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Posts Tagged ‘CMS Wolves’

Wily Wolves tangle with testy Turks

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Finley Helm, a killer on the taekwondo mat and the hardwood. (Photos courtesy Jerry Helm)

It was a quick turnaround.

Less than 24 hours after hosting Granite Falls, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball teams hit the road Thursday for a trek to the wilds of Sultan.

While there, the Wolves played a full slate of three games against the Turks, with Team #3 continuing to set a torrid pace.

How the day went:

 

Team #1:

Sultan’s top squad, always a heavy hitter in the Cascade League, got out to a big lead early and rolled to a 38-12 win.

The Wolves struggled on offense in the first half, being blanked in the opening frame and facing a 23-2 deficit at the break.

But things improved quite a bit after that, with CMS coming out on top 6-5 in the third, and fighting hard until the end.

Cameron Van Dyke paced the Wolves with a team-high four points, while Emma Cushman, Kaleigh Millison, KeeAyra Brown, and Kennedy O’Neill each banked in a bucket in support.

Sophia Batterman, Laurel Crowder, Annaliese Powers, Finley Helm, Allie Powers, and Elizabeth Marshall round out the Coupeville roster.

The Wolves have claimed the ferry as their own.

 

Team #2:

Toss out the third quarter and this was a three-point game.

But a 13-2 Sultan run during the first frame after halftime stung, and the Wolves fell 32-18.

Up until that point, the Turks clung to just an 8-4 lead after one quarter of play, and a 12-10 advantage at the break.

Millison was top girl for the Wolves, rattling the rims for six points, with Helm banking in four.

Hazel Goldman, Emma Green, Selah Rivera, and Aubrey Flowers all added a bucket to the cause, with Cassie Powers, Laurel Crowder, Annaliese Powers, Sabrina Judnich, Addison Jacobson, and Claire Lachnit also in the rotation.

 

Team #3:

The squad that can’t be beat.

After sitting out the opener against South Whidbey when the Falcons couldn’t come up with a third squad, Coupeville’s gunners have gone 2-0.

Following up a win against Granite, the young Wolves held on Thursday to claim a 16-13 victory.

“Team 3 is crushing it!” said CMS coach Makana Stone. “Defensive mentality and teamwork on offense is really clicking for Team 3 – some hard workers really stepping up.”

Coupeville built a 6-2 lead through one quarter, then held Sultan scoreless in the second frame en route to heading to the locker room with a 10-2 advantage.

The Turks made things interesting with a 10-4 run in the third, but Coupeville’s defense limited their hosts to just a single free throw in the fourth to nail down the win.

Ava Alford knocked down eight points to lead the way, with Annabelle Cundiff torching the nets for six and Crowder banking in a bucket.

Ruby Folkestad, Sophia Magdolen, Lachnit, Bella Sandlin, Abbey Hunt, Ari Vinson, Cassie Powers, Emily Rains, Sophia Burley, and Reagan Green round out the hottest team in Wolf country.

 

Up next:

Coupeville returns home Feb. 25, when it hosts Northshore Christian Academy.

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CMS hardwood aces have successful home debut

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville 8th graders are ready for prime time. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The stage was all theirs.

With the high school basketball playoffs on hold Wednesday, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ hardwood aces took possession of the floor.

Facing off with visiting Granite Falls, the young Wolves captured a big win and came close to another victory in their home opener.

How things went down:

 

Level 1:

The one game the visitors dominated, as Coupeville hung tough in the first quarter before falling short in a 35-9 loss.

Granite was clinging to just an 8-6 lead at the first break, but busted things open with 8-1 and 14-0 surges across the next two frames.

Kaleigha Millison paced the Wolves with four points, while Finley Helm (2), Allison Powers (2), and Elizabeth Marshall (1) also scored.

Sophia Batterman, Emma Cushman, KeeAyra Brown, and Cameron Van Dyke also saw floor time for CMS in the contest.

 

Level 2:

A tense battle, with Granite pulling out the 26-22 victory with a late run.

Coupeville popped out to a 7-6 lead through one quarter of play and was still on top 13-12 by halftime.

The Wolves trailed just 18-17 heading into the final frame but couldn’t quite hold down the scrappy Tigers at crunch time.

Emma Green had the magic shooting touch, rolling up a team-high nine points for CMS, while Annaliese Powers and Hazel Goldman both chipped in with four.

Laurel Crowder (3) and Addison Jacobson (2) rounded out the offensive attack, with Claire Lachnit, Selah Rivera, Millison, and Sabrina Judnich also in the rotation.

 

Level 3:

After sitting out the road opener at South Whidbey, Coupeville’s #3 squad was ready to flex and did so to the tune of a 42-4 victory.

The Wolves shot out to a quick 10-2 lead, pushed the advantage to 26-4 by the half, then blanked the visitors in the second half.

