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All eyes on the prize

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, defense, Hawthorne Wolfe, Northwest League, Orcas Island on June 5, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Grady Rickner was one of four Wolves who scored in double digits Saturday afternoon. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

What a week.

Three wins in four days, with the latest triumph coming Saturday on Orcas Island, has carried the Coupeville High School varsity boys basketball team into first-place in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

Using a withering defense, and the second 38-point performance this season from junior sharpshooter Hawthorne Wolfe, CHS rolled to a resounding 86-56 win.

Payback for an early-season loss to the Vikings, the victory lifts the Wolves to 6-3 and gives them total control of their own destiny.

While Mount Vernon Christian has the same 6-3 record as Coupeville, the Wolves swept the season series from the Hurricanes, giving them an edge.

CHS also has three games left to play, while MVC only has two, having declined to host Orcas Island this season after that school requested no fans be present during the ongoing pandemic.

Friday Harbor, which comes to Whidbey Tuesday, June 8, and Orcas, whose season ended prematurely and in flames Saturday, sit at 5-3, with La Conner at 4-4.

Darrington (2-3) and Concrete (0-9) — which are Coupeville’s final two foes — round out the league standings.

Coupeville entered this week with a .500 record, but that was very deceptive.

The Wolves were essentially two plays from being 5-1 and not 3-3, with their only solid loss coming when Orcas went bonkers from behind the three-point line for one quarter.

Saturday, CHS coach Brad Sherman preached defense, defense, and more defense, and his players took it to heart, shutting down the Vikings snipers and never allowing them to find a rhythm.

“Great team basketball today,” Sherman said. “Proud of how our guys are coming together – especially on the defensive end.

“They worked their tails off this week!”

By contrast, Wolfe and his running mates were feeling it, and then some, combining to rain down 12 three-balls.

Eight of those came from the high-flying, jitterbugging Hawk, who was in full-on Pistol Pete Maravich mode, while Xavier Murdy netted two, and Logan Martin and Daniel Olson also flipped the nets from distance.

For that matter, everything was dropping for Coupeville.

Inside, outside, from the parking lot. Didn’t matter.

As long as it wasn’t a free throw, as the Wolves only went to the line once — a season-low from a squad which often shoots a lot of charity shots.

But then again, that’s probably because CHS launched most of its shots before the Orcas defense could get set long enough to consider fouling anyone.

Grady Rickner opened the scoring with a pair of quick runners, but the Wolves found themselves in a hole, for the briefest of moments.

Cue the tsunami.

Martin swished an in-close jumper, launching a game-busting 14-0 run which included Wolfe’s first two treys, and the floodgates were open.

Both Murdy boys were on fire, with Alex soaring in for a breakaway layup off a Hawk pass, followed by Xavier pump-faking his defender into the stands before rolling hard to the hoop for a bucket.

Strollin’ and rollin’ to his own unique beat, Wolfe delivered the dagger.

Boppin’ up court, he watched the clock tick down, then spun and made sweet love to the net, nailing a very-long, buzzer-beating three-ball which sent the Coupeville JV players into a screaming fit.

Coupeville kept shooting, kept hitting, and kept harassing the life out of the Vikings while on defense, sending the lead out to 42-29 at the half.

Olson, a senior who has found his niche using his long arms to shut down opponent’s passing lanes, tossed in five points in the second frame, as CHS spread out the offensive love.

Just in case they forgot about him, Wolfe emerged from the locker room with a slight smile on his face and a burning desire to put on a shooting clinic for all gathered.

Rifling four successful shots from behind the arc, with at least two of those from a distance Steph Curry would have approved of, Wolfe outscored Orcas 16-11 in the third quarter.

Add buckets for Martin, Grady Rickner, and both Xavier and Alex Murdy, and the rout was on.

Six players scored in the final quarter as Coupeville stretched the final margin to 30, sending an emphatic message out to what has been a very-competitive league.

Wolfe’s 38 matches his total from the season-opener at MVC, and is just 10 off of the school single-game record of 48, set by Jeff Stone in the pre-three-ball world of 1970.

With the scoring burst, Hawk hit several milestones Saturday, joining the 600-point club, moving from #36 to #30 on the CHS boys career scoring list, and passing one of his coaches as he did so.

Now with 625 points and counting, Wolfe skips past Gabe McMurray (592), Mike Syreen (594), Brian Miller (597), Joe Whitney (601), current CHS assistant coach Greg White (604), and John O’Grady (611).

And he wasn’t the only Coupeville player to crack an exclusive club, as Xavier Murdy tossed in 12, giving him 204 varsity points.

The Wolves had four players in double figures, with Grady Rickner and Alex Murdy each going off for 10, while Olson and Martin netted seven apiece.

Sage Downes sank Coupeville’s remaining bucket, with Logan Downes and TJ Rickner getting floor time for the surging Wolves.

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Another day, another victory

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, JV, Logan Downes, Orcas Island, winning streak on June 5, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Logan Downes tossed in 19 points Saturday, sparking the Coupeville JV to its fourth-straight win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The streak is a living thing.

