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Hurlee Bronec lines up a free throw for one of his 288 career points. (Jackie Saia photo)

The players come and go, but the numbers hunt is eternal.

Coupeville High School boys’ basketball has played 108 varsity seasons, having capped the most-recent campaign with a narrow playoff loss to Auburn Adventist Academy Thursday night.

Now, the seniors depart, with their point totals frozen in time, while those with eligibility left can begin to plan for next season.

Junior Chase Anderson heads into the offseason sitting at #36 on the all-time scoring chart, having reached 599 points after three seasons on the hardwood.

Will he make a run for the top 10 as a senior? Only time will tell.

For now, here’s where things sit through today, with active players listed in bold.

With the usual caveat — with some of the oldest scorebooks lost to time, we will likely never have a truly complete tally.

But what’s missing — with the exception of Tom Sahli’s sophomore season in 1951-1952 — is from the days of low-scoring games and would not greatly change the upper part of the chart.

So, there’s that.

Chase Anderson is a point shy of 600 for his career. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

 

Our 83.7% correct career scoring list:

 

Logan Downes – 1305
Mike Bagby – 1137
Jeff Stone – 1137
Randy Keefe – 1088
Mike Criscoula – 1031
Jeff Rhubottom – 1012
Bill Riley – 934
Pete Petrov – 917
Brad Sherman – 874
Denny Clark – 869

Arik Garthwaite – 867
Bill Jarrell – 855
Hunter Smith – 847
Corey Cross – 811
Hawthorne Wolfe – 800
Jack Elzinga – 770
Barry Brown – 769
Hunter Hammer – 755
Steve Whitney – 730
Dan Nieder – 729

Tom Sahli – 719 (**MISSING SEASON**)
Chris Good – 688
Gavin Keohane – 677
Virgil Roehl – 674
Foster Faris – 668
Pat Bennett – 659
Wade Ellsworth – 659
Jason McFadyen – 654
Rich Morris – 637
Kramer O’Keefe – 636

Wiley Hesselgrave – 632
John O’Grady – 611
Greg White – 604
Denny Zylstra – 602
Joe Whitney – 601
Chase Anderson – 599
Brian Miller – 597
Mike Syreen – 594
Gabe McMurray – 592
Pat Clark – 583

Randy Duggan – 552
Roy Marti – 551
Jim Syreen – 550
Marc Bissett – 549
Gary Hammons – 533
Jerry Zylstra – 527
Brad Miller – 526
Gary Faris – 524
JJ Marti – 520
Cody Peters – 518

David Lortz – 502
Jason Bagby – 499
Xavier Murdy – 482
Pat O’Grady – 472
Harold Buckner – 469
Sean Dillon – 469
Frank Marti – 462
Alex Murdy – 448
Del O’Shell – 440
Tony Ford – 432

Caleb Powell – 421
Mason Grove – 414
Ben Biskovich – 407
Casey Clark – 407
Nick Sellgren – 406
Cole White – 405
Blaine Ghormley – 393
Tom Logan – 385
James Smith – 382
Don Cook – 377

Chad Gale – 373
Mike Millenbach – 373
JD Wilcox – 373
Ty Blouin – 369
Caesar Kortuem – 369
Ray Harvey – 368
Pat Brown – 355
Dick Smith – 352
Ethan Spark – 352
Glenn Losey – 350

Timm Orsborn – 345
Robin Larson – 342
Byron Fellstrom – 340
Kevin Faris – 339
Michael Vaughan – 337
Jim Yake – 331
Aaron Trumbull – 330
Brad Brown – 328
Charlie Tessaro – 328
Utz Conard – 326

Ian Smith – 324
David Ford – 323
Bob Rea – 320
Chris Marti – 319
Gabe Wynn – 316
Nick Streubel – 314
Ben Hayes – 306
Allen Black – 305
Noah Roehl – 301
Blake Day – 299

Noel Criscoula – 298
John Beasley – 293
Risen Johnson – 291
Brian Fakkema – 290
Matt Frost – 290
Hurlee Bronec – 288
Mike Mallo – 282
Keith Jameson – 277
Terry Roberts – 277
Kit Manzanares – 275

Boom Phomvongkoth – 275
Zepher Loesch – 274
Alex Evans – 272
Aaron Curtin – 271
Tyler King – 270
Joe Tessaro – 270
Eric Hopkins – 265
Harvey Wainio – 265
Rick Keefe – 259
Troy Blouin – 256

