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Posts Tagged ‘boys soccer’

Toasty temps, sweet success

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , , on September 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“Am I going to shoot with my right foot, or my left? Doesn’t matter, cause I’m deadly with both!” (Jacob Lujan photo)

The day was hot, while the Wolves were scorching.

It was 89 degrees on the turf in Marysville Tuesday, but the heat never bothered the visiting Coupeville High School boys’ soccer team.

Banging home their first scores of the young season, the Wolves slipped past host Grace Academy 2-1 in a nail biter, raising their record to 1-2.

Coupeville controlled the pace of play most of the way, with their private school foes netting their lone goal off of a penalty kick late in the going.

Other than that, it was all Wolves, all the time.

“We put some changes and plays in action,” said Coupeville coach Jim Kunz. “They came out strong from the beginning. Communication and passing was much better.”

Shiloh Sandlin clear the net. (Julie Wheat photo)

The Wolves kept the Grace goalie jumping all day, with Edmund Wilson finding the back of the net off of a pass from Sawyer Rudat, before picking up the assist on a score by Liam Lawson.

It was the first high school goal for both Wolves, with Wilson becoming the third member of his family to score in a CHS uniform.

His older brothers, Aidan and Cael, finished their prep pitch careers with 13 goals apiece, tying them for 7th best in program history.

Lawson, a freshman whiz kid, is part of a legendary prairie family which includes athletic standouts such as grandpa Dale Sherman, aunt Katie Smith, and mom “Killer” Kassie (Lawson) O’Neil.

The Wolves get back at it Friday, Sept. 19, with a home soccer doubleheader at Mickey Clark Field.

Pitch powerhouse Mount Vernon Christian is the foe, with the girls game at 4:00 PM and the boys kicking off at 6:00. Admission is free.

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Young booters learn under fire

Posted in Girls Soccer, tagged , , , , on September 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The eternal dance begins anew. (Julie Wheat photo)

Youth will have its day.

With only one senior playing soccer at Coupeville High School this fall, both the girls and boys pitch squads have plenty of field time to offer their 8th and 9th graders.

But that also means both Wolf teams are largely comprised of players learning on the job, which means there may be some struggles against veteran-heavy foes.

That was evident Friday and Saturday, respectively, as the CHS girls fell 8-0 in a road trip to La Conner, before their male counterparts were bounced 9-0 at home by defending state champ Orcas Island.

The losses drop the boys to 0-2 on the season, while the girls, who are returning after a two-year absence, slip to 0-3.

Frankie Tenore is the lone Wolf senior playing soccer this fall. (Coupeville High School Yearbook staff photo)

 

Boys play a man down:

A game after having only two subs, the Wolves had none Saturday in their home opener.

In fact, they were actually a man down, with just 10 players in uniform as the team deals with illness and injury.

Orcas pulled one of its players after securing a solid lead, and played even for the remainder of the match, while the Wolves on the pitch never backed down.

“Our goalie, Sam Richards, played strong, making some fantastic saves,” said CHS coach Jim Kunz. “Some shots were too well placed to stop.

“Defense also did very well with veteran player Shiloh Sandlin having a couple shot-stopping slide tackles.”

Facing an Orcas team aiming to make a run at a third state title, the Wolves found few cracks in the defense.

“Our offense struggled to drive the ball to the goal during the first half,” Kunz said.

“But they came out strong in the second half with multiple shot attempts by the Edmunds (Wilson and Kunz).”

The Wolves push the attack. (Julie Wheat photo)

 

Girls hit the road:

Coupeville’s female booters have a home-centric schedule in their return to action, with only one road trip in their first eight games.

That came Friday with the trek to La Conner to square off with a Northwest 2B/1B League rival.

The Wolves last win, which came in the finale of the 2022 season, was against the Braves.

CHS was unable to field a full girls team in either 2023 or 2024, but has revived the program this fall thanks to an influx of young players.

 

Back to the grind:

Both Wolf squads return to action Tuesday, Sept. 16, with the girls hosting Orcas Island at 4:00 PM, and the boys traveling to Marysville to play Grace Academy.

No soccer ball shall escape! (Coupeville High School Yearbook staff photo)

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Booters bounce into new season

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on September 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Sage Arends, seen in action last season, is a captain for Coupeville High School boys’ soccer. (Finn Price photo)

They jumped right into the fire.

Playing with a short bench Tuesday, the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad kicked off a new season with a long road trip to face one of the best in the state.

Scrapping on Friday Harbor, the young Wolves stayed close for a half, before their high-caliber hosts piled on the goals after halftime in what finished as an 8-0 rout.

Despite the loss, new Wolf coach Jim Kunz came away pleased with a lot of what he saw from his players.

“We have a young team this season. They played solid in the first half against a tough team,” he said. “With only two subs, the guys were worn out partway through the second half.

“I’m proud of their play and dedication. We’re excited to make some adjustments and come in strong next game.”

Coupeville, which graduated a strong pack of seniors, has no 12th graders on this year’s roster.

But, with three juniors, five sophomores, two freshman, and five 8th graders, the potential for growth is great.

While defender Jacob Lujan is out for the season with a broken ankle, the Wolves will get some additional help when captain Sage Arends returns from a concussion.

Continuing a trend of playing legitimate state title contenders right out of the gate, Coupeville hosts Orcas Island this Saturday, Sept. 13 in the home opener.

Kickoff is set for 12:30 PM at Mickey Clark Field.

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Booters lose leader

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on March 26, 2025| 1 Comment »

Robert Wood strolls the sideline. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

He kept the program operating through a pandemic, but now the time has come to depart the soccer pitch.

On a full-time basis, at least.

Coupeville High School head boys’ soccer coach Robert Wood has tendered his resignation after five seasons at the helm.

The decision is based on “new job and family commitments (which) require too much time away to continue as head coach.”

Wood pledged he’d still be around and volunteer when able.

He issued the following letter to parents, players, and team supporters:

After a long debate and careful consideration, I send you this note announcing my intent to resign as the head coach for CHS Soccer.

I have a new job since December 2024, and over the past few months it’s become clear that the increased regular travel requirements along with expanded daily commitments will prohibit me from giving the team everything you deserve.

It is not fair to you as a player, the team, nor all the families for me to hold the position and not be able to give it the attention required.

As you can imagine, this decision was not easy to come by as I’ve given so much energy and emotion to building our program over the past 15 years.

Working with CWSC and studying under the previous CHS soccer coaches has been such a rewarding experience.

Every player, every coach, every member of the staff at CHS (in particular Mrs. Ford, who supported me to no end with a smile and the utmost grace) have helped me create a truly unique soccer culture in Coupeville.

I am eternally grateful to the support and trust everyone has given me over the years.

As I step down as the head coach, please realize this opens up a great opportunity for new ideas and new leadership at a time when our sport is rising in popularity and our team culture exudes a rapport envied by every other school in our league. 

Rest assured that I will be supporting the team as a volunteer when my time allows, and I will be participating in the transition and installment of new leadership for the team.

Thank you for the time you have given me.

All my best.

Wood started with CHS soccer as an assistant coach, then stepped up to become head coach when Kyle Nelson retired.

His first year in charge of the boys’ program in 2020 presented multiple issues, with an ongoing pandemic and a struggle to keep a viable roster going.

Wood succeeded in keeping soccer alive, even as boys’ tennis fell by the wayside in Coupeville, and the Wolf booters increased their win total in each of his seasons while playing in the premier 2B/1B league for the sport in Washington state.

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Booters honored by league coaches

Posted in soccer, tagged , , , , on December 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Cael Wilson leads the attack. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coming off a season where it was in playoff contention until the final game, the Coupeville High School co-ed soccer squad landed four players on the All-League team.

Senior Cael Wilson, who led the Wolves in scoring with seven goals, was tabbed as a First-Team pick by Northwest 2B/1B League boys’ coaches.

He was joined in receiving honors by three other Class of 2025 members, with Preston Epp and Hurlee Bronec named as Second-Team picks and Ayden Wyman claiming Honorable Mention status.

Ayden Wyman sacrifices her noggin.

Wyman notched 13 goals across her first two seasons of high school soccer while leading the Wolf girls’ program, before joining the CHS boys for her junior and senior years after Coupeville was unable to field a girls’ squad.

She was one of two female players to notch All-League honors, joining Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood sophomore Lydia Negash.

Lopez Island, which had a breakout season while finishing 2nd at the 1B/2B state tourney, swept the league’s top honors.

Junior Andris Meissner was tabbed as MVP, with Mycah Kraushaar honored as Coach of the Year and her team also receiving the sportsmanship award.

Orcas Island, which won its second state title, had the most players picked, with seven of its booters receiving First or Second-Team honors.

Coupeville went 4-4 in conference play while vying in a league which produced three of the top four teams in the state, and 6-8-1 overall.

That included a landmark home win over Mount Vernon Christian, its first in 13 games against the perennial power.

Preston Epp directs traffic.

Hurlee Bronec protects the net.

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