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Posts Tagged ‘Boys Basketball’

Wolves, Falcons battle to final bucket

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , , on January 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Logan Martin scored 11 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter Tuesday, as Coupeville and South Whidbey’s JV teams waged a war. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The young guns put on a show.

Battling down to the final shot Tuesday, the Coupeville High School JV boys basketball squad came within a shot of sweeping its season series with arch-rival South Whidbey.

But it wasn’t to be, as the visiting Falcons gained a measure of revenge, scoring the game’s final six points to pull out a 59-56 thriller.

Playing with three varsity swing players on the floor, to none for Coupeville, South Whidbey got payback for a 73-62 loss to the Wolves in Langley two weeks ago.

With the loss, CHS slips to 4-3 in North Sound Conference action, 9-6 overall.

Up next is Coupeville’s home finale, Friday against Granite Falls, then a trip to Sultan Feb. 4.

Tuesday’s titanic tango was knotted at 10-10 after one quarter of play, then saw both teams exchange leads to set up a frantic finale.

Up 40-36 headed into the fourth, Coupeville hit a brief dry spell, rimming out a series of shots and allowing South Whidbey to kick off the frame on a 9-2 run.

The Wolves weren’t dead, however, just hibernating, and they leaned on the scoring punch of Logan Martin to make things interesting down the stretch.

The sophomore gunner went off for 11 of his team-high 21 points in the final frame, hitting a three-ball to force a tie at 45-45, before netting three free throws to push his squad ahead 48-47.

Martin wasn’t the only Wolf with a magical shooting touch, as running mate Alex Jimenez drained a trey of his own to keep Coupeville ahead.

With seven lead changes in the fourth quarter, both teams had their opportunities, and the Wolves seemed to be in control when Martin broke free from the pack to scorch the net for one final three-ball.

That pushed Coupeville up 56-53 with under 90 seconds to play.

Unfortunately for the Wolf faithful, it would also be the final shot their team would hit, as South Whidbey used a layup to get within one, then knocked down a pull-up jumper to claim the lead with 20 ticks left on the clock.

CHS had a chance to reclaim the lead, but couldn’t buy a bucket, or a break.

A Wolf three-ball skidded just wide of pay dirt, then, after South Whidbey missed two free throws with four seconds to play, the Falcons made the play of the game.

Soaring high above the crowd, a guy in blue and white pulled down the offensive rebound off of the second clanked freebie, giving the visitors two more chances at the line.

This time both shots dropped cleanly through the net, pushing the final margin out to three and forcing the Wolves to launch a final shot from way beyond half court.

It missed as the buzzer sounded, ending one of the better games of the season.

The two teams had swapped field goals in the early going, with Coupeville scoring the final two buckets of the first quarter to knot things at 10-10.

Both baskets came off of smart passes, with Daniel Olson breaking the press and firing a BB to Miles Davidson for a layup, followed by Sage Downes picking off a pass and launching an outlet lob to a streaking Grady Rickner.

While South Whidbey claimed the lead in the second frame, Downes kept the Wolves close, rifling a pair of three-balls through the net right before the half.

He also showed a nimble side to his defensive game, twice sliding perfectly into position to draw offensive charging fouls on rampaging Falcons.

Coupeville snatched the lead back midway through the third quarter, with Martin raining down a three-ball on the move, then coming back around to snag a rebound and put it back up and in the next trip down the floor.

The Wolves hit the glass with great intensity, with Martin and a nicely riled-up TJ Rickner leading the charge.

Martin’s 21-point barrage paced a balanced offensive attack, as nine different Wolves tallied a bucket or better.

Downes banked home 12, Olson popped for eight, Grady Rickner netted four, and Jimenez collected three, while TJ Rickner, Davidson, Cody Roberts, and Chris Cernick chipped in with two apiece.

Andrew Aparicio was the lone Wolf not to score this time around, but contributed to the cause with hustle and defense.

