Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Boys Basketball’

“I am eager to play them again”

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on May 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Xavier Murdy was a wild man on both ends of the floor Thursday as Coupeville battled Orcas Island. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

You love to see it.

Xavier Murdy scrambling to get back and draw a charging foul when the game was already lost.

Murdy, fighting his way through three rivals to haul in one of his 14 rebounds, again long after the game was decided.

Hawthorne Wolfe, coming off a 20-point performance but not happy with the end result, keeping the lights on in the gym long after the game, putting up shot after shot, only occasionally stopping to argue with the machine feeding him the ball.

It would have been easy for the Coupeville High School varsity boys basketball players to have hung their heads Thursday after falling 70-53 to visiting Orcas Island.

That they didn’t, and that they actually carved their deficit in half by the final buzzer, are strong signs for a team which sits at 1-1 on the young season.

Swamped by a second-quarter monsoon in which the Vikings rained down 34 points while seemingly never missing a shot, the Wolves lost an early lead.

And it got worse from there, with Coupeville trailing by almost five touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, while playing a sport where you can’t get seven points back on one play.

Yet the Wolves kept fighting, closed the game on a 17-0 run, and are already circling the June 5 rematch on the calendar.

“I am eager to play them again,” said CHS coach Brad Sherman. “I think we match up very well with them.

“Teams make runs, and they certainly did today. We just have to be mentally tough and be better at stopping those runs.”

The game started with two fairly evenly-matched teams exchanging the lead as the first quarter played out.

Xavier Murdy crashed to the basket hard for a pair of buckets, Wolfe put up a quick seven points on a variety of moves, and X-Man’s younger brother capped things off.

Slashing through the backpedaling defense, Alex Murdy skipped a layup off the glass right before the buzzer to stake Coupeville to a 17-15 lead at the first break.

There were no fans in the stands to get the joint rockin’, but the Wolves, bouncing and barking enthusiastically at each other, made up for it.

And they were right there, at 20-20, after Wolfe hit a runner while hanging in the air long after his defender had retreated to the surly bonds of Earth.

But then the bottom fell out.

The bottom of the net Orcas was shooting at, to be precise, as the Vikings locked on and unloaded, with a 29-5 run to close the second quarter horrifying in its precision.

Everything was going in for the visitors, whether it be long bombs (they outshot Coupeville 10-2 on three-balls, 5-0 in the first half), offensive rebounds put back up and in, or pull-up jumpers on the move.

The exact opposite was happening for Coupeville, as shot after shot rolled around the rim, took a weird last-second skip, or simply popped back up and out.

Other than a couple of free throws, the only Wolf bucket in the last six minutes of the half came on a roll to the hoop by freshman Logan Downes.

Trailing 49-25 at the break, Coupeville got back into a partial groove in the third, then finished strongly in the fourth.

“I love how our guys responded in the second half,” Sherman said. “Certainly, give a lot of credit to Orcas and how they shot the ball, but we never gave in.

“Having things like Xavier crashing the offensive boards hard down 25 is a very positive sign.”

X-Man got his JV counterparts in the stands to get rowdy when he elevated down deep and rejected an Orcas shot, while the Downes brothers hooked up for a nice scoring play.

Sage, a senior, corralled a loose ball, then flipped a pass to Logan, a freshman, who crashed through the defense for a layup in a game in which both brothers scored their first varsity points, uniting them with older brother Hunter on the career scoring chart.

It was a good game to become a made man, as TJ Rickner and Cody Roberts joined Downes brothers #2 and #3, also notching the first varsity points of their prep career.

The tenth and final Orcas trey, very early in the final frame, pushed the margin out to 70-36, but then the Wolves clamped down on both ends of the floor.

Forcing turnovers and hitting the boards with abandon, Coupeville closed with intensity and passion, and another Downes-to-Downes basket.

This time, the assist went to Logan, and the bucket to Sage, proving the duo can share and share alike.

Wolfe finished with a team-high 20 points, but Orcas countered with a nasty one-two combo of Tomas Holmes and Diego Lago, who went for 37 and 20, respectively, while combining to hit all 10 Vikings three-balls.

