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No quit, always a good fit

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , on August 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Abbigail Bond and Aiden O’Neill are crowned as Coupeville High School Homecoming royalty during their senior year. (Julie Wheat photo)

This is a story about a dude whose spirit couldn’t be broken.

Even when his body tried to slam on the brakes time and again.

One of the most physically talented athletes to ever wear a Coupeville uniform, Aiden O’Neill was limited only by the injuries he had to battle through.

When he was on the football field, the basketball court, or the baseball diamond, he was a shining star, capable of piling up impressive stats and leaving lasting memories from big-time performances.

It would be easy to take pity on him, to feel sorry for the times injuries prevented him from being in the spotlight he deserved.

But Aiden never seemed to feel sorry for himself, so why should we?

Instead, we should honor the effort he put in to be healthy, to fight back time and again when others would call it quits — a trait reflected by more than one Wolf coach hailing him as the hardest worker they had on their teams.

Aiden is that rare cat who never seemed to get too high or too low — he sort of reminds me of Matthew McConaughey, boppin’ through life to his own rhythm — while excelling in all aspects of his life.

He was strong in the classroom, a key part of why he was tabbed as a Lions Club Student of the Quarter, and in the community, which helped him net the Cliff Gillies Award, a distinction handed out by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association to those who “excel in scholarship, citizenship, and participation.”

From the first moment he stepped on to the gridiron, Aiden made an impact, picking off passes for a CHS football team which went to the state playoffs during his freshman campaign.

Already making big plays way back when he was a fab frosh. (Brenna Silveira photo)

He was a ballhawk on defense, while also being quite willing to land explosive hits on any rivals foolish enough to intrude on his territory.

Put him on offense and he was a weapon, whether running with the ball or snatching passes out of the air, the end zone always his preferred destination.

Football took its impact on Aiden’s body, however, which made it so he didn’t get his full run as a basketball player.

When he was on the court — and he fought to stay in play, often working through pain and frustration — he was Mr. Smooth, slicing ‘n dicing defenses, hurtling to the hoop for buckets or popping outside to drain long-range treys.

A scrapper, Aiden had fast hands and was always in the mix for rebounds, steals, and tipped passes, helping key the Wolf fast break with his opportunistic style of play.

Teaming up with Carson Grove to bedevil a rival player. (Melanie Wolfe photo)

His time on the baseball diamond was again limited somewhat by injuries and recovery, but when he could get a bat in hand or a glove ready to go, he was often electrifying.

His nimble toes helped make Aiden a true threat every time he streaked around the basepaths, where he led the Wolves in triples and went 26 for 28 in career stolen base opportunities.

In the field, the sure-handed outfielder could, and did, chase down just about anything.

Case in point, a game from his senior season when the Wolves rallied to stun Friday Harbor 10-8 in a wild come-from-behind home victory.

Aiden saved the win with a stunning double play in the seventh and final inning, a moment immortalized by CHS assistant coach Jon Roberts:

“Aiden made a Sports Center catch! Absolutely pounded ball to deep left field, he got on his horse, chased it down and launched himself.

“Horizontally stretched out as far as he could and made the catch, came up, threw it to shortstop as a cut, who threw it to second base to tag out the advancing runner. Double play!

“I’m telling you, it was an absolute holy shit play! (Assistant coach) Morgan (Payne) knocked the scorebook out of my hand up into the air and I caught it like I was going after a touchdown catch!”

No baseball escapes his glove. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Plays like that, and the calm, measured way Aiden responded in the moment to his own brilliance are a perfect showcase for why he will be remembered long after his graduation as part of the CHS Class of 2026.

Injuries limited the number of games he played but never dimmed his shine.

He was a gamer, someone who never shrank from the spotlight, and his time in a Wolf uniform made a noticeable impact on teammates, coaches, and fans.

It’s why today we swing open the doors to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, and welcome Aiden O’Neill into our lil’ digital shrine.