Sean Callahan – 256
Greg Fellstrom – 248
Richard Hammons – 248
Casey Larson – 247
Don Schreiber – 247
Brandon Huff – 245
Grady Rickner – 245
Brad Haslam – 235
Sean Toomey-Stout – 235
Geoff Hageman – 227

Curt Youderian – 226
Hunter Bronec – 223
Rich Vaughan – 219
Ed Wood – 219
Joel Walstad – 217
Richard Cook – 216
Ryan Keefe – 214
Nick Guay – 213
Jordan Ford – 210
Andrew Mouw – 204

Vance Huffman – 203
Tim Quenzer – 202
Alan Hancock – 198
Shawn Ryan – 197
Mitch Aparicio – 195
John Engstrom – 195
Trevor Tucker – 194
Roy Mattox – 191
Dale Sherman – 188
Scott Stuurmans – 188

Ryan Blouin – 185
Pat Millenbach – 181
Jack Porter – 180
Caleb Meyer – 179
Wayne Hardie – 178
Chris Cox – 177
Evan Tingstad – 177
Jerry VandWerfhorst – 177
Anthony Bergeron – 176
Mike Ankney – 173

Ron Naddy – 172
Dale Libbey – 169
Roger Sherman – 168
Tim Walstad – 168
Randy Blindauer – 166
Mark Bepler – 165
Chad Brookhouse – 163
Jered Brown – 156
Monty Moore – 155
Geoff Wacker – 154

Bill Baas – 153
Ulrik Wells – 152
Jim Faris – 151
Steve Konek – 149
Gavin O’Keefe – 149
Ryan McManigle – 148
Ryan Griggs – 147
Hugh Abell – 145
George Libbey – 142
Sandy Roberts – 134

Craig Anderson – 132
Scott Franzen – 129
Ben Etzell – 127
Gavin Knoblich – 126
Len Buckner – 125
Brian Shank – 125
Joey Lippo – 121
Jessie Smith – 119
Scott McGraw – 116
Christian Townsdin – 116

Camden Glover – 115
Mitch Pelroy – 115
Taylor Ebersole – 114
Eric Taylor – 112
Jim Casey – 111
Jacobi Pilgrim – 111
Jonathan Valenzuela – 110
Brian Barr – 108
Joe Donellon – 101
Jason McManigle – 101

Bryan Hamilton – 99
Brian Knoll – 98
Morgan Payne – 96
Christian Lyness – 95
Koa Davison – 94
Ted Weber – 91
Hunter Downes – 89
James Meek – 89
Dan Miller – 89
Landon Roberts – 88

Steve Bissett – 87
Andrew Cashen – 87
Carson Risner – 86
John Sinema – 86
Nick Morris – 83
Dominic Coffman – 81
Logan Martin – 81
Roy Armstrong – 80
Cameron Toomey-Stout – 80
Caleb Valko – 78

Ross Buckner – 77
Matt Shank – 77
JJ Johnson – 76
Duane Score – 76
Quinten Farmer – 75
Matt Ortega – 75
Mike Ellsworth – 74
Don Spangler – 72
John Zimmerman – 72
Joe Bruzas – 71

Jason Fisher – 71
Tony Prosser – 70
Les Jacobson – 69
Tom Conard – 68
Dean Grasser – 68
Matt Bepler – 67
Zack Swerdfeger – 66
Ron Lanphere – 65
Sage Downes – 64
Ben Hancock – 63

Randy Stone – 63
Mike Brown – 62
Jason McDavid – 62
Jeremy Staples – 62
Brian Hageman – 61
Erik King – 61
David Davis – 60
Tom Mueller – 59
Brandy Ambrose – 58
Sam Kieth – 58

Steve Smith – 58
Martin Walsh – 58
Matt Helm – 57
Dennis Terrell – 57
Drew Chan – 56
DeAndre Mitchell – 56
Daniel Olson – 56
Ellis Schultz – 56
Dave Stoddard – 56
CJ Smith – 54

Larry Zylstra – 54
Asa Owensby – 52
Marc Aparicio – 51
Chris Chan – 51
Joe Kelley – 51
Marvin Darst – 50
Troy Hurlburt – 49
Stanley Bruzas – 48
Dalton Engle – 48
Jerry Helm – 48

