper more lenient on what constituted a base hit?

We may never know.

Career-wise, Wilcox edges James Smith 85-77, with Ben Etzell (71), Casey Larson (70), Morgan Payne (68), Jake Tumblin (67), Alex Evans (66), Ian Smith (65), Kurtis Smith (61) and Aaron Curtin (52) rounding out the Top 10.

Of course, with the missing books, there’s always a chance we’re excluding someone worthy from that roll call.

Especially if they played from 2002-2004, the longest stretch of consecutive seasons lost to the wind.

But hey, if I’m not giving you something to argue about, I’m not doing my job.

So here, as best as I have been able to piece together, is the CHS hit parade from 1990-2016.

1990:

Frank Marti – 18
Matt Cross
– 17
Chris Frey
– 16
Brad Haslam
– 16
Brian Barr
– 13
GT Wolfe
– 10
Todd Brown
– 8
Ryan Samplawski
– 8
Les Hall
– 6
Scott Zustiak
– 3
Jordan Osorio
– 4
Shawn Ankney
– 1
Troy Blouin
-1
? Byers
– 1

1991:

Brad Haslam – 18
Frank Marti
– 18
Brian Barr
– 15
Jason McFadyen
– 15
Matt Cross
– 14
Chris Frey
– 12
Todd Brown
– 10
Jason McManigle
– 8
Ryan Samplawski
– 8
Eric Anderson
– 4
John Turner
– 4
Troy Blouin
– 1

1992:

Brad Haslam – 16
Troy Blouin
– 12
Jason McManigle
– 12
Jay Renaux
– 11
Matt Cross
– 9
Keith Currier
– 9
Todd Brown
– 6
Brian Wood
– 5
Tad Crease
– 4
Jason Hughes
– 3
Eric Anderson
– 2
Lance Allen
– 1
Jeremiah Prater
– 1

1993:

Keith Currier – 16
Cody Lowe
– 9
Jason McManigle
– 9
Jay Renaux
– 9
Jon Crimmins
– 8
Jason Hughes
– 7
Keith Dunnagan
– 5
Brent Fitzgerald
– 5
Scott Wofford
– 4
Troy Blouin
– 3
Blair Miller
– 1

1994:

Brad Miller – 14
Rich Morris
– 13
Mike Vaughan
– 13
Keith Dunnagan
– 11
Nick Sellgren
– 8
Jeremy Staples
– 8
Brent Fitzgerald
– 6
Blair Miller
– 3
Ben Lyle
– 2
Ryan Wiley
– 1

1995:

Brad Miller – 23
Mike Sloan
– 19
Jeremy Staples
– 14
Mike Vaughan
– 14
Greg White
– 12
Christian Lyness
– 11
Nick Sellgren
– 11
Keith Dunnagan
– 7
Rich Morris
– 6
Ryan Wiley
– 2
Brent Fitzgerald
– 1
? Nelson – 1

1996:

Book missing

1997:

Book missing

1998:

Christian Lyness – 14
Matt Brown
– 13
Aaron Henderson
– 12
Josh Smith
– 12
Ben Hancock
– 11
Eric Wiley
– 10
Caden Russell
– 6
Justin Barnes
– 5
Daniel Palmquist
– 5
Mike James
– 4
Bill Marti
– 3
Jason Joiner
– 1

1999:

Book missing

2000:

Book missing

2001:

David Rochin 19
Dustin Van Velkinburgh
15
Brett Barker
11
Justin Barnes
11
Tyler Hauan
11
Jacob Henderson
10
Tyrell Blouin
9
Mark Whittaker
5
JD Myers
4
Brian Fakkema
2
Brian Miller
1
Casey Mitchell
1

2002:

Book missing

2003:

Book missing

2004:

Book missing

2005:

Casey Larson 23
Kirby Mitchell
23
James Smith
19
Alex Evans
18
Trevor Mueller
18
Jack Armstrong
17
Mike Bagby
17
Cory Black
16
Anthony LaPoint
6
Tony Prosser
6
Kyle Wilcox
6
Jared Murdy
3

2006:

Book missing

2007:

James Smith – 22
Zach Hauser
– 17
Casey Larson
– 15
JD Wilcox
– 13
Jared Murdy
– 10
Kyle Wilcox 
– 9
Alex Evans
– 7
Tony Prosser
– 6
Jake Hill
– 4
Cory Black
– 3
Kramer O’Keefe
– 1
Zach Pelant
– 1

2008:

Alex Evans – 22
Zach Hauser
– 22
James Smith
– 22
Kyle Wilcox
– 22
JD Wilcox
– 19
Kramer O’Keefe
– 17
Jake Hill
– 16
Jared Murdy
– 15
Chase Griffin
– 8
Jason Bagby
– 5
Ian Smith
– 3

2009:

JD Wilcox 22
Ian Smith
– 16
Jake Hill
– 15
Chad Brookhouse
– 14
Erik King
– 14
Chase Griffin
– 13
Jason Bagby
– 10
Kevin Eaton
– 10
Alex McClain
– 5
Dalton Engle
– 3
Joe Fleck
– 3
Ryan Oliver
– 1

2010:

Chad Brookhouse – 32
JD Wilcox
– 31
Ian Smith
– 30
Erik King
– 27
Kevin Eaton
– 22
Chase Griffin
– 22
Alex McClain
– 17
Sean Thurman
– 12
Erik Wheat
– 12
Jason Bagby
– 6
Drew Chan
– 1

2011:

Morgan Payne – 18
Ian Smith
– 16
Alex McClain
– 11
Jake Tumblin
– 11
Wade Schaef
– 10
Brandt Bodamer
– 7
Drew Chan
– 7
Ben Etzell
– 7
Kurtis Smith
– 6
Kole Kellison
– 5
Zach McCormick
– 3
Ben Carlson
– 2

2012:

Jake Tumblin – 18
Morgan Payne
– 16
Ben Etzell
– 15
Wade Schaef
– 12
Drew Chan
– 9
Korbin Korzan
– 8
Kurtis Smith
– 8
Aaron Trumbull
– 8
Aaron Curtin
– 7
Josh Bayne
– 4
Brandt Bodamer
– 3
Brian Norris
-2
Zach McCormick
– 1
Paul Schmakeit
– 1

2013:

Morgan Payne -24
Ben Etzell – 23
Kurtis Smith
– 23
Jake Tumblin
– 17
Drew Chan
– 11
Aaron Curtin
– 11
Kyle Bodamer
– 10
Korbin Korzan
– 8
Aaron Trumbull
– 8
Josh Bayne
– 7
Wade Schaef
– 3
Cole Payne – 2
Joe Edwards – 1

2014:

Ben Etzell – 25
Kurtis Smith
– 24
Aaron Trumbull
– 24
Josh Bayne
– 21
Jake Tumblin
– 21
Wade Schaef
– 14
Aaron Curtin
– 12
Morgan Payne
– 10
Korbin Korzan
– 7
Cole Payne
– 4
CJ Smith
– 2

2015:

Aaron Curtin – 22
Cole Payne
– 16
Kyle Bodamer
– 15
Josh Bayne
– 13
Hunter Smith
– 12
Clay Reilly
– 11
Carson Risner
– 11
Aaron Trumbull
– 11
CJ Smith
– 9
Jake Hoagland
– 2
Julian Welling
– 2
Gabe Wynn – 2
Joey Lippo
– 1
Cameron Toomey-Stout
– 1

2016:

Book not available

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CJ Smith, a man for all seasons. (John Fisken, Shelli Trumbull and Sylvia Hurlburt photos)

   CJ Smith, a man for all seasons. (John Fisken, Shelli Trumbull, Charlotte Young and Sylvia Hurlburt photos)

Big things sometimes start quietly.

The first time I saw CJ Smith, he suddenly appeared, perched at the end of the Coupeville High School boys’ basketball bench one night, a couple of games into the 2013-2014 season.

Someone in the stands, a fellow player’s dad, said he had just transferred into the school, but no one knew much about him.

As the game went on, CJ (we didn’t even know his name that night) watched the court like a hawk, once in awhile murmuring a question or two to the guy next to him, then nodding, face impassive.

Little did we know at that moment, cloaked in stoic quietness, that we were seeing the birth of one of the best athletes to ever wear the red and black.