Logan Downes and Grady Rickner each banked home seven points for the Wolves, with Xavier Murdy (5), Sage Downes (4), and Alex Murdy (3) chipping in to the effort.

Roberts (2), Daniel Olson (2), Logan Martin (2), and TJ Rickner (1) also scored, while freshman Cole White played aggressive defense.

Coupeville gets a chance to bounce right back, traveling to Friday Harbor for a Saturday afternoon rumble between two 1-1 teams.

Read Full Post »

Close loss, no quit

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on May 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Dominic Coffman rattled the rims for 13 points Thursday afternoon. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Dominic Coffman is putting in the work.

The Coupeville High School sophomore dropped in 13 points, including six in the fourth quarter Thursday as the Wolf JV boys dropped a thriller 46-43 to visiting Orcas.

Then, long after the Vikings had headed back to the ferry, Coffman paced the hardwood in the big gym, firing up shots and working on his game with coach Hunter Smith.

It’s the sign of a player who hungers for wins, and bigger success, and is willing to put in extra work to get there.

Coffman and his teammates, who sit at 0-2 after the home loss, have come close in both their games this season.

In game one, a cold shooting performance in the fourth doomed the Wolves against Mount Vernon Christian.

This time out, Coupeville found its shooting touch, with Coffman and William Davidson both knocking down key buckets down the stretch, but Orcas found just a little extra.

Finishing the game with an 11-8 run across the final frame, the Vikings broke open a tie game while denying the Wolves a win in a game which was played with no fans.

The Orcas School District has requested that for all games involving its teams this school year, but if Coupeville’s players missed the roar of the crowd, they hid it well.

The Wolves jumped out to an 11-8 lead after one quarter of play, with Jonathan Valenzuela making the nets bounce for six points in the first eight minutes.

The second quarter wasn’t as kind to CHS, as Orcas used a 17-8 surge to turn its deficit into a six-point advantage at the half.

At which point the Wolves reached down deep and put together a 16-10 third quarter in which five different players slapped home points.

Valenzuela, who paced Coupeville with a game-high 14, tossed in five in the frame, with Cole White adding four.

That set up a tense finale, and, while the Wolves didn’t prevail, the building blocks for success continue to be laid.

Valenzuela (14) and Coffman (13) combined to pump in 27 of Coupeville’s 43 points, while Davidson banked home six, and White tickled the twines for four.

Mikey Robinett, Nick Guay, and Ryan Blouin rounded out the scoring attack, with each Wolf gunner banking in a bucket.

Read Full Post »

Hawk soars, Wolves growl

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on May 19, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Hawthorne Wolfe rippled the nets for 38 points Tuesday, most by a Coupeville player since the 2003-2004 season. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They waited. And they worked. Then they worked some more.

When the moment finally arrived Tuesday, when the Coupeville High School varsity boys basketball squad reclaimed the court for the first time in 465 days, the Wolves were ready.

Given a chance to play again, Hawthorne Wolfe, Xavier Murdy, and Co. made the night memorable, raining down pain on host Mount Vernon Christian in an action-packed 72-63 win.

The victory opens a new season and a new story for Coupeville, which is returning to the Northwest 2B/1B League after a long absence.

And that first welcome back featured Wolfe, the sharp-shooting guard who lives and breathes, and probably dreams, hoops, going bonkers.

Scoring all 20 of Coupeville’s second quarter points, the junior torched the joint for 38 points, the most by a Wolf since Allen Black banked in 39 against Concrete during the 2003-2004 season.

It was just 10 points off the 48 points scored by Jeff Stone against Darrington in 1970’s district title game, a school record which has stood untouched for 51 years.

The third 30-point game of his prep career, Tuesday’s performance lifts Wolfe from #55 to #50 on the CHS boys career scoring chart, which dates back to 1917.

With 448 points and counting, he passes Mason Grove (414), Caleb Powell (421), Tony Ford (432), Del O’Shell (440), and Gary Hammons (443).

Next up are Frank Marti (462) and Sean Dillon (469), with Stone and Mike Bagby tied at #1 with 1,137 points apiece.