Dalton Martin – 47
Eddie Fasolo – 45
Doug Speers – 45
Banky Fisher – 44
Keith Dunnagan – 42
Zane Oldenstadt – 42
Gaylord Stidham – 41
Erick Harada – 40
James Jorgensen – 40
Nevin Miranda – 40

Jeff Thomas – 40
John Wyatt – 40
John Moskeland – 39
Danny Bonacci – 36
Chuck Ruthford – 36
Charlie Toth – 36
Jim Marti – 35
Zeb Williams – 35
Robert Cushen – 34
Dante Mitchell – 34

Sid Mudgett – 34
Johnny Porter – 34
Dave Brandt – 33
Ryan Kelley – 33
Brian Roundy – 32
Richard Barber – 31
Joe Libbey – 31
Ray Cook – 29
Tim Leese – 29
Ralph Lindsay – 29

Kyle Rockwell – 29
Rick Marti – 28
Toby Martinez – 28
Daniel McDonald – 28
Joe Rojas – 28
Todd Smith – 28
Scott Sollars – 28
Richard Benson – 27
Mike Duke – 27
John Holmes – 26

Lewis Berry – 25
Mark Short – 25
Tim Youderian – 25
Jared Helmstadter – 24
Trent Diamanti – 23
Trevor Mueller – 22
Dan Schleiffers – 22
Malachi Somes – 22
William Davidson – 21
Jay Roberts – 21

Dustin Van Velkinburgh – 21
Matt Douglas – 20
Jordan Emerson – 20
Dane Lucero – 20
Dean Strom – 20
Scott Fisher – 19
Scott Losey – 19
Bud Merryman – 19
Matt Petrich – 19
Jason Raymond – 19

Rob Blouin – 18
Rick Keith – 18
Marvin Mitchell – 18
Guy Walker – 18
Gary Boyke – 17
Jim Keith – 17
Jean Lund-Olsen – 17
Cedric McIntosh – 17
TJ Rickner – 17
Rick Frieze – 16

Frank Nelson – 16
Chad Nixon – 16
Josh Wilsey – 16
Steven Cope – 15
Eric Dyer – 15
Mike Lester – 15
Brad Rogers – 15
Henry Edwards – 14
Todd Brown – 13
DJ Kim – 13

LaVerne Arnold – 12
Mike Eaton – 12
Guy George – 12
Kole Kellison – 12
Glen Lanphere – 12
Desmond Bell – 11
Bill Hamilton – 11
Howard Libbey – 11
Ken Pickard – 11
Jon Roberts – 11

Chris Squires – 11
Ben Winkes – 11
Jermiah Copeland – 10
Ron Edwards – 10
Travis Hooker – 10
Mikey Robinett – 10
Daniel Graham – 9
Kyle King – 9
Bruce Seiger – 9
Jimmy Sullivan – 9

Fred Wyatt – 9
Erik Anderson – 8
Dave Bowers – 8
Rob Fasolo – 8
Kraig Gordon – 8
Cody Roberts – 8
Robert Shafer – 8
Dave Wells – 8
Charlie Cook – 7
Bobby Engle – 7

Brian Folkestad – 7
Wayne Hesselgrave – 7
Aiden O’Neill – 7
Ed Cook – 6
Tucker Hall – 6
Chuck Hardee – 6
Kevin King – 6
Robert Kirkwood – 6
Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim – 6
George Smith – 6

Nic Anthony – 5
Ariah Bepler – 5
Scott Davidson – 5
JD Myers – 5
Timothy Nitta – 5
Nate Steele – 5
Ron Zylstra – 5
Andrew Bird – 4
Bill Boze – 4
Miles Davidson – 4

Ralph Engle – 4
Jason Legat – 4
Morgan Roehl – 4
Rusty Bailey – 3
Luke Currier – 3
Davin Houston – 3
Frank Mueller – 3
Tracy Wilson – 3
Teo Benson – 2
Norm Enders – 2

Carson Field – 2
Easton Green – 2
Chris Locke – 2
Jeremy McCormick – 2
Rich McCormick – 2
Fred Meadors – 2
Denny Moss – 2
Tony Sherman – 2
Marion Sill – 2
Stephen Stietenroth – 2

Robbie Wanamaker – 2
Paul Baher – 1
Bill Engle – 1
Robert Engle – 1
Bob Franzen – 1
Meryl Gordon – 1
Oscar Liquidano – 1
Raleigh Sherman – 1

Current CHS boys coach Brad Sherman is still #9 all-time on the career scoring chart. (Jackie Saia photo)

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Jack Porter banked in a team-high 15 points in the playoff finale. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It was worth the price of admission.