Later, we discovered he was a sophomore, and we wouldn’t see him in a game for close to two weeks, as he got up to speed on practices.

When he finally touched the court, wearing a Coupeville uniform for the first time, he didn’t come out screaming, or wildly waving.

He played calmly, coolly, under control, making sharp passes and even sharper cuts.

Captain Cool had arrived, and, for the next two-and-a-half years we got to witness a young man who handles his business as strongly as any Wolf I have witnessed.

CJ, who celebrates a birthday today and graduated from CHS last month, gave us two strong basketball seasons (he sat out his senior season to focus on schoolwork), two superb football campaigns and three dazzling baseball years.

Through it all, he was the picture of composure, a guy who didn’t seem to ever have a butterfly and never, ever flinched away from the big moment.

If he was nervous, if he had self-doubt, CJ hid it well from the fans.

When he was on the mound, whiffing hitters in great gobs, it was nearly impossible to tell if he was up 20-0 or trailing 1-0.

And that calmness, his sense of purpose, always seemed to settle his teammates down around him.

Which was especially helpful during his senior season, when most of his teammates were freshmen and sophomores.

Teaming with senior catcher Cole Payne and his brother, sophomore Hunter Smith, CJ led Coupeville to its first baseball league title in 25 years.

During that run there were many moments when the team could have fallen apart, but it didn’t, thanks in large part to its easygoing mound ace.

That serene spirit flows through CJ’s entire family.

Turns out we got a 5-for-1 deal, with CJ, Hunter and lil’ sis Scout all three-sport stars, while mom Charlotte and dad Chris are superb coaches.

As his prep career played out, Captain Cool was a rock for the Wolves, a talented athlete, but, more importantly, a quality dude through and through.

So happy birthday CJ, and thanks for letting us all be part of the ride for the last three years.

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Ulrik and Izzy Wells were two of the five Central Whidbey diamond dandies to play with Oak Harbor this week. (Katy Wells photo)

   Ulrik and Izzy Wells were two of five Central Whidbey diamond dandies to play with Oak Harbor this week. (Katy Wells photo)

Katy and Lyle Wells have been busy bees lately.

With three children, all whom play for different diamond squads, the family has been bouncing all over the place.

Now, with the two oldest kids having wrapped their seasons this week, things may slow down a bit.

Maybe.

With Oak Harbor’s Babe Ruth baseball squad and North Whidbey Little League’s Majors softball team being eliminated one game shy of a state tourney berth, Ulrik and Izzy Wells will be spectators when lil’ sis Savina takes the diamond next week.

The youngest Wells is a key player on Central Whidbey Little League’s Minors softball squad, the Yellow Jackets, which opens its best-of-three District 11 championship tilt July 5.

Sedro-Woolley is the foe and the games (Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly Thursday) will be played at Rhododendron Park in Coupeville.

The Yellow Jackets, who went 13-1, are the only one of Central’s three softball squads which were able to advance to All-Stars as a team.

The 13-3 Venom (Juniors) and 15-0-1 Crush (Majors) didn’t have enough players sticking around to go on as complete teams.

So, Izzy Wells and Crush teammate Abby Mulholland jumped over to North Whidbey to keep playing, and the Purple Thunder took Sedro to a full three games in their tourney.

After falling 9-5 in the opener, North Whidbey won the middle game 8-3, then was nipped 7-4 in the finale.

Wells gunned down eight batters from the pitcher’s circle in the championship game.

The Babe Ruth squad, which features three Coupeville players — Daniel Olson, Gavin Knoblich and Ulrik Wells — split a pair of games in a round-robin tourney, but was eliminated from advancing to state by run differential.

Oak Harbor beat Sedro 6-5, then fell hard to Friday Harbor, losing 13-3.

Sedro bopped Friday Harbor 12-6 in the other game, leaving all three teams with 1-1 records.

Sedro advanced to state based on giving up the fewest runs, as they surrendered 12 to Friday Harbor’s 15 and Oak Harbor’s 18.

Knoblich ripped a double and a single in the finale, while Olson had a pair of singles. Both he and Wells knocked in runs, as well.

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