William Nelson was a four-year star in tennis and soccer during his days at Coupeville High School. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Consistency.
That was the trademark of William Nelson, and it was a trait he displayed on the tennis court, the soccer pitch and in the classroom.
Before he graduated last spring, the long ‘n lanky one was money in the bank for Coupeville High School sports teams.
Need a big play, or maybe just a small, but very significant, one?
Nelson was the go-to guy, never prone to thumping his chest or screaming about how great he was, just the ultimate cool professional who did his job (and everyone else’s) game in, game out.
There was a moment, a very brief moment, during a super-tense match as seniors, when he and lifetime doubles mate Joey Lippo tapped tennis rackets with 2% more enthusiasm than normal after winning a tough point.
It was the equivalent of another player ripping their jersey in half, then mooning the fans while sprinting around the court, waving a flag, screaming “U-S-A, U-S-A!!!”
Most times, Nelson was content to slightly arch an eyebrow or smile a half-smile after he had decimated his foes.
He knew he had reached into their chest cavity, ripped out their heart and shown it to them, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom“-style, and they knew it, too.
So, half-smile, nod and move on to the next thing on his to-do list.
If he had only played one sport, either soccer or tennis, Nelson would likely still be receiving induction into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.
But, since he played both, and excelled so thoroughly in two very different worlds, it’s a slam dunk.
So, after this, when you travel up to the top of the blog and peek under the Legends tab, you’ll find Nelson there, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Wolf greats of yore.
And there is little doubt he deserves the honor.
As the heart and soul of the CHS soccer squad, Nelson was a four-time First-Team All-Conference player as a midfielder.
He combined deft moves, smooth speed and a willingness to get down and dirty while scrapping, and could be a solid goal scorer, a superb set-up man for other Wolf gunners, or a bit of both.
More more than most players, Nelson was quick to adapt his game to fit best with the skill sets of his teammates.
As players came and went during his four-year run on the CHS pitch, he adjusted how he played to better mesh with each new star, and never seemed to care whether his name was the one in the spotlight, or theirs.
What mattered most to Nelson, or at least that’s how it always seemed from the outside, was putting his team in a position to win.
He was an ideal captain, well-respected, a leader both by action and words, and his calmness carried over to many of his running mates.
Nelson wasn’t a pushover, at all. Exactly the opposite.
Try and elbow him, or kick him, or mess with his teammates, and he subtly responded, making sure you didn’t do it twice, while rarely drawing the wrath of the officials.
His quiet toughness carried over to the tennis courts, where he and Lippo (who will likely join him in the Hall o’ Fame in short order) perfectly synced up for a four-year run as doubles partners.
Two tall players with rock-solid hitting styles, who held their emotions largely in check while picking apart foes, they came within a point of making it to state as seniors, while anchoring the Wolf lineup day after day, year after year.
Longtime Coupeville tennis coach Ken Stange described Nelson as “silky smooth” and “pretty unflappable.”
“Will and Joey played so many big matches through the years,” he said. “And they often drew a crowd when they played, which says a lot because tennis usually does not draw a crowd.”
Matinee idol, big game ace, serene superstar – they all describe Nelson.
And now you can add Hall o’ Famer to the list.
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