Nine different Coupeville players scored, with Cassandra Powers and Reagan Green each popping the nets for eight points to spark the offensive outbreak.

Ava Alford (6), Crowder (6), Annabelle Cundiff (6), Emily Rains (2), Sophia Burley (2), Abbey Hunt (2), and Bella Sandlin (2) also etched their names in the scorebook.

Arianna Vinson, Lachnit, Ruby Folkestad, Millie Somes, and Sophia Magdolan saw floor time as well in the huge win.

 

Up next:

The Wolves have an immediate turn around, heading off to the wilds of Sultan Thursday for a rumble with the testy Turks.

After that, CMS is back home Feb. 25 for a clash with Northshore Christian Academy.

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“We’re excited to keep building!”

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Kennedy O’Neill, seen here last season, is a key veteran player for the CMS hoops program. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The building process begins.

While the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball teams lost their opening games at South Whidbey Wednesday, Wolf coaches Brooke Crowder and Makana Stone came away pleased with a lot of what they saw.

“We had some really good hustle and effort – a great baseline for us to work forwards from,” Stone said.

South Whidbey came into the tip-off games with a lot more experience and floor time among their assembled players, and it showed at times. But that is something CMS can improve on.

“We forced our offense on both teams and struggled to stick to our defensive principles,” Stone said. “Of course, some of that can be chalked up to first game jitters, some of it to being a new team finding our footing.

“After the games, the team is ready and eager to dial into upcoming practices!”

Coupeville’s Level 1 team was limited to just six points, with Kaleigha Millison banking in five, while Kennedy O’Neill netted a free throw.

Cameron Van Dyke, Elizabeth Marshall, Aubrey Flowers, Sophia Batterman, Cassandra Powers, Emma Cushman, Zayne Roos, and Allison Powers also saw floor time for the Wolves.

The Level 2 squad made the nets jump at a much better rate, with six different players recording points.

Annaliese Powers knocked down six to pace her squad, with Finley Helm (4), Hazel Goldman (4), Savannah Coxsey (2), Sabrina Judnich (2), and Emma Green (1) keeping the scorekeeper’s pen busy.

Claire Lachnit, Addison Jacobson, Selah Rivera, and KeeAyra Brown rounded out the roster, while Coupeville’s #3 team had the day off as South Whidbey only fields two teams.

After opening on the road, Coupeville is at home for most of the rest of the month.

The Wolves host Sultan (Feb. 17), Granite Falls (Feb. 19), and Northshore Christian Academy (Feb. 25) before heading off-Island again.

As Coupeville goes forward, Crowder and Stone will continue to focus on growth and improvement.

“We will be a hardworking team this season – building a strong team culture, step by step,” Stone said.

“We’re excited to keep building and to fully embrace the way of the WolfPack!”

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CMS spike coach leaves gym

Posted in Middle School, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on January 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Cris Matochi is ready for his close-up. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

This one stings.

Cris Matochi, the dynamic leader of Coupeville Middle School volleyball, has tendered his resignation.

The Brazilian-born coach, who has greatly energized the program since his hire in 2021, will officially depart his post after the school board approves the change at its meeting this coming Thursday, Jan. 30.

Matochi, who is married to CHS volleyball coach Cory Whitmore, lights up the gym with his love of the game and of life.

A high-caliber player in his home country, he balanced coaching at CMS with work as an Environmental Health Specialist for the Island County Health Department.

His pre-Coupeville coaching career included stints at various colleges, and work with high-level volleyball academies and national travel teams.

But while he was likely very over-qualified for his current gig, Matochi never let his past success get in the way of connecting with his current small-town proteges.

He preached love of the game, and a commitment to hard work, while working with fellow coaches such as Raven Vick and Kristina Hooks and got the most out of his players.

Among the most enthusiastic of sideline mentors, he will be greatly missed.

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New CMS hoops coach a Stone-cold winner

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on January 15, 2025| 1 Comment »

Makana Stone drills a jumper while playing pro ball overseas. (Photo property of Erik Berglund)

She’s coming home.

Pending approval from the school board, Wolf hoops legend Makana Stone has been hired as a Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball coach.

The move was announced Wednesday by Athletic Director Brad Sherman.

Stone replaces Bennett Richter, who stepped down to spend more time with his family, and she’ll join Brooke Crowder on the CMS sideline.

Practice for a new season of middle school girls’ basketball kicks off Monday, Jan. 27, with the first game tipping off Feb. 12.

Stone joins other CHS alumni such as Scout Smith, Megan Richter, and Sherman in coaching basketball at her alma mater.

She is the first, however, to make the jump from playing professional basketball to teaching the sport in Cow Town.

After stellar runs on the floor at CHS, Whitman College, and Loughborough University, Stone earned paychecks for putting the ball in the hoop in England, Norway, and the Netherlands.

The former Wolf ace has also worked extensively coaching younger players, both overseas and through clinics in America, with visits to Coupeville included in that work.

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