At least for those who don’t get in free thanks to a press pass…

With both teams fighting for their season Thursday, Coupeville and Auburn Adventist Academy went to the wire in a loser-out District 1/2 playoff tilt.

And by the narrowest of margins, the big-city boys escaped with a 64-61 win, ending any chances of the Wolves getting back to the state tourney for the third time in four seasons.

The loss drops Coupeville’s final record to 9-14, while Auburn will return to the CHS gym Saturday for a winner-to-state, loser-out game.

How close was Thursday’s rumble?

Coupeville appeared to have tied the game at 62-62 with seconds to play, only to have Chase Anderson’s three-ball waved off by the refs, who ruled the Wolves had called a timeout before the ball left the junior gunner’s fingertips.

Still in possession of the ball, but with the deficit moved back to 62-59, CHS got a gut-check mid-range jumper from senior Landon Roberts, then had to scramble to foul.

Landon Roberts final jumper as a Wolf hit nothing but net. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The Wolves only had two team fouls at that point, needed three whistles to force Auburn to the line, setting up a game of cat and mouse.

Coupeville eventually got to foul #5, but the visitors took the clock down from 13 seconds to 2.8 ticks during the course of the three inbounds plays.

Ignoring the Navy jet-like noise coming from the stands, as hysterically screaming young Wolf fans did their best to hit early puberty as a collective group, Auburn netted both charity shots.

That left the Wolves needing a miracle at the buzzer to force overtime, and they came tantalizingly close, only to have the ball slide wide of paydirt.

The ferocious finale capped a game that could have gone either way.

Auburn put up big offensive numbers in the first and third quarters, but Coupeville controlled the pace of play in the second and fourth to keep things interesting.

Jack Porter and Roberts combined to rattle the rims for 11 points in the opening frame, though Auburn clung to a 20-15 lead at the break.

The Wolves ramped up their defense in the second quarter, however, holding the visitors to just nine points — the fewest scored by either team in any frame.

The Battlin’ Bronec Brothers — Hunter (1) and Hurlee (2) — combined to score 511 points during their varsity hoops careers. (Jackie Saia photo)

The Battlin’ Bronec Brothers carved up their opponents, with Hunter draining a big-time three-ball with hands in his grill, while Hurlee twice twisted past defenders to stake CHS to a lead.

The second time he did so came with a single second left on the first-half clock, pushing the Wolves ahead 30-29 as the squads headed to the locker room.

Back in action in the third, the teams took turns throwing down runs.

Auburn opened the second half with eight straight points, before the Wolves responded with a 7-0 run to tie the game back up at 37-37.

A three-ball from Anderson kick-started things, before Hurlee Bronec collected four points off of a play-and-a-half.

The senior big man netted a free throw, and while his second attempt at the line skidded off the rim, he snatched the miss and went right back up, converting a put-back while being hammered about the head.

A hop and a skip to his step as he celebrated with his twin followed, then a successful free throw and another fist pump.

Auburn is a dangerous team, though, with shooters who can stick the three-ball and slashers who can dance through the paint, and it responded, closing the quarter on a 15-7 surge.

Another quick score, off of a lob over the defense, opened the fourth and pushed Auburn’s lead to double digits for the first time at 54-44, but Coupeville jabbed right back.

Two Anderson free throws, then buckets in the paint from Jack Porter and Hurlee Bronec cut the lead to four and set up an intense final six minutes in which neither team could convert back-to-back baskets.

Auburn’s sweet spot was a three-point lead until those final seconds described above, ending the high school hoops run for seven CHS seniors.

Hurlee Bronec, Roberts, Johnny Porter, Hunter Bronec, Carson Field, Jack Porter, and Zander Pulliam all graduate with the class of 2025.

In the finale, Jack Porter went for a team-high 15 points, with Anderson and Hurlee Bronec each tallying 14.

Hunter Bronec (8), Roberts (7), and Camden Glover (3) rounded out the attack, with Malachi Somes playing aggressive defense.