After this you’ll find him up at the top of the blog under the Legends tab, holding down a spot he earned through hours of hard work and a lifetime of never taking the easy way out.

The Dude abides. (Davin Houston photo)

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Chase Anderson was money in the bank

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , , , on August 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Chase Anderson slashes through the defense. (Julie Wheat photo)

He blazed his own trail.

By the time he graduated from Coupeville High School this past spring, Chase Anderson had compiled one of the best four-year runs by any Wolf athlete, ever.

A rare four-sport star, he was at the forefront for football, basketball, baseball, and track and field teams, before wrapping things up by being selected as the CHS Male Athlete of the Year as a senior.

Anderson was a wiry ball of energy who piled up stats, didn’t back away from the spotlight, and took great delight (it seemed) in frustrating his opponents.

Of all the things he accomplished, my favorite moment of his speaks fully to that last trait.

During a basketball game in his freshman season, Anderson was plugged into the game by Wolf hoops coach Brad Sherman, who gave him one task — do whatever it took to slow down a South Whidbey gunner who was making life miserable for the CHS defense.

From the moment he stepped on the floor, a glint in his eyes, he draped himself all over the Falcon sharpshooter, living about one solid inch off of him at every second.

Anderson was glued to his foe, both on and off the floor, and would have followed him into the timeout huddle if allowed.

First the Falcon stopped scoring. Then he stopped shooting. And then, finally, in a truly delicious moment, he wailed at his coach, “He won’t stop breathing on me!!!”

To which Anderson smiled, ever so slightly, and then moved from being an inch away from the South Whidbey player to a half inch away, as the nearest ref tried to cover his own smile.

Long after the baskets and the touchdown passes and the stolen bases filter away, that’s the moment I’ll remember most about him.

Few competed as hard as Anderson, and virtually no one else could cheese off a rival player like he could.

It’s a special talent, and the memory will endure.

He has places to be and wants to get there quickly. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Not that Anderson didn’t pile up a lot of baskets and touchdowns and other numbers. Cause he did.

Put him on the gridiron and he could (and often did) play every position, starting with his work as the Wolf quarterback, where he could sling touchdown passes or bolt for big yardage with his nimble toes.

Anderson could run you over, or run around you, and either way, leave you firmly in his rear-view mirror as he scampered down the field.

Even if you did catch up to him, he was always hard to bring down as well, often dragging would-be tacklers several more yards, even while being gang-tackled.

He also played defense, cracking people in half with explosive tackles and picking off passes, while handling kicking and punting duties for the Wolves as well, showing off an often-explosive leg.

When winter came, all thoughts turn to hardwood heroics, and Anderson made his impact felt in multiple ways.

A four-year varsity player, Anderson broke into the rotation thanks to his ball hawking skills, his aforementioned ability to irritate/shut down shooters, and his jets, getting out and hauling in long outlet passes from Logan Downes.

After two seasons of playing alongside the top scorer in program history (Downes finished with 1,305 points), Anderson became the go-to dude, popping the nets for 339 and 344 points as a junior and senior, respectively.

He closed his CHS career with 943 points, which has him sitting #7 all-time for a Wolf boys’ program which launched way back in 1917.

Once spring bloomed on the prairie — generally evidenced by 40-degree weather and brutal prairie winds — Anderson started as a baseball star, transitioned into the world of track as a junior while dealing with injuries, then returned to finish things back on the diamond.

During his oval campaign, he competed in the 100, 200, 4 x 100, 4 x 200, and javelin, winning league and district titles in three of those five events, before bringing home two state meet medals as a relay runner.

Staring down a future strikeout victim. (Morgan White photo)

Anderson’s hardball career was slowed a bit by injuries, allowing him to only hit and pitch as a freshman and senior, while he was limited to playing in the field during a curtailed sophomore season, but he still finished with some nice numbers.

