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Posts Tagged ‘boys soccer’

Booters prep for season-long rumble

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged boys soccer, CHS Wolves, Fall Sports Preview, Sage Arends, Solomon Rudat on August 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Solomon Rudat fights for a ball. (Julie Wheat photos)

They’re ready to go back into the fire.

Led by a trio of battle-hardened seniors and a pack of promising younger players, the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad is set to once again wage war as a member of the best pitch conference in the state.

The Northwest 2B/1B League has brought home four of the last five boys’ soccer state titles in its classifications, while claiming 13 of the 20 top four trophies handed out since the sport returned to the field after the pandemic shutdown.

Orcas Island is the King Kong of the region, having won back-to-back crowns to go with a title from 2021.

Overall, the Vikings have played in five consecutive state title games, with one of its two losses in those clashes coming to league mate Friday Harbor in 2022.

Toss in Providence Classical Christian (2nd, 3rd, and 4th), Mount Vernon Christian (3rd and 4th), Lopez Island (2nd), and a 4th place finish by Friday Harbor in 2021, and half the NWL has earned a state trophy sometime during the last five seasons.

On the outside looking in, ready to crash the party?

La Conner, Grace Academy, Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood, newcomer Evangel Classical, and, of course, Coupeville.

The Wolves, who were in contention for a playoff berth until the final day of the campaign last year, return almost their entire team, with seniors Sage Arends, Solomon Rudat, and Sam Richards slated to anchor things.

Arends, who peppered the net for seven goals as a junior, enters his final high school season with 10 scores to his credit, while Rudat will patrol the pitch as a center midfielder and Richards returns as Coupeville’s primary goaltender.

Sage Arends leads the charge.

“Most of last year’s team returned, giving us a strong base,” said second-year CHS coach Jim Kunz.

“We (also) have some experienced players stepping into high school soccer for the first time.

“(Sophomore) Chayse Van Velkinburgh is a talented player that recently returned to Coupeville. We also have promising 8th graders that turned out.”

The Wolves have a 15-game schedule — with the first five being “non-league” tuneups against conference foes — kicking things off with three straight clashes on their home pitch.

First up is Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood, which travels to Whidbey September 11. That will be a Friday Night Lights special, set to tip at 6:00 PM, and free to the public.

Fans can expect to see a well-conditioned Coupeville squad, Kunz said.

“We need to increase our fitness and teamwork. Most of this team has been playing together for many years, so they’re very cohesive.

“We’re working on knowing when to shoot and putting it on goal,” Kunz added. “Last year we had too many shots not on point.

The big two loom large, but the Wolves will face a stiff fight every time they take the pitch and will be prepared for it.

“Orcas and Friday Harbor have diverse teams. We’ll be adjusting our play for those games,” Kunz said.

“Last year we knocked on the door to playoffs. This year the team is determined to make it.”

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Wolf boys, embrace your pitch passion

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged boys soccer, CHS Wolves, first practice, Jim Kunz, roster on August 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Play soccer, become the star of glossy pics. (Julie Wheat photo)

Now’s your time.

A new boys’ soccer season approaches, and Coupeville High School coach Jim Kunz is putting the word out – he needs players to ensure a full roster for the fall.

The Wolf pitch program is open to students in grades 8-12, allowing Cow Town middle school athletes a chance to play five seasons while getting a taste of high school sports before they even have their first class as freshmen.

Practice for most CHS fall sports teams begin Monday, August 24, with boys’ soccer slated to play its first game September 9 with a trip to Lopez Island.

The Wolves currently have a 16-game schedule set to run through the end of October, then hope to cap things with a visit to the playoffs.

Coupeville, featuring a very-young squad, finished 5-9 overall, 3-5 in Northwest 2B/1B League play last fall during its first season with Kunz at the helm.

For more info, potential players or their parents can contact the coach at jkunz@coupeville.k12.wa.us.

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Malachi Chapa builds a bright future

Posted in Boys Soccer, Track, tagged boys soccer, CHS Wolves, freshman, Malachi Chapa, track and field, White Chicks on August 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Malachi Chapa goes flying into action. (Julie Wheat photo)

He’s on the fast track to success.

Malachi Chapa will be a freshman at Coupeville High School this fall but has already made a big impact on Wolf athletics.

He played up as an 8th grader, running with the CHS varsity boys’ soccer squad as a midfielder, and is part of a core group which can lead the program for several years.