 

Final season scoring stats:

Chase Anderson – 339
Hurlee Bronec – 251
Jack Porter – 180
Hunter Bronec – 136
Camden Glover – 115
Landon Roberts – 88
Johnny Porter – 34
Malachi Somes – 22
Davin Houston – 3
Carson Field – 2
Easton Green – 2

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Katie Marti knocked down 15 points in her high school finale. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The final day of the season was an unusual one for the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team.

The Wolves tipped off their District 1/2 playoff game with visiting Orcas Island at 1:45 PM Thursday — while most of their classmates were still in school.

Then, CHS senior Lyla Stuurmans, among the most-polite players to ever wear the red and black, was handed her first-ever technical foul by a 102-year-old ref who blurted out “That girl needs to be quiet!!”

Someone needed a nap and probably an early-bird special, and it wasn’t the teenager…

Meanwhile, another ref called for a timeout when the Orcas coach instructed her team to play a “five-out” offense, then ignored the same coach screaming “Timeout! Timeout!” from right behind him.

Oh, and yes, there was a game played, a back-and-forth affair in which Orcas pulled away late to capture a 51-38 victory.

The loss, coming in Coupeville’s fourth playoff clash, leaves the Wolves final record at 10-12, while the Vikings will play Saturday in a winner-to-state, loser-out game.

The two teams split their regular season meetings, and showdown #3 opened as a barnburner.

Playing as the visitor on their own court (as the lower-seeded team) the Wolves closed the first quarter with a 6-0 run to slice the deficit to 13-12.

Coupeville went to the bench riding an emotional high after mad bomber Teagan Calkins splashed home a three-ball right before the buzzer, and the rapidly-filling gym was abuzz.

The game stayed super-close, with Calkins and Haylee Armstrong netting additional treys from behind the arc, and Orcas clinging to a 22-20 lead late in the second quarter.

That was when the Vikings went on a brief, but very-effective 5-0 run sparked by the technical foul call after the ref got upset with how Stuurmans handed him the basketball.

It was a strange call, both because nothing shady seemed to be happening when the official got cranky, and for whom the tech was called on.

Look, there are a couple of Wolves who were born to get feisty with the refs — you know who they are, I know who they are — but the elder Stuurmans sister would have had at least 10,000-1 odds if we were playing “Guess Who Gets a Tech Tonight?”

The only girl in CHS hoops history to play five varsity seasons, Lyla will be remembered for being one of the most serene athletes I have ever covered, and this goes down as one of the most indefensible calls I have witnessed.

Coupeville kept its composure, however, pulling back to within 27-22 at the half, and staying within 34-29 with a few ticks left on the clock in the third.

But give Orcas credit.

The Vikings are a solid squad, and they made their move late, scoring the final bucket of the third, before opening the fourth with a 9-2 surge.

That stretched the deficit to 45-31, largest of the afternoon, and proved to be insurmountable for the always-scrappy Wolves.

CHS scored its final seven points of the season at the free throw line, crashing hard to the hoop, drawing fouls, and trying to stop the clock from running out.

It wasn’t to be, however, as the Vikings held on and brought an end to the high school hoops careers of Wolf seniors Jada Heaton, Madison McMillan, Lyla Stuurmans, Katie Marti, and Mia Farris.

Wolf seniors (l to r) Lyla Stuurmans, Madison McMillan, Mia Farris, Jada Heaton, and Marti.

Marti went out scrapping to the end, racking up a team-high 15 points.

She exits with 332 points, which puts her #32 on the program’s career scoring chart, which covers 1974-2025.

Calkins, who led the team in scoring as a junior, popped for 10, while Armstrong (7), Farris (3), Tenley Stuurmans (2), and Lyla Stuurmans (1) also scored.

Heaton, McMillan, and Danica Strong also saw floor time in the finale, with future stars Capri Anter, Adeline Maynes, and Sydney Van Dyke cheering from the bench.

 

Final season scoring stats:

Teagan Calkins – 183
Katie Marti – 124
Mia Farris – 112
Haylee Armstrong – 77
Danica Strong – 75
Madison McMillan – 66
Lyla Stuurmans – 65
Tenley Stuurmans – 63
Jada Heaton – 35
Capri Anter – 6

Fab frosh Tenley Stuurmans will be a key returning player next season.