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No quit for young guns

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Ty Hamilton pumped in a team-high 10 points Tuesday night for Coupeville’s C-Team. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They saved their best for last.

Playing with just seven guys Tuesday, and facing a very-strong foe, the Coupeville High School boys C-Team basketball squad got stronger as the game wore on.

While the Wolves fell 70-33 to visiting South Whidbey, the scrappy seven pumped in almost 50% of their offense in the fourth quarter, winning the final frame.

It’s positives like that which point to a strong future for Patrick Upchurch’s very-raw team, which sits at 2-9 on the season.

The Wolves get two more chances to rumble this season, with a home game Friday against Granite Falls, then a trip to Sultan Feb. 4.

Tuesday night, South Whidbey held an early 13-6 edge after one quarter of play, then put the game in the W column with 23-3 and 19-8 runs across the next two frames.

Coupeville rallied, however, scrambling to outscore the Falcons 16-15 in the fourth behind scoring from five of its seven players.

Freshman Ty Hamilton went off for six points in the final quarter, part of his team-high 10 on the night.

Everyone in uniform scored for Coupeville, with Dominic Coffman and Alex Wasik backing Hamilton up with six points apiece.

Coen Killian (4), Nick Armstrong (3), Brayden Coatney (2), and Josh Upchurch (2) also scored, with Armstrong netting his points on a three-ball.

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Hooptastic pics to start your week

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , , on January 27, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Sean Toomey-Stout gets bendy. (Photos by JohnPhotos.net)

The future of Wolf basketball.

TJ Rickner climbs the stairway to heaven.

Wolf superstars Emma Mathusek (left) and Lucy Sandahl support their classmates.

Former CHS hoops sharpshooter Allen Black gets shut down by some man-to-man defense.

CHS head coach Brad Sherman has a word with the bench.

Gavin Knoblich muscles his way through the paint.

No autographs, but maybe a photo … if you ask nicely. Wolf supernovas (l to r) Kylie Chernikoff, Nezi Keiper, and Genna Wright class the joint up.

Action on the court, and action off the court.

Wanderin’ paparazzi John Fisken haunted the Coupeville High School gym Saturday night, snapping away as the Wolf boys played (and beat) Port Townsend in a pair of games.

The pics above are courtesy him, but there’s a lot more where that came from.

To see everything Fisken shot, and possibly purchase some memories for Gram and Gramps, or the cousins, pop over to:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Coupeville-Basketball-2019-2020/BBB-2020-01-25-vs-Pt-Townsend/

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“Just a really strong team win!”

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 26, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Hawthorne Wolfe dropped 21 points Saturday as Coupeville ran Port Townsend off the floor. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It was exactly what Brad Sherman was looking for from his team.

Ending a long, tough week with an explosion of joy, the Coupeville High School boys varsity basketball squad put together one of its best games of the season Saturday night.

Playing for the fourth time in six days, the Wolves picked up 57 points from their Three Musketeers, played inspired second-half defense, and cruised past visiting Port Townsend 79-66.

The non-conference win snaps a five-game losing skid for Coupeville and lifts it to 5-10 on the season heading into the stretch run.

The Wolves, who are fighting for one of the final two playoff spots from the North Sound Conference, have three regular season games left on the schedule.

After back-to-back home games against South Whidbey (Jan. 28) and Granite Falls (Jan. 31), CHS travels to Sultan Feb. 4.

If the Wolves can replicate how they played Saturday, they’ll punch that postseason ticket.

Facing off with a RedHawks team which has given it major trouble in recent years, Coupeville came out firing on all cylinders.

The Wolves got balanced scoring, with sophomores Xavier Murdy and Hawthorne Wolfe dropping in 22 and 21 points respectively, while senior gunner Mason Grove added 14.

But it was the team’s play on the other end of the floor which brought the biggest smile to Sherman’s face.

“Defensively, it was a really great night for us,” the CHS coach said. “The kids responded in a big way after a tough week, and played with a lot of scrappiness and energy.”