Dominating host Orcas Island in three of four quarters Saturday, the Coupeville High School JV boys basketball squad captured a 45-38 win, its fourth-straight triumph.

The red-hot Wolves will carry a 4-3 record into their season finale next Tuesday, June 8, when they host Friday Harbor.

While the CHS varsity has three games left on its schedule, two of those schools — Concrete and Darrington — don’t have active JV programs, limiting the times the Wolf young guns get to play.

Coupeville took advantage of having an opponent to square off with Saturday, jumping out to a 13-8 lead after one quarter of play.

Freshman Logan Downes had the hot hand early, dropping in five points during the run, but the best was yet to come for him.

Orcas proved resilient, climbing back into the game and actually taking the lead before halftime.

A 15-6 Vikings run staked the home team to a 23-19 advantage at the break, but Downes was lurking in the shadows, ready to blow everything up.

Raining down pain from every angle, he promptly went off for 12 points in the third quarter alone, pushing the Wolves back in front at 32-29.

Once it had the lead, Coupeville held on to it, with six different players scoring in the final frame, led by Cole White, who nailed a pair of three-balls to keep the Vikings at bay.

Downes finished with a game-high 19, with White (8), Jonathan Valenzuela (7), Dominic Coffman (6), Ryan Blouin (2), Nick Guay (2), and William Davidson (1) also scoring.

Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim and Zane Oldenstadt rounded out the Wolf players to see floor time.

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Two games, many lessons

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, Chase Anderson, doubleheader, Hunter Bronec, SWISH on June 5, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Jack Porter scored 10 points Saturday as Coupeville’s SWISH basketball squad split a doubleheader. (Jackie Saia photo)

Lessons learned, then turned into results.

Bouncing back after a tough loss early Saturday, Coupeville’s SWISH boys basketball squad rebounded to drill a big-city foe in its nightcap.

With the doubleheader split, the Wolves sit at 6-2 heading into the final week of the regular season.

How the day played out for the hardwood heroes:

Game 1:

Facing a Burlington-Edison team which had height and speed, Coupeville struggled on the boards and fell 25-16.

The second half was virtually even, but a 17-9 halftime deficit proved to be too much to overcome.

“We killed ourselves by missing easy layups and giving them offensive rebounds times three each time they came down the floor,” Coupeville coach Jon Roberts said.

“It was too late when our front court defense finally started playing.”

Chase Anderson and Hunter Bronec paced the Wolves with six points apiece, with Jack Porter tossing in three and Hurlee Bronec adding a free throw while “playing with a badly sprained ankle, with grit!”

Game 2:

Ramping up their defensive effort from the start, the Wolves ran away from the Lake Stevens Hoopsters, knocking them off 31-15.

“Shaking off a tough loss and getting our heads back in the defensive game, we got rolling in the first half, using a high-low post set and many excellent screen and rolls,” Jon Roberts said.

“I don’t keep track of assists – but there would have been too many to track!”

Coupeville made off with more than its fair share of steals, keying fast breaks, then took the ball hard to the hoop.

“Incredibly proud of the bounce-back against a small, fast, scrappy team,” Jon Roberts said.

Hunter Bronec topped the scoring chart in the finale, banking in nine points, with Anderson and Jack Porter each rippling the nets for seven.

Aiden O’Neill and Johnny Porter rounded out the offense, knocking down four points apiece, while Landon Roberts brought defensive heat, while setting up Coupeville’s big men with pinpoint passes.

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Everybody wants to shoot the world

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Cole White, Hawthorne Wolfe, John Fisken photos on June 4, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Logan Downes pushes the ball up-court. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Two gyms, one camera.

Well actually John Fisken usually carries multiple photography devices, but he can only use one at a time.

Suffice it to say he was busy Thursday, bouncing between Coupeville JV and varsity games, with both Wolf squads capturing wins.

To see everything Fisken shot, pop over to:

BBB 2021-06-03 vs MVC – John’s Photos (johnsphotos.net)

Jackie Saia debates which photo to snap next.

Dominic Coffman floats above the riff raff.

Hawthorne Wolfe attacks the defense.

Sage Downes strolls in for the layup.

Daniel Olson elevates into the clouds.

Grady Rickner bombs away.

Cole White sizes up the situation.

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Murdy boys mash MVC

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Alex Murdy, Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Mount Vernon Christian, Northwest League, Xavier Murdy on June 4, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Xavier Murdy scored 22 points Thursday as Coupeville won a wild one 66-65. (Jackie Saia photos)

Just call ’em the Hurricane busters.

Xavier and Alex Murdy scored 12 of Coupeville’s final 15 points Thursday, including the game-winning free throws, as the Wolves pulled out one of the most-dramatic wins in the 104-year history of CHS boys basketball.

Fighting foul trouble all game, Coupeville built a 14-point lead, blew it all, then came back around to ice visiting Mount Vernon Christian 66-65 in a game capped by the student section storming the floor.

The second win over a major Northwest 2B/1B League rival in as many days, it lifts Coupeville to 5-3 and keeps it in the thick of the chase for a league title.