Wolfe got off to a decent start Tuesday, rattling home nine points in the first quarter, with Xavier Murdy adding five, and Alex Murdy and Daniel Olson each dropping in a bucket during an 18-14 run.

But the second quarter belonged to Hawk, who scored from all angles, outpacing MVC 20-13 by himself to stake Coupeville to a 38-27 halftime lead.

Wolfe drained three treys, three two-point buckets, and five free throws during his second-quarter assault on the rim, then turned the spotlight over to fellow junior Grady Rickner.

After a brief cameo in a playoff game at the end of his sophomore season, this was Rickner’s varsity coming-out party and he responded, scorching the Hurricane defense for 10 points in the third quarter.

MVC managed to cut the margin down to single-digits thanks to a 14-10 advantage in the frame, however, and the fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle.

Coupeville never blinked, with Wolfe tacking on another nine points down the stretch, with Olson, Logan Martin, Xavier Murdy, and Grady Rickner all scoring in the fourth.

“It was a good game. MVC was tough, and physical. Proud of our guys resilience tonight,” said Coupeville coach Brad Sherman. “Every time MVC started to make a run, somebody stepped up and made a big play.

“Was really great to see our guys come together as a team, keep composed when it was needed late, and pull out the league win,” he added. “After the long break, certainly a nice way to start.”

Wolfe’s 38 points were backed by Grady Rickner (12), Xavier Murdy (8), Olson (8), Martin (4), and Alex Murdy (2), while Sage Downes, TJ Rickner, and freshman Logan Downes all saw floor time.

With his first four varsity points, Logan Martin becomes the 394th Coupeville boy to score in a varsity game, and the second in his family.

Older brother Dalton tallied 47 points in the 2014-2015 season.

Coupeville returns to action Thursday with a home match-up against Orcas Island, which is 2-0 after beating Concrete and Friday Harbor.

There will be no fans at that game, per the request of the Orcas School District.

Read Full Post »

Cold finish dooms JV boys

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on May 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Nick Guay scored six points Tuesday in Mount Vernon as the Coupeville JV boys basketball team made its season debut. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The fourth quarter didn’t go as planned.

Locked in a back-and-forth battle with host Mount Vernon Christian Tuesday, the Coupeville High School JV boys basketball squad was playing step for step with the Hurricanes.

Then, things fell apart a bit, as a scoring drought in the final frame doomed any comeback tries.

Unable to get the basket to accept any of their gifts, the young Wolves were outscored 13-0 over the game’s final eight minutes, eventually falling 44-28 in their season opener.

Coupeville, playing for first-year coach Hunter Smith — the 12th leading varsity scorer in the 104 seasons of CHS boys basketball — played strongly for much of the game.

With Jonathan Valenzuela and Nick Guay combining for all their scoring in the early going, the Wolves trailed just 12-9 at the first break.

CHS clamped down on defense in the second quarter, and led by Zane Oldenstadt’s four points — which included a perfect 2-2 trip to the charity stripe — the Wolves shaved the deficit down to 19-17 by the half.

While MVC pushed the margin back to three at 31-28 coming out of the third, anything seemed possible.

Unfortunately, at least for Wolf fans, the hot hand in the final quarter belonged to Owen Heinze, who tallied seven of his game-high 12 points down the stretch, spurring the Hurricanes to their first win.

Valenzuela paced Coupeville with a team-high nine points, including his team’s lone three-ball, while Guay pumped in six and Dominic Coffman rumbled for five.

Oldenstadt (4), William Davidson (2), and Cole White (2) rounded out the CHS scorers, with Andrew Williams, Ryan Blouin, and Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim also seeing floor time.

Wolf young guns Mikey Robinett, Alex Wasik, and Nathan Ginnings were also along for the trip.

Coupeville returns home Thursday to face Orcas Island in a game with no fans, then travels to Friday Harbor Saturday to cap a busy opening week in a pandemic-compressed month-long schedule.

Read Full Post »

New-look Wolf boys ready to rumble

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on May 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

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.”

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »