Wolf junior Logan Martin is a threat inside and outside. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Brad Sherman has been waiting for this day for 15 months.
When he stepped off the court after a season-ending playoff loss to Mount Baker way back on February 8, 2020, the Coupeville High School varsity boys basketball coach, like all those around him, had no idea what was just around the bend.
But now, after many twists and turns, he and his new team will take the court Tuesday in Mount Vernon, ready to kick off a pandemic-altered hoops season.
The Wolves are scheduled to play 12 games, instead of the normal 18-20, and will do so wearing masks.
After months of basketball being in limbo during the Age of Coronavirus, they’ll take what they can get.
“First off, I’m just extremely grateful that these boys are getting the season they’ve waited and worked for,” Sherman said. “Seeing them together as a team in our gym this past week has been the highlight of this school year.
“Just an awesome group to have the privilege of coaching.”
Much is different this time around, with Sherman’s coaching staff having added two of his fellow former CHS hoops legends in Hunter Smith and Greg White.
The younger Smith replaces his dad Chris, who stepped down as JV coach.
Rounding out the Wolf brain trust is longtime local hoops guru Randy Bottorff, who once coached Sherman when the current CHS head man was first starting off as a player.
The Wolf four-pack of coaches head up a program making its return to the 2B classification and the Northwest 2B/1B League after many years of matching up with 1A and 2A schools in various far-flung outposts.
“Feels like the right fit,” Sherman said. “These are other small schools from rural areas.
“They build their programs from the ground up. They do it like we do it,” he added. “I’m excited to be back where I truly think we belong.”
As he and the Wolves get a feel for new/old foes La Conner, Darrington, Friday Harbor, Orcas Island, Mount Vernon Christian, and Concrete, Sherman is prepared for a battle every night.
“This has traditionally been a very competitive basketball league,” he said. “Not prepared to take any team for granted.”
The players on the floor will be a new mix, as well, with nine of the 12 guys who scored during the 2019-2020 season graduating afterwards.
That doesn’t mean the Wolves will be without firepower, however.
Juniors Hawthorne Wolfe and Xavier Murdy lead the new-look squad, and both have excelled in their time in a CHS uniform.
Wolfe led Coupeville in scoring as a freshman, and was a bucket away from doing so again as a sophomore during a season in which he twice topped 30 points in a game.
With 410 career points — the most compiled by any CHS boy through their sophomore season — he sits at #55 on the school’s career scoring chart, which dates back to 1917.
Murdy, who came out all guns blazing after a late start to his sophomore campaign, is #186 on the all-time scoring list with 99 points.
Xavier Murdy can bring the heat offensively and defensively.
“Xavier gave us a big boost at the guard spot when he came back from injury last season,” Sherman said. “He can do a lot for us out on the court – offensively as a scorer and ball handler, and defensively he’s going to be really tough.
“Hawthorne is a returning starter for us who continues to work hard at his game. He’s a guy that’s just going to be really tough to defend on the perimeter with his skillset.”
Two other Wolves offer some experience, with senior Daniel Olson having popped for five varsity points prior to this year, while junior Grady Rickner made his varsity debut in that playoff finale with Mount Baker.
Other Wolves making the jump from JV include seniors TJ Rickner and Sage Downes, juniors Logan Martin, Cody Roberts, and Miles Davidson, and sophomore Alex Murdy.
Wolf seniors (l to r) TJ Rickner, Sage Downes, and Daniel Olson.
Freshman Logan Downes follows Wolfe’s trail in making varsity from day one, while fellow frosh Cole White and sophomore Jonathan Valenzuela are projected as swing players.
“We have a lot of guys making the jump this year; certainly could say positive things about each of them and what they bring to the table,” Sherman said.
It’s a team in transition, one whose strengths will be found in the heat of on-court action.
“Having not played a game in 15 months – and with a very different group on the floor than we had last season, I think that’s something we’re still evaluating,” Sherman said.
“Our backcourt should be really strong, and if we commit to team basketball I think we could be really tough offensively.
“Our ability to get to the rim and take guys off the dribble is something that I think could give teams a hard time.”
While no one would have chosen the pandemic life, it has hopefully helped mold the young Wolves into tougher players.
“I think the grit and resilience of this group is going to be something that serves us well down the stretch,” Sherman said. “The way they stuck with it this off-season, through setback after setback, gives me a lot of confidence in their ability to handle adversity.”
No matter how many games are on the schedule, or when and how they’ll be played, Coupeville’s coach is approaching the new season much as he has his previous ones on the bench.
“No different than any other season. While ultimately we are just extremely grateful for the chance to play, the approach and mindset doesn’t change,” Sherman said. “We don’t want to treat this as an “unusual” season.
“It’s a season, and we plan to prepare, compete, and work our tails off to try and go win basketball games,” he added. “We want to make a strong statement as we enter the new league and this year is an opportunity to do that.”
To do so, the Wolves need to be prepared every time out, and be willing to stretch themselves to meet all challenges.
“An honest commitment to all of the little things that make a complete basketball team (is important),” Sherman said. “We need to take pride in our defensive effort every time we touch the floor.
“We need to be tough, aggressive, and able to trust that every one of our teammates is in a good position behind us.”
The CHS coaches came away from early practices pleased with their player’s effort and commitment. Now, the key is to translate that to in-game success.
“We saw some really good things this first week and I’m proud of the way the guys are starting to come together defensively,” Sherman said.
“On the boards, we cannot win games if we don’t commit to being the better rebounding team on the court every night.
“Short season or not, we just ask for an attitude of excellence in all the little things – a mindset of getting a little bit better every single day.”
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