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Posts Tagged ‘bi-districts’

Netters stand tall in the big city

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged , , , , on May 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

CHS singles aces Tenley Stuurmans (left) and Dahlia Miller were both undefeated this season until districts. (Starla Seal photo)

The stakes were high, the competition was top-tier, and the city was big.

Coupeville High School girls’ tennis players wrapped their season Thursday in Seattle with a strong team-wide performance at the District 1/2 tourney.

And while the Wolves came up just short of sending anyone to state, the small-town net aces impressed their coaches.

“We had some great competition today,” Starla Seal said. “Played their hearts out until the very end. Proud coach moment over here.”

When Coupeville arrived at the Amy Yee Tennis Center, it joined rivals from fellow Northwest 2B/1B League schools Friday Harbor and La Conner, as well as three programs from District 2’s SeaTac League.

Puget Sound Adventist, Forest Ridge, and Summit Classical Christian rounded out the field, with Forest Ridge winning both the singles and doubles titles.

This year that meant more than normal, with Districts 1 and 2 only getting a single slot to state.

The D1/2 tourney reverts back to having two singles players and two doubles teams advance to the big dance again next spring.

This time around, Forest Ridge freshman Julia Mielke thwarted Coupeville’s Tenley Stuurmans in the singles finale, preventing the Wolf netter from making a return trip to Yakima after qualifying for state as an 8th grader.

Stuurmans claimed second in a 10-woman field, with Wolf teammate Dahlia Miller beating her #5 seed to earn 4th place.

In the doubles competition, the title went to Julia Hofler and Yazhen Qui of Forest Ridge, who held off Friday Harbor duo Megan Mellinger and Kira Clark in the title match.

Districts marked not only the end of the season for the Wolves, but the end of the road for CHS seniors Ember Light and Delanie Lewis.

Light, teaming with younger sister Mila, played one of the most-intense matches of the day, with the sisters pushing a Summit Classical duo to tiebreakers in both of their sets.

The Wolves invade Seattle. (Starla Seal photo)

 

Thursday results:

 

Singles:

 

Tenley Stuurmans:

Beat Aubrey Mathewson (Summit Classical) 6-0, 6-1
Beat Dahlia Miller (Coupeville) 6-0, 6-1
Lost to Julia Mielke (Forest Ridge) 6-1, 6-1

 

Dahlia Miller:

Beat Jacklin Liu (Forest Ridge) 6-2, 6-0
Lost to Tenley Stuurmans (Coupeville) 6-0, 6-1
Lost to Kendall Lee (La Conner) 5-7, 6-3, 9-1(tiebreaker)

 

Doubles:

 

Brynn Parker/Delanie Lewis:

Lost to Julia Hofler/Yazhen Qui (Forest Ridge) 6-2, 6-1

 

Ember Light/Mila Light:

Beat Abril Aguilar/Valaria Nizovtsev (Puget Sound) 6-1
Lost to Kelsey Milojevich/Abby Gilbert (Summit Classical) 7-6(7-5), 7-6(7-4)

With their second season in the books, CHS coaches Tim Stelling and Starla Seal head home. (Delanie Lewis photo)

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Wild comeback, memorable win

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , , on February 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Current Wolves Haylee Armstrong and Capri Anter keep alive the memory of their late cousin, Adam Garcia. (Photo courtesy Michelle Armstrong)

Big time players make big time shots.

With the game on the line Tuesday, and the season hanging in the balance, Mia Farris and Haylee Armstrong proved that true.

The steady senior splashed home a game-tying three-ball under extreme pressure, while the scrappy sophomore knocked down the game-winning bucket in the final, frantic seconds, sending the Coupeville High School gym into a mad celebration.

Overcoming an extremely rough early performance, the crunch-time heroics capped a stunning late-game rally, lifting the Wolves to a 28-26 victory over visiting Friday Harbor in a loser-out District 1/2 playoff rumble.

Down 12 in the second half in a game in which its only lead of the night came on Armstrong’s bucket, the win lifts Coupeville to 10-11 on the season.

It also propels the Wolves into another loser-out game Thursday, when they will host Orcas Island in a game slated to tip off at 1:45 PM.

Win that one and Megan Richter’s squad gets a fifth and final Bi-District game Saturday (also at home), with a ticket to state up for grabs.

Tuesday’s tussle, the third meeting with Friday Harbor this season, threatened to slip away from the Wolves.

Other than two early ties, at 2-2 and 4-4, Coupeville was ice cold from the field.

There was a seven-minute stretch that started in the first quarter and ended in the latter stages of the second frame in which nothing would drop for the Wolves.

Free throws skimmed out, a startling number of field goal attempts missed the rim entirely, and the offensive flow was stagnant.

Farris finally got a jumper to drop at the 3:18 mark of the second, but then CHS went another two minutes-plus before Tenley Stuurmans ended the first-half scoring with a three-point play the hard way.