Now, the Wolves carry a three-game winning streak to Orcas Island Saturday, where they’ll face a 5-2 Vikings squad.

MVC also sits at 5-2, with both of those losses coming at the hands of Coupeville.

The first time the teams squared off, Hawthorne Wolfe blitzed the Hurricanes for 38 points and CHS won fairly easily.

This time out, a trio of refs who combined to have a less-than-stellar game fouled Wolfe out of the contest with six minutes to play, sending Coupeville’s main gunner to the bench.

In stepped Alex Murdy, and the sophomore responded in crunch time with his best performance as a varsity player, teaming with older brother Xavier to thwart and bedevil the Hurricanes and their hyped-up cheering section.

The biggest plays came with the clock frozen at 11 seconds left to play in the fourth quarter and Coupeville trailing by a single point.

Having built a 14-point second-half lead, only to fall behind by six, the Wolves went on a 9-2 run to reclaim the lead at 64-63.

Then promptly lost it after MVC banged home a bucket in the paint — after the Hurricanes somehow got away with body-slamming Grady Rickner to the floor at the other end as he drove to the hoop.

Not a ticky-tacky foul.

Not a questionable call.

A pile driver worthy of a WWE title bout, which sent the Coupeville captain into an unpleasant collision with the floor, his body crumpling in pain and surprise.

The non-call, which came as one ref stared silently as the play unfurled mere inches in front of him, sent the Coupeville faithful into screaming fits of righteous fury.

But redemption was mere seconds away, as Alex Murdy was hip-checked as he brought the ball past the scorer’s table.

Sent to the line with both sections of the stands rockin’ and rollin’, Xavier’s younger brother carried himself with a surprising calmness.

Perhaps Alex was having a seizure deep inside his soul.

If so, he never betrayed it, calmly sinking the tying and go-ahead charity shots, before being mobbed by his ecstatic teammates.

Alex Murdy (center) celebrates his game-winning free throws.

MVC still had a chance, putting the ball in the hands of its most-dangerous player — 8th grader Davis Fogle, who scored 21 points — but the (really) young gun couldn’t get his potential game-winning layup to stay in the basket.

Cue Coupeville students rumblin’ and tumblin’ onto the court as if the Wolves had just won a state title.

While it might not be to that level, it is potentially one of those defining wins where you look back 10 years later and point to it as the moment where a program really made a statement.

CHS coach Brad Sherman, who was a player the last time the Wolves won a league title, had the look of a man who had gone through the whirlwind and lived to tell about it.

But it was a happy tiredness, and a proud tiredness.

“So proud of the heart our boys showed tonight,” Sherman said. “We put four strong quarters together, and we did it back-to-back nights (after beating La Conner on the road Wednesday).

“Shows how resilient these guys are.”

Even with its foul trouble starting in the game’s opening moments, Coupeville controlled the game from opening tip until late in the third.

Daniel Olson knocked down the game’s first bucket, snatching a rebound and powering past several Hurricanes for the put-back, and five Wolves scored in the opening quarter.

A three-ball from Sage Downes, followed by Grady Rickner slapping home a layup off a sharply-angled inbounds pass sent Coupeville to the first break up 13-8.

Wolfe and Xavier Murdy carried most of the scoring load in the second quarter, combining for 19 of their team’s points in a 23-16 run.

X-Man dropped in a pair of treys — one set up by a Logan Martin rebound and kick-out, the other coming off a steal — while Hawk got ridiculous.

He poured in 11 points in the frame, with a pair of three-balls on which he released the ball while dribbling somewhere out around Deception Pass Bridge.

Add in a smooth sideline jumper from Martin and a steal and layup for Alex Murdy, and the Wolves were in control at 36-24 at the half.

Things got better in the third quarter, as Coupeville twice stretched its lead to 14 points.

One of those moments came when Wolfe, hanging in the air for an eternity, dropped in a short runner to pass 1950’s CHS star Pat Clark and move into 36th place on the school’s career scoring chart.

But MVC wasn’t done, as the Hurricanes launched a torrid comeback in the fourth.

A 19-4 run put the visitors up 63-57 and things looked dire.

Enter the Murdy boys, and exit any worries.

Xavier swished four consecutive free throws, stepped aside to let Martin nail a charity shot of his own, then returned to slash through the paint for the bucket which reclaimed Coupeville’s lead.

Which brings us back to his sibling getting his magical moment.

A moment which prompted the older brother, who’s pretty low-key about his own big plays, to bust out his biggest smile of the night, reveling in Alex’s success.

It was a grand night for the Murdy boys all around, with Xavier topping all scorers with 22 points.

Jumping from #150 on the CHS boys career scoring chart to #138, he passes notable names from the past like Anthony Bergeron, Scott Stuurmans, and Dale Sherman.

Wolfe added 16 points, with Alex Murdy finishing with eight.

Olson (6), Downes (5), Martin (5), and Grady Rickner (4) also scored, with TJ Rickner sacrificing part of a tooth while crashing the boards like Dennis Rodman in his furious prime.