Coming off a week in which they had to face hot-shooting Cedar Park Christian twice, wrapped around a rumble with state title contender King’s, Saturday’s match-up was Coupeville’s best shot at garnering a win.

Achieving one of Sherman’s top goals — playing four solid quarters, with no letdowns — the Wolves went toe-to-toe with Port Townsend from the opening tip.

RedHawk senior Noa Montoya played out of his mind in the game’s first eight minutes, banging home 16 of his game-high 27 points, while hitting one eye-popping shot after another.

But, as good as he was in the early going, Coupeville slowed Port Townsend’s main man after the first break, mainly by making him work like a devil to get his shot off.

The Wolves responded to Montoya’s hail of shots by spreading out the offensive love, with five different players rattling home a bucket in the opening frame.

Wolfe, Grove, and Gavin Knoblich all nailed three-balls, with Wolfe’s trey being set up by a sizzlin’ cross-court pass from Grove which threaded its way between multiple defenders on its journey.

Coupeville pulled within a single point twice in the second quarter, but couldn’t seem to get over the hump, eventually falling behind 40-33.

Enter Ulrik Wells, and key the comeback music.

The CHS big man pulled off a three-point play the hard way, banking in a short runner, then adding a free throw, and the fire was lit.

Back-to-back shiver-inducing plays from a rampaging Murdy — a three-ball on the move, then a steal and breakaway bucket — really kicked things into gear, and Coupeville closed the half on a 13-0 run.

Even with top rebounder Sean Toomey-Stout sidelined with first-half foul trouble, the Wolves crashed the boards hard, with Koa Davison capping things with a put-back off of an offensive board he ripped free from a rival’s hands.

The joy ride continued into the third quarter, with Murdy popping another trey, then slipping a pair of free throws through the twines.

With 18 straight points on the board and their biggest lead at 51-40, the Wolves looked golden.

Then, they stumbled for a second or two.

Montoya slipped away from his defender for a blink of an eye, arcing a three-ball to pay dirt, and Port Townsend was suddenly off on its own 13-0 tear, reclaiming the lead and the momentum.

To which the Wolves said, not today, my man, not today.

Grove made the net whisper sweet nothings with an elegant trey from the top, Davison netted a free throw, then Wolfe let the lightning erupt from his fingertips.

Scoring Coupeville’s final 10 points of the quarter, which set off his boisterous fan section comprised of autograph-seeking middle school hoops stars, Wolfe staked CHS to a lead it would never lose.

Putting the exclamation point on things in the fourth, Coupeville pulled off another 9-0 run, with all the buckets fueled by ferocious defensive stops.

Jered Brown, harassing the Port Townsend ballhandler every step of the way, bumped him, poked the ball loose, then yanked the orb back off the floor and shot down court for a game-icing layup.

Not to be outdone, Toomey-Stout corralled a madly-skipping loose ball, twirled, and drained a three-ball a moment later, driving the final stake through Port Townsend’s collective heart.

On the sideline, Sherman nodded, a hoops guru happy to see his plans play out as drawn up.

“Just a really, really strong team win, which should give us the momentum we need for those final league games,” he said.

All nine Wolves who hit the floor scored Saturday, with Murdy’s 22 a career-best for him at the varsity level.

Along with Wolfe (21) and Grove (14), CHS got points out of Davison (6), Knoblich (5), Toomey-Stout (3), Brown (3), Wells (3), and Jacobi Pilgrim (2).

The 79 points are a season-high for the Wolves, topping the 77 they notched against Orcas Island, and, with their performances, Wolfe and Grove continue to assault the CHS boys hoops career scoring chart.

With 366 points and counting, Wolfe jumped from a tie for #71 to sole possession of #67 on a list which encompasses 103 seasons, while Grove, with 341 points, rises from #81 to #74.

Among the former greats the duo passed Saturday were Glenn Losey, Ethan Spark, Aaron Trumbull, and Robin Larson.

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It’s raining points

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 26, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Logan Martin was one of five Wolves to score in double figures Saturday, as the Coupeville JV scored a season-high 82 points in a win over Port Townsend. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

All about that balance, baby.

The Coupeville High School boys JV basketball team is loaded with gunners, and Chris Smith’s squad can kill you in a billion different ways.

That was shown one more time Saturday night, as five different Wolves hit double-digits in scoring as their team set a season scoring high while paddling visiting Port Townsend 82-63.

With the non-conference victory, the young guns improve to 9-5 on the season, guaranteeing they will finish with a winning record.

The Wolf JV has three games left on the schedule, with home games against South Whidbey (Jan. 28) and Granite Falls (Jan. 31), then a road trip to Sultan (Feb. 4).

Coupeville’s second squad beat all three of those schools the first time they played this season.

Saturday’s matchup with Port Townsend was a makeup of a game postponed by bad weather, and the Wolves were primed.

Barely a minute into the game, Daniel Olson crashed to the hoop, sucked in a dart of an inbounds pass and whipped home a layup, putting CHS up 4-2.

You could have called the game at that exact moment, as the visiting RedHawks would never gain the lead.

Of course, if they did, we would have missed out on another 31 minutes of highlight reel-worthy plays from the high-flying Wolves.

The passes zipped on this night, the defense was harsh and unyielding, often leading to breakaway buckets, and every guy in a Wolf uniform had a bead on the basket.

Five different Coupeville players scored in the first quarter, with Grady Rickner leading the way with a quick seven points courtesy a three-ball from the top of the arc, and a couple of long runs which led to note-perfect layups.

Both of those latter plays were set up by pinpoint ball movement, with Olson and Logan Martin firing long outlet passes which soared over scrambling defenders, then dropped on to Rickner’s waiting fingers.

When he wasn’t kicking the ball up court, Martin was banging it home as well, dropping a three-ball of his own right after arcing in a sweet little jumper in the paint.

The prettiest play of the quarter came at the very end, however.

With the clock racing to 0:00 and Smith exhorting his players to pick up the pace and get their rears up the floor, Cody Roberts came ambling by, dribbling into position.

Juking his defender off his feet, the lanky Wolf snapped to a stop and let a rainbow fly free, dropping an NBA-worthy three-ball through the bottom of the net as his coach did a double fist pump and the buzzer sounded.

If Roberts shot was a dagger, there were plenty more where that came from, as the Wolves blew open the game in the second quarter.

Sage Downes, who would finish as the second-highest scorer in the game, didn’t notch his first bucket until he converted a layup off of a steal to stretch the lead to 30-18.

With that play reigniting his scoring mojo, the middle of Angie Downes three sons then started dropping buckets like mad, slashing to the hoop time and again on his way to nine points in the quarter.

Coupeville went to the halftime locker room up 42-23, but not before Olson set up a Rickner layup with a laser-guided pass which tore the fabric of time as it also sliced ‘n diced two hapless defenders who watched it fly by their heads.

The biggest roar from the crowd came on a play by Miles Davidson, however, as he came rumbling down the right side of the floor, went airborne, and scooped up an underhanded shot, all while being whacked upside the head and body.

The ball kissed the glass and plopped through, then Davidson banked in a free throw to cap the game’s most hard-earned three-point play.

Port Townsend kept coming in the second half, but other than a brief fourth-quarter run fueled by three consecutive three-balls, could offer little resistance.

Everything was working for Coupeville, from T.J. Rickner playing like a savage down in the paint, to urban legend Chris Ruck exploding off the bench to score the game’s final bucket.

By the time all the scorebook totals had been added up, the Wolf offensive attack was remarkably well-balanced.

Grady Rickner, finishing with 18 points, narrowly edged out Downes, who slapped home 17, while Olson (12), Martin (11), and Roberts (10) all had hot hands of their own.

T.J. Rickner (7), Davidson (5), and Ruck (2) also scored for Coupeville, while Alex Jimenez was a beast on the defensive end of the floor.

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