Trailing 18-9 at the half, Coupeville’s only saving grace was its defense, keyed by Teagan Calkins crashing the boards hard to pull down some of her game-high 16 rebounds.

Teagan Calkins gets dynamic in the paint. (Jackie Saia photo)

The deficit reached its zenith at 21-9 early in the third, and then, against all odds, the comeback began.

A quick 6-0 run, sparked by Danica Strong rumbling in the paint, Katie Marti going coast-to-coast, and team sparkplug Jada Heaton forcing a steal in the backcourt and turning it into a bucket, greatly helped.

Then, after Friday Harbor briefly rallied, Calkins launched an elegant three-ball from the right side, splashing it home to cut the lead to 24-18 heading into the fourth.

The final frame was a study in contrasts.

Friday Harbor, which had led all game, suddenly looked tense, and the ramped-up Wolf defense created a steady string of turnovers.

Hanging on for dear life, the visitors flinched, and flinched hard, in the final moments, committing a crucial turnover late and failing to convert on a pair of key free throws.

That left an opening for Coupeville, and the Wolves pounced.

A breakaway bucket from Farris and two charity shots by Marti made things interesting, with a Tenley Stuurmans free throw slicing the deficit to 26-23.

Nerves were on edge, every fight for a rebound was crucial, with Calkins and Madison McMillan standing tall, and Farris?

Well, they do call her “Mia the Magnificent” for a reason.

Mia Farris doesn’t miss. (Bailey Thule photo)

Taking a kick-out off of an offensive rebound, she drilled nothing but net on her three-ball, tying the game and pushing her to #50 all-time on the CHS girls’ basketball career scoring list.

But the Wolf magic wasn’t done just yet.

Tuesday was a day of celebration, but also of loss, a mix of bittersweet memories, for CHS teammates Capri Anter and Haylee Armstrong and their extended family.

The girl’s older cousin, former Wolf football player Adam Garcia, was murdered in Oak Harbor in 2014 and Tuesday would have been his 32nd birthday.

There are a lot of ways the clash with Friday Harbor could have ended.

That it finished with Armstrong flashing in from the left side of the floor, taking a pass from Calkins and banking in a game winner, the ball hesitating for a second before dropping through the net, is what feels right.

Tipped by an angel.

And then Friday Harbor’s final, futile push up court ended as suddenly as it began, the ball knocked free and snatched up by Calkins, with “The Red Dragon” hugging the orb to her chest as everything and everyone went bonkers around her.

While Coupeville’s scoring was limited, the points were divvied up, with eight of nine players to hit the floor keeping scorekeeper Christi Messner busy.

Farris topped the Wolves with seven points and now has 245 for her varsity career.

She’s the third active player to crack the all-time top 50, along with fellow seniors Marti (#37 with 317 points) and Lyla Stuurmans (#45 with 256 points).

Tenley Stuurmans (5), Calkins (4), Marti (4), Armstrong (2), Strong (2), Heaton (2), and Lyla Stuurmans (2) also scored Tuesday, with McMillan providing a spark on defense.

Jada Heaton, always hustling, always doing all the important little things. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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Early tipoff times for Tuesday playoff games

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , , on February 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Chase Anderson and Co. are back in action Tuesday night. (Parker Hammons photo)

It’s all about those ferries.

Coupeville High School basketball teams will have a home playoff doubleheader Tuesday, but the start times will be bumped ahead a bit.

With both rivals coming from other islands and needing to get back to their rocks in the water, it’s not a surprise.

So, the Wolf girls will tip with Friday Harbor at 3:15 PM, with the CHS boys squaring off with Orcas Island at 5:00.

Both District 1/2 tourney games are loser-out affairs.

Fall, and your season is done. Win, and the Wolves return to action Thursday, again on their home court.

Madison McMillan (left) and Lyla Stuurmans are ready to rumble. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

 

The brackets:

 

Girls:

https://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4590

 

Boys:

https://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4588

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Upset denied, playoff hopes still alive

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Hurlee Bronec dominates in the paint. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They had them on the ropes but couldn’t land the knockout punch.

Facing a Mount Vernon Christian squad which went undefeated in league play this season, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team carried a lead into the fourth quarter in Saturday’s District 1/2 tourney semifinal.

But the Hurricanes rallied, to a 14-1 tune across the last eight minutes, escaping with a 39-30 victory on their home floor, sending the Wolves to the consolation side of the bracket.

Coupeville, now 8-13 on the season, can still net a return trip to state, but it will take three wins in five days.

All of those clashes would play out in the CHS gym, beginning with a Tuesday tilt with Orcas Island.

Beat the Vikings, who they knocked off twice in the regular season, and the Wolves return to their home court Thursday to play either Friday Harbor or Auburn Adventist Academy.

If they’re still alive, Brad Sherman’s squad plays either MVC or La Conner Saturday with a trip to the big dance at stake.

To see the bracket, pop over to:

https://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4588

The first two times Coupeville squared off with MVC this season, the Wolves lost 69-50 and 61-47.