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Camden Glover owns the paint. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

No late game angina this time around.

After pulling out five-point wins twice against Orcas Island this season, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team decided to be much more emphatic Tuesday night.

So, defending their home court in style, the Wolves used a second-half surge to blow open a tense affair, claiming a 57-40 win.

The victory, coming in a loser-out District 1/2 playoff bout, lifts CHS to 9-13 and keeps alive the dream of returning to the state tourney.

Brad Sherman’s squad needs two more wins to get back to the big dance, with the first of those coming Thursday at home against Auburn Adventist Academy.

That game is set to tip at 3:30 PM, after the Wolf girls host Orcas Island at 1:45.

Knock off their private school foes and Coupeville’s boys return to their home floor Saturday to face either La Conner or Mount Vernon Christian with a ticket to state up for grabs.

While they need three wins in five days, the Wolves focused fully on taking the first step without looking too far ahead.

As expected, the third matchup with the Vikings started as a donnybrook, then got intense from there.

The teams traded buckets in the first quarter, with Hunter Bronec knocking down a huge three-ball and Chase Anderson cartwheeling to the hoop for a layup to stake CHS to an 11-10 lead at the break.

The second quarter opened with a bang, as Malachi Somes went coast-to-coast, dropping his shoulder and staggering his defender as he slapped home a crowd-pleasing bucket.

Malachi Somes comes delivering presents. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Neither team could pull away, exchanging one-point leads, until the Battlin’ Bronec Brothers delivered a little razzle and some dazzle to cap the half.

Hurlee Bronec netted a free throw to forge an 18-18 tie, before twin terror Hunter Bronec buried another three-ball right before the halftime buzzer.

Up 21-18 coming out of halftime, the Wolves pushed the lead to 27-22, then hit their one and only dry spell of the second half.

Orcas crashed hard to the hoop on back-to-back plays, drawing fouls and converting buckets, and a 9-2 surge gave the visitors their last lead of the night.

While the Vikings might have felt some positive vibes in the air with a 31-29 advantage, all that vanished as Coupeville took control.

Hurlee Bronec twirled through the paint for a pair of pretty buckets, packaged around a sweet three-ball from the left side by Camden Glover, and things had changed.

Coupeville closed the third on a 10-0 sprint, staking itself to a 39-31 lead, and didn’t let up as the fourth frame began.

Glover and Hurlee Bronec both pulled off three-point plays the hard way, slicing up the defense to score, followed by converting a free throw, and Orcas ran out of answers.

The Vikings began to clang shot after shot, with the Wolves dominating on the boards, and once Jack Porter flipped home a reverse layup while floating through the air, the game was decided.

Tomorrow’s stars make some noise today. (Deb Sherman photo)

“I believe we will win,” bellowed the next generation of Wolf hoops stars, as they kept the noise and the funk going in the stands, and down on the court their elders backed up their boasts.

Coupeville closed the playoff win with a final 8-3 surge, with six of those points coming at the foul line as the Vikings tried to slow down the crawl of time.

Ultimately it didn’t work, which is why Orcas will start thinking about spring sports Wednesday, while the Wolves will prep for another playoff clash.

Landon Roberts may get knocked down, but he always gets back up. (Coupeville Yearbook Staff photo)

All seven CHS players who hit the floor Tuesday scored, with three netting double-digits.

Hunter Bronec popped for a team-high 15, while Hurlee Bronec banked in 13 and Glover knocked down 10.

Anderson (9), Porter (4), Landon Roberts (4), and Somes (2) rounded out the scoring, with Anderson moving from #40 to #39 on the CHS boys’ career scoring chart, which covers 1917-2025.

The Wolf junior sits with 585 points heading into the matchup with Auburn Adventist Academy, having passed ’50s legend Pat Clark (583) Tuesday night.

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Current Wolves Haylee Armstrong and Capri Anter keep alive the memory of their late cousin, Adam Garcia. (Photo courtesy Michelle Armstrong)

Big time players make big time shots.

With the game on the line Tuesday, and the season hanging in the balance, Mia Farris and Haylee Armstrong proved that true.

The steady senior splashed home a game-tying three-ball under extreme pressure, while the scrappy sophomore knocked down the game-winning bucket in the final, frantic seconds, sending the Coupeville High School gym into a mad celebration.

