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Hoops finale a thriller

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Auburn Adventist Academy, Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Jack Porter, playoffs on February 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

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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Wolf girls reach the end of the hardwood road

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged CHS Wolves, girls basketball, Katie Marti, Orcas Island, playoffs on February 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

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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Wolves chomp, Vikings retreat

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, Chase Anderson, CHS Wolves, Orcas Island, playoffs on February 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

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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Wild comeback, memorable win

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged Adam Garcia, bi-districts, CHS Wolves, Friday Harbor, girls basketball, Haylee Armstrong, playoffs on February 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

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.