Come the spring and Chapa was dominant in the world of track and field, piling up 17 wins, a league title in the high jump, and three school records across three seasons of middle school action.

As he makes the jump from CMS to CHS, he leaves the former holding the school’s all-time marks in the 400, long jump, and as part of a 4 x 200 relay unit.

Gazing into a bright future along with his relay teammates. (Photo courtesy Crystal Carter)

It’s all part of his plan for success.

“My goals are to go to a good college such as Skagit Valley or Cal Poly,” Chapa said. “Hopefully go to state for my track events — 400, high jump, long jump, and just maybe a relay team.

“For soccer, I’d like to play for the major leagues and maybe start a career playing soccer for the state.”

Chapa lives by the words of his mom — “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything” — and enjoys the chance to interact with others through sports.

“I think every single one of my coaches and teammates I’ve played with have made this little spark in me making me to love the sports I play now even more,” he said. “Helping ignite this spark for my passion of these sports day by day which I feel grow bigger.

“I truly think the people who’ve helped me keep that inspiration for continuing the sports I play today are my family, friends, and coaches.”

When he’s not busy on the pitch or around the oval, Chapa looks forward to math, PE, and lunch at school, hails White Chicks as his favorite movie, and listens to music from the ’90s to current day songs.

While he enjoys both of his sports, soccer, where he both plays and refs, has an edge.

“My favorite sport is soccer because I’ve played it for years now and I love playing it with my friends,” Chapa said.

“I really like that I can count on my team to be there for me and vice versa.”

Being part of a successful group is important to the rising star.

“I love the fact we play well as a team and can support each other during our wins or losses, and rain or shine,” Chapa said.

“But my favorite part about soccer was the high school away games when we’d sing songs on the way home; it didn’t matter if we won or not, we’d always have a great time heading home.”

Teamwork makes the dream work. (Photo courtesy Crystal Carter)

While playing sports on Whidbey Island often entails long road trips involving busses and ferries, Chapa doesn’t mind the journey.

“What I enjoy about being an athlete is that I can show to myself I can be a responsible student/athlete doing well both in school and in sports,” he said.

“My favorite part about both track and high school soccer is that I can leave a little earlier, which was fun to me, although knowing I’d have more work to do the next day.”

And Chapa is more than ready to put in that work.

“I think my strengths as an athlete are teamwork and “elite ball knowledge,” as Sawyer Rudat says.

“I like that I can be somewhat easily coached,” Chapa added. “It takes time for me to process things sometimes, but I always manage to figure it out one way or another.

“I do have many areas I need to work on, and I think being a better thinker and or maybe getting better ball control and communication with the team would be nice sometimes.

“But I’d would like to work on my work ethic and being responsible with my time during sports practice.”

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Cael Wilson (finally) gets his props

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged boys soccer, Cael Wilson, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, track and field on August 10, 2026| 1 Comment »

Cael Wilson directs traffic. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

I may have Alzheimer’s…

OK, probably not, but how else do we explain my forgetful nature at times?

There I am, cruising along, looking something up in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, and discover, to my horror, that someone I thought I had already inducted had very much not been inducted.

I am an idiot.

Cause the guy we’re talking about is one of the more accomplished Wolf athletes in the last several decades, one who had a record-setting impact across two sports at CHS.

Simply put, Cael Wilson should have been a first ballot Hall o’ Famer and not had to wait a year to get induction into my lil’ internet shrine. My apologies.

Today we correct that and add his name to the list which sits under the Legends tab at the top of the blog, with the caveat that he really should have already been there.

Cael made a noticeable impact on both the soccer pitch and the track oval during his time in Cow Town, keeping alive a family tradition kicked off by older brother Aidan, who already sits in the Hall o’ Fame for his prep exploits.

The captain leads the celebration. (Finn Price photo)

The younger of the pair is the only Wolf booter in history to score in five seasons, netting his first goal as an 8th grader playing up with the high school varsity squad.

Cael found the back of the net a team-leading seven times as a senior, giving him 13 goals for his CHS career, which ties him for #7 all-time with … Aidan.

Much like Major League Baseball father/son combo Cecil and Prince Fielder, who both clobbered exactly 319 home runs during their careers, the Wilsons apparently believe in equality.