Overcoming an extremely rough early performance, the crunch-time heroics capped a stunning late-game rally, lifting the Wolves to a 28-26 victory over visiting Friday Harbor in a loser-out District 1/2 playoff rumble.

Down 12 in the second half in a game in which its only lead of the night came on Armstrong’s bucket, the win lifts Coupeville to 10-11 on the season.

It also propels the Wolves into another loser-out game Thursday, when they will host Orcas Island in a game slated to tip off at 1:45 PM.

Win that one and Megan Richter’s squad gets a fifth and final Bi-District game Saturday (also at home), with a ticket to state up for grabs.

Tuesday’s tussle, the third meeting with Friday Harbor this season, threatened to slip away from the Wolves.

Other than two early ties, at 2-2 and 4-4, Coupeville was ice cold from the field.

There was a seven-minute stretch that started in the first quarter and ended in the latter stages of the second frame in which nothing would drop for the Wolves.

Free throws skimmed out, a startling number of field goal attempts missed the rim entirely, and the offensive flow was stagnant.

Farris finally got a jumper to drop at the 3:18 mark of the second, but then CHS went another two minutes-plus before Tenley Stuurmans ended the first-half scoring with a three-point play the hard way.

Trailing 18-9 at the half, Coupeville’s only saving grace was its defense, keyed by Teagan Calkins crashing the boards hard to pull down some of her game-high 16 rebounds.

Teagan Calkins gets dynamic in the paint. (Jackie Saia photo)

The deficit reached its zenith at 21-9 early in the third, and then, against all odds, the comeback began.

A quick 6-0 run, sparked by Danica Strong rumbling in the paint, Katie Marti going coast-to-coast, and team sparkplug Jada Heaton forcing a steal in the backcourt and turning it into a bucket, greatly helped.

Then, after Friday Harbor briefly rallied, Calkins launched an elegant three-ball from the right side, splashing it home to cut the lead to 24-18 heading into the fourth.

The final frame was a study in contrasts.

Friday Harbor, which had led all game, suddenly looked tense, and the ramped-up Wolf defense created a steady string of turnovers.

Hanging on for dear life, the visitors flinched, and flinched hard, in the final moments, committing a crucial turnover late and failing to convert on a pair of key free throws.

That left an opening for Coupeville, and the Wolves pounced.

A breakaway bucket from Farris and two charity shots by Marti made things interesting, with a Tenley Stuurmans free throw slicing the deficit to 26-23.

Nerves were on edge, every fight for a rebound was crucial, with Calkins and Madison McMillan standing tall, and Farris?

Well, they do call her “Mia the Magnificent” for a reason.

Mia Farris doesn’t miss. (Bailey Thule photo)

Taking a kick-out off of an offensive rebound, she drilled nothing but net on her three-ball, tying the game and pushing her to #50 all-time on the CHS girls’ basketball career scoring list.

But the Wolf magic wasn’t done just yet.

Tuesday was a day of celebration, but also of loss, a mix of bittersweet memories, for CHS teammates Capri Anter and Haylee Armstrong and their extended family.

The girl’s older cousin, former Wolf football player Adam Garcia, was murdered in Oak Harbor in 2014 and Tuesday would have been his 32nd birthday.

There are a lot of ways the clash with Friday Harbor could have ended.

That it finished with Armstrong flashing in from the left side of the floor, taking a pass from Calkins and banking in a game winner, the ball hesitating for a second before dropping through the net, is what feels right.

Tipped by an angel.

And then Friday Harbor’s final, futile push up court ended as suddenly as it began, the ball knocked free and snatched up by Calkins, with “The Red Dragon” hugging the orb to her chest as everything and everyone went bonkers around her.

While Coupeville’s scoring was limited, the points were divvied up, with eight of nine players to hit the floor keeping scorekeeper Christi Messner busy.

Farris topped the Wolves with seven points and now has 245 for her varsity career.

She’s the third active player to crack the all-time top 50, along with fellow seniors Marti (#37 with 317 points) and Lyla Stuurmans (#45 with 256 points).

Tenley Stuurmans (5), Calkins (4), Marti (4), Armstrong (2), Strong (2), Heaton (2), and Lyla Stuurmans (2) also scored Tuesday, with McMillan providing a spark on defense.

Jada Heaton, always hustling, always doing all the important little things. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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