He hit .391, .440, and .362 across his three campaigns, compiling career totals of 55 hits, 10 doubles, 35 RBI, 50 runs, 21 walks, and 63 stolen bases, while only being thrown out once by a catcher.

When his body allowed Anderson to stalk the pitcher’s mound, he whiffed 73 batters across 49 innings of work.

When it didn’t, he gunned down runners from deep in the hole at shortstop, still crackin’ off big throws while coming at things from a different angle.

Put it all together — the counting stats, the fact he was always a core player in every sport from day one to his final Senior Night, and that special fanatical zeal he brought to every game — and Anderson would certainly be included in any conversation about the best athletes to every pull on a Wolf uniform.

So, it should come as little surprise that today we induct him into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, enshrining him forever at the top of the blog under the Legends tab.

Anderson is currently chasing collegiate sports dreams, trying to crack the football roster at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as a walk-on player.

Only time will tell what he may accomplish as a Moc, but he’ll always have a place in Cow Town athletic lore.

A star from day one. (Stephanie Pulliam photo)

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Glover was a rock for Wolves

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , , on July 26, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Camden Glover rumbles on the hardwood. (Julie Wheat photo)

“I would like to continue to be a reliable team player.”

That was Camden Glover’s stated goal as he entered his freshman year at Coupeville High School, coming off a stellar run as a middle school athlete which included several big-game performances on the hardwood.

And it was one he achieved during a four-year run in which he was as solid as they come.

Stevie’s oldest son, who has always been a protective big bro to his younger siblings, had actually already made his high school debut as an 8th grader, playing for the JV baseball squad, where he tore the leather off the ball.

But once he was a full-time high school student Glover really made his impact felt, both as a hitter and a pitcher across four varsity seasons on the diamond.

Numbers wise, he racked up 67 hits, 18 doubles, 49 RBI, 50 runs, 52 walks, and 47 stolen bases — while rarely being thrown out — while leading the squad in batting average over his final two years by nailing the ball at a .380 and .420 clip.

Throwing the high, hard cheese, and daring hitters to try. (Jackie Saia photo)

Put him on the mound, and Glover was equally as imposing, piling up 172 strikeouts in 101 innings of work on the bump.

Not only was the burly prairie native a danger to other teams whether he was flinging heat or taking swings, he was the kind of dude any coach wants at the center of their lineup.

In both good times, such as the Wolves advancing to the state tourney, or tough times, when he helped hold together a very-thin lineup, Glover carried himself the same.

He was a professional through and through, a leader by action and word, and, to those of us on the outside of the fence, seemed to be the glue which held his team together.

That was a mentality which carried over to his other high school sports, as well.

On the football field, Glover prowled the line, going both ways and anchoring things for the Wolves.

Few opponents got past him when he laid down a block, and he could be a menace on defense, often rumbling into the backfield to stuff a runner or pursue the other team’s quarterback.

Sharing a moment with fellow prairie progeny Lyal Viers (1) and Andy Penrod. (Tammy Glover photo)

Put him on a basketball court, and Glover was a truly intriguing player.

He had the size and strength to pound away in the key, muscling his way through defenders for hotly contested buckets.

But take your eye off of him for a second, and he would also pop out behind the three-point line, where he could be a deadly proficient long-range gunner, splashing home treys before the defense had fully registered what was happening.

Glover put in two really solid seasons of work at the varsity level, finishing with 351 points (and a ton of rebounds).

That has him sitting #80 all-time for a CHS boys’ basketball program which launched way back in 1917, which puts him in the top 18% of scorers among the 433 male hoops stars whose scoring exploits I have been able to chart.

With Glover having picked up his diploma this past spring, Wolf sports teams will have a big hole to fill — both in terms of the stats he piled up, and in the leadership, work ethic, and mentorship he displayed.

His younger brothers, and his cousins, are on their way, though all of them still have a few years before they’ll be at the high school level.

When they do, they’ll already have a role model to emulate, having watched Camden rip things up.

For now, we’ll take a moment to swing open the doors of the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame and welcome Tammy’s first grandson into its hallowed digital halls.

After this, you’ll find Camden Glover up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, a young man who earned that status by bringing it every day, every play.

A younger Camden with his #1 fan. (Photo courtesy Stevie Glover)

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Welcome to the “Year of the Cousins”

Posted in Girls Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , , on July 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Through rain or shine, cousins Capri Anter (left) and Haylee Armstrong excel across multiple sports. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

A new high school athletic year beckons, ripe with possibilities.

We sit 28 days away from the first practice for Coupeville High School football, 33 away from the start of volleyball, soccer, cheer, girls swim, and cross country.

How will the 2026-2027 school year play out?

No one knows, really, something we were reminded of several years back when a pandemic appeared seemingly out of nowhere to disrupt the established way of life.

Barring any major disruptions, like if an alien spacecraft lands on the prairie and the lil’ green buggers start zapping random cows, you can make some guesses however, based on past performance.

The seniors, that group which forms the CHS Class of 2027, include a number of athletes who I would expect to be front and center as things play out.

From Davin Houston to Lexis Drake, from Riley Lawless to Bella Karr, the elder statesmen should anchor things, even while young guns like Tamsin Ward, Lillian Ketterling, and Wyatt Fitch-Marron likely make their presence felt.

But seeing as how I am fond of making bold, often irrational statements, I hereby proclaim that we are headed into the “Year of the Cousins.”

Yep, 2026-2027 is set up for Capri Anter and Haylee Armstrong to soar even higher, with three Senior Nights on the calendar to provoke tears from their impassioned fan base.

Queens of the hardwood. (Julie Wheat photo)

The duo, who have grown up together on volleyball and basketball courts and softball diamonds, are strongly positioned to rack up major page hits for me here at blog central.

Both are strong athletes capable of filling up a stat sheet, both are personable and outgoing young women, and both have devoted followers.

Moms, dads, aunts and uncles, and especially grandmas are at all their games, home and away seemingly, but it goes beyond that.

Capri and Haylee are also the kind of teenagers joyfully adopted by other families, who often root for the duo as hard as they do their own daughters.

The cousins lead by example, seem to genuinely enjoy their time in the spotlight, and provide stellar examples for their younger teammates, or the little girls (and boys) who aren’t close to high school yet, but are already crowding the fences and benches to get a glimpse of their heroes.

Now, I don’t know either of them away from sports — maybe they’re secretly serial killers and are burying all the bodies at Rhodey and we’ll watch their real story on Netflix one day — but what I do know, what I have seen, through middle and high school, makes me think they’re the real deal.

From someone observing things while bruising my butt on rock-hard bleachers or leaning against rickety wire fences, what I see is this.

I see Haylee and Capri take time out to make sure their family members and friends know how much they appreciate having them at games.

I see them intently listen to their coaches, time and again. They focus; they don’t drift.

I see them honor their teammates, school, and uniform, competing hard every time out, celebrating achievement, but not rubbing it in the faces of their foes.

I see them keep alive the memory of their late cousin, Adam Garcia, in word and deed, and I know he would be proud of that they are accomplishing.

And I see them support each other, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Smashin’ homers and takin’ names. (Jackie Saia photo)

The games will end at some point. That’s a fact.

You like to hope that Capri and Haylee’s final moment together wearing a Wolf uniform will come on a diamond in Eastern Washington in late May next year, with Coupeville softball hoisting a state tourney trophy.

That they will have made highlights on the volleyball and basketball court, before putting the exclamation point on things as part of the Smash Sisters, playing the sport which really seems to define both.

Maybe it will be so. Maybe it won’t.

Either way, they will be together for life, the latest link in a family deeply ingrained in Wolf Nation.

But before they get those diplomas and head off to the next stage of their lives, here’s to hoping Capri and Haylee see all their athletic dreams come true during their senior campaigns.

I’m calling it — this is going to be “The Year of the Cousins,” and the Vegas odds tell us it’s going to be a special one.

The dynamic duo. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

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Born to be a superstar

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged , , , , , on July 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Savina Wells was a homer-bashin’ hotshot as a freshman back in 2022. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

She was The Natural.

The One Born to Lead the Wolves to the Promised Land.

Why, she was, dare I say it, The Chosen One.

Oh, I did, and I was chastised by some for doing so, which I understand. Not that it stopped me.

Savina Wells was that rarity in Coupeville — a naturally gifted athlete who excelled at each and every sport she tried, who made things seem effortless at times, and was a genuine star from day one.

And by day one, I mean birth, as she followed in the footsteps of her older siblings, Ulrik and Izzy, following them around, one cartwheel at a time, before stepping up to stake her own claim to fame.

From her earliest days in little league and rec basketball, to her days at Coupeville Middle School and High School, Savina was arguably the second-most talented athlete I have written about here on the blog.

Makana Stone lives in a world of her own, and the battle for #2 during the Coupeville Sports era is a fierce one, with a group headlined by Maya Toomey-Stout, Madeline Strasburg, Lindsey Roberts, Teagan Calkins, and a few others.

Savina brought height, grace, speed, tenacity, confidence, and star quality to the stage, and left a sizable impact while we still had her in Cow Town.

Different state, same superstar. (Photo courtesy Katy Wells)

A family move to Florida after her freshman year left Wolf fans wondering what could have been, while she went on to have a super-successful run at Fernandina Beach High School as a volleyball, basketball, and track star.

Before graduating in 2025, Savina advanced to the state track meet twice in the sunshine state, while setting a school record in the high jump.

And yes, her top mark of five feet, three inches would also be a CHS girls record, if the world moved in a different way.

Before she left Coupeville, Savina played two years of varsity basketball for the Wolves, joining Lyla Stuurmans as the first 8th graders to ever start for the high school program.

She and Izzy were the #2 and #3 scorers in 2021 for a CHS hoops squad limited to a partial schedule by the pandemic, then was the #4 scorer for the Wolves as a fab frosh.

And do you need to ask? Yes, she went on to pour in nearly 700 points and snatch 500+ rebounds across her three seasons playing God’s Chosen Sport in Florida.

Pardon me while I go cry in the corner…

Rampaging on the hardwood during Covid days. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

While Savina turned to track and field to fill her spring days in her new home, she played softball for CHS as a freshman, often operating as the team’s catcher while Izzy stalked the pitcher’s circle.

They made for a dynamic duo, helping lead the Wolves to a 16-3 mark in their one season together, with Savina crackin’ extra base hits and flying around the basepaths like a wild woman unleashed.

That included a three-hit game early in the season on the road against state powerhouse Lynden Christian, capping things with a two-out home run which set Lync fans back in their pricy chairs.

The youngest Wells was also a varsity volleyball player for CHS as a freshman, piling up 70 kills, 47 digs, five block assists, and 42 service aces in her debut.

Savina hangs out with mom and big sis Izzy. (Photo courtesy Katy Wells)

Regardless of which state she was living in, Savina excelled. Pure and simple. She had great potential, and she lived up to the promise.

Selfishly I wish she had made her full run in Coupeville, like Ulrik and Izzy.

But she didn’t, and I don’t fault families for finding what works for them. Her parents, Lyle and Katy, were two of my favorite customers in the Videoville days, and they raised three really stellar children.

Seeing Savina soar to new heights, even from across the country, has given me great joy the last couple of years.

But I want her to know, that like her brother and sister and parents, she’s not forgotten about where it all began.

So today Savina joins her big sis in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, inducted for all she accomplished in Cow Town, and all she has done since departing The Rock.

She was always special, not just as an athlete, and from now on you’ll find her up at the top of the blog under the Legends tab.

Right where she belongs.

Born to be a superstar. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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