As shown further by the fact that both Cael and Aiden each brought home five state meet medals as track and field athletes, leaving them in a tie for #6 among Wolf boys across the past 63 seasons.

Wilson defeats gravity. (Parker Hammons photo)

A true jack-of-all-trades, Cael competed in 12 different events across four springs, doing a bit of everything.

He ran one-man races (100, 200, 400, 800), did legs on both 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relay units, cleared the hurdles (110 and 300), chucked the javelin, and went airborne in the high jump, pole vault, and long jump.

Along the way Cael collected 30 wins, including five league titles and four district crowns, then made repeat visits to Eastern Washington for the state championships.

While at the big dance, the multi-talented one picked up three medals in the pole vault, plus one each in the 4 x 4 and high jump.

In that latter event he made his biggest splash, earning a second-place finish at state while clearing the bar at six feet, four inches, tying a school record set by Rich (no relation) Wilson 25 years earlier.

Any way you look at it, Cael, who graduated from CHS in 2025, and is now a college track star at Benedictine College in Kansas, was one of the most-consistent athletes to ever wear the red and black.

The only slight ding against him might be his failure to play high school basketball (AKA God’s Chosen Sport), where his hops would have come in handy.

But even without him raining down three-balls, Cael put together an impressive prep career, especially as he was one of the leaders who helped guide Wolf athletics back to full-time action after the pandemic.

So today we place him where he should have already been, in the Hall o’ Fame next to his brother, and the guy whose high jump record he shares.

Sorry about the wait, Cael, and much respect.

A master at work. (Finn Price photo)

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Big talent, big dreams

Posted in Boys Basketball, Track, tagged Basketball, boys soccer, CHS Wolves, Michael Jackson, River Simpson, track and field on June 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

River Simpson piled up the wins as a middle school track and field athlete. (Photos courtesy Rainy Simpson)

River Simpson has big dreams.

Having already racked up an impressive run as a middle school athlete, he heads into his freshman year at Coupeville High School in the fall with his eyes already set on the prize.

Or several prizes.

“I would like our CHS basketball team to go to state,” Simpson said. “I want to be top 10 in all-time scoring in basketball; I also want to break a sub-23 (seconds) in the 200-meter dash.”

After playing basketball and competing in track and cross country during his CMS days, Simpson plans to kick off his high school career by trying something different, switching to soccer this fall.

When winter rolls around, he’ll hit the hardwood, intent on continuing the strong play he showcased as an 8th grader.

After being among the team leaders in scoring for the top CMS squad, Simpson got a chance to play two games at the high school level and made an immediate impact for the Wolf JV.

He rattled the rims for 13 points in a win over Concrete in his first JV action, then banged home a game-high 19 in the season finale against Friday Harbor.

And while he enjoys all of his sports, hoops have a special lure.

“Basketball, it’s my favorite because it’s an indoor sport so you can play year-round,” Simpson said. “It’s the sport I’m most passionate about.”

Simpson and Co. singed the net both as school and select team hoops stars.

Not that basketball is the only sport he’s a high achiever in, as he piled up 19 wins across seven events during his CMS track and field days.

Simpson collected victories in every event he tried, from the 100, 200, 400, and 800, to the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 relays, as well as the high jump.

He saved one of his best performances for last, teaming up with Malachi Chapa, Lincoln Wagner, and Sawyer Rudat to smash the CMS record in the 4 x 2 at the Cascade League Championships in their final middle school meet.

In school Simpson favors history and PE classes, while the tunes of Steve Lacy and Michael Jackson are his musical go-to, and remaining busy is the name of the game.

“Staying active throughout the year (is big), hanging out with friends on some of the long bus rides,” he said. “And having goals to work towards.”

That includes putting in time shooting hoops and taking part in strength training, as well as spending time with his grandparents, helping neighbors with yard work, and ramping up his reading.

“I like being active and keeping busy,” Simpson said.

As he prepares for his launch into high school, where he will follow in the footsteps of big sis Laken, a Wolf cheerleader and track athlete, River is looking at the complete picture on what’s working, and where he can grow.

“I think my strengths are the ability to work through obstacles,” he said. “And I think I could work on supporting my teammates more.

“My dad, he pushed me since I was little to work hard if I want to compete in any sport,” Simpson added.

“My mom always supported me coming to all my home games and cheering me on. And Coach Alex (Evans), he helped me gain confidence in basketball and believed in me.”