Coupeville’s seniors are ready for a final run. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Sometimes you run head-first into a hardwood killer and can’t do all that much about it.
That was the reality for the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad Monday, as it fell 53-34 to visiting Mount Baker in the season opener.
The Wolves were scrappy, the Wolves were animated, the Wolves were committed.
But the Wolves didn’t have 6-foot-2 sophomore Rebeca Soares anchoring its lineup, and Coupeville could do little to contain a young woman who played for Brazil in the 2023 edition of the FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship.
Back in the USA, the latest link in a remarkable family tree of basketball excellence lived up to her predecessors.
And those predecessors include older sisters Stephanie and Jessica, who led Mount Baker to a state hoops title in 2017 — upsetting undefeated Cashmere and Hailey Van Lith.
As well as mom Susan, who pumped in 27 points a game across two trips to state in the mid-’80s, and Grandpa Art, who played center on a state-title winning team at Baker back in 1958.
Coupeville, which suits up no one taller than 5-foot-10, hung tough with the rampaging Soares and company for a while, though.
Teagan Calkins dropped a free throw through the net to account for the Wolves first point of the season, while Katie Marti drilled the bottom of the net out on a three-ball to end the first quarter.
Down 16-9 heading into the second quarter, the Wolves got a sweet bucket from Calkins, who came up from beneath the rim, twisting through the defense to get her shot off.
And then Baker got brutal, ripping off 14 straight points and 20 of the next 24 to push its lead out to 36-15 at the half.
Coupeville had its moments in the second half but couldn’t get the deficit back into single digits.
The Wolves opened the third on an 8-2 run, with Calkins and Lyla Stuurmans nailing treys, but the Mountaineers responded by scoring the next 11 points to seal the deal.
With Soares sitting much of the fourth quarter, the Wolves had some room to rumble and outscored their rivals 11-4 to end the game on a positive note.
CHS junior Danica Strong, making her debut for the school where mom Danette Beckley pumped in 249 points back in the day, snagged her first buckets while wearing red and black.
A three-ball from the top allowed her to become the 248th CHS girl to score in a varsity game across the past 51 seasons, and she immediately followed with a pretty turnaround jumper in the paint on the very next play.
There were actually two new additions to the all-time scoring chart, as freshman Tenley Stuurmans tickled the twine on a free throw late to join big sis Lyla in the pantheon.
Calkins paced the Wolves with a team-high 13 points, while Marti (8), Strong (5), Mia Farris (4), Lyla Stuurmans (3), and Tenley Stuurmans (1) rounded out the offensive show.
Madison McMillan, Haylee Armstrong, and Jada Heaton also saw floor time for Megan Richter’s squad, which has two games coming up this weekend.
The Wolves travel to South Whidbey Friday, Dec. 6, then host Clallam Bay the next day.