Meeting #3 was a different story, however, as CHS clamped down on defense and led at the end of each of the first three quarters.

Neither team racked up many points in the opening frame, with a Hunter Bronec three-ball staking Coupeville to a 6-4 lead at the first break.

From there, the battle was of the royal variety, with the Wolves holding their own against their highly ranked foes.

Up 19-16 at the half, then 29-25 heading into the fourth, Coupeville held the ‘Canes down, until Lucas Millenaar erupted in the final frame.

The MVC senior, who had been held to four points on the night, went off for 13 in the fourth, providing 99.2% of the offense during a game-closing 14-1 surge.

While his team fell just short, Brad Sherman gave postgame kudos to his players.

“Our boys played their hearts out,” said the CHS coach.

Hunter Bronec slices ‘n dices the defense. (Parker Hammons photo)

The Battlin’ Bronec Brothers led the way, with Hurlee tossing in a team-high 12 points and Hunter adding seven in support of his twin.

Chase Anderson (6), Camden Glover (3), and Jack Porter (2) rounded out the scoring, with Landon Roberts, Johnny Porter, and Malachi Somes also seeing floor time for the Wolves.

Three different CHS players reached personal milestones in the game, with Hurlee Bronec (261) cracking the 250-point club, while Hunter Bronec (200) and Camden Glover (102) also hit noteworthy numbers.

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Slow start, ferocious finish

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on February 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Teagan Calkins loves to win. (Parker Hammons photo)

It took a moment or two, but then everything clicked into place.

Getting revved up after a lackluster start Thursday, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team turned on the offensive fireworks and romped to a win in its playoff opener.

From five points down to 17 up, the Wolves rode the rollercoaster before exiting with a 45-36 win over visiting Auburn Adventist Academy.

The win lifts CHS to 9-10 on the season and sends them to the semifinals of the double-elimination District 1/2 tourney.

Megan Richter’s squad heads to Mount Vernon Christian Saturday, and win or lose, will host its third playoff bout.

Upset top-ranked MVC and the Wolves advance to the title game, set for the CHS gym Feb. 20.

Lose Saturday, and Coupeville hosts Friday Harbor — which it has beat twice this season — Feb. 18 in a loser-out game.

To see the bracket, pop over to:

https://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4590

Thursday’s tilt started nicely, with CHS senior Lyla Stuurmans banking in the first bucket of the game.

Then, things went sideways for the Wolves.

Shots rimmed out, passes sailed over outstretched fingertips, and Auburn slowly crawled out to a 7-2 lead as the first break neared.

Coupeville needed a spark, and it found one in the magic shooting fingers of Mia Farris.

The Wolf senior beat the defense, and the clock, knocking down a pullup jumper with three ticks left on the clock in the first quarter, and the comeback fuse was lit.

And how, as Coupeville suddenly found its offensive groove, going on a 20-6 rampage in the second frame.

It started with Teagan Calkins slashing down the baseline for a leaning layup and closed with Farris converting an offensive rebound into a second-chance bucket with … wait for it … three ticks left on the clock.

Truly “Mia the Magnificent,” marinating in her moment.

Lyla Stuurmans, kind of a legend. (Bailey Thule photo)

In between those two buckets, Coupeville got big plays from Tenley Stuurmans — netting three free throws after being fouled while shooting a three-ball — and big sis Lyla.

The elder Stuurmans, who is closing her run as the only girl in school history to play five seasons of varsity basketball, snapped the net on a trey which gave her precisely 250 career points at that moment.

The pass which set up the historic three-ball? It was delivered by Tenley Stuurmans.

Sparked by an opportunistic defense which created a ton of loose balls and second-chance shots, the Wolves rambled into the halftime locker room with a 24-13 lead and a strut in their collective steps.

To which Auburn Adventist declared, “We’re not dead just yet.”

The visitors hit back-to-back three-balls as part of an 8-0 surge to open the third, cutting the deficit down to 24-21 and hope briefly flickered for their fans.

But the Wolves weren’t having it.

Not missing a beat, Coupeville immediately rallied for its own 13-0 run, with five different players scoring, before capping the quarter with a layup from Madison McMillan.

Which sank through the net with … three ticks left on the clock … making for an uncanny run of quarter-ending buzzer-beaters from the Wolves.

Coupeville eventually stretched the advantage all the way out to 17 at 43-26 in the fourth quarter, before Auburn rallied late to get the final score back down to a more-reasonable margin.

For the only time all night, the Wolves did NOT end a quarter with a buzzer-beater, electing just to dribble out the final seconds as their fans and classmates celebrated.

Mia Farris prepares to pick apart the defense. (Bailey Thule photo)

Calkins led the way with a team-high 12 points, while Tenley Stuurmans (9), Lyla Stuurmans (7), Farris (6), McMillan (6), Haylee Armstrong (3), and Katie Marti (2) also scored.

Defensive dynamos Jada Heaton and Danica Strong rounded out the rotation, blitzing Auburn shooters and making them flinch all game.

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