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Posts Tagged ‘CMS Wolves’

Wolves, Falcons wage furious finale

Posted in Boys Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on December 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Kenneth Jacobsen soars for a tip earlier this season. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Levi Dixon is a monster on the hardwood, and his family needs to move to Coupeville.

That’s my takeaway from Wednesday’s middle school boys’ basketball finale, which brought strong South Whidbey squads to the middle of the island.

Fueled by a talented group of 8th graders, the Falcons swept all three games from the hometown Wolves, though one game went down to the wire and the showcase bout was tied at halftime.

How the day played out:

 

Level 1:

Playing without key injured starter Riley Lawless, Coupeville matched South Whidbey for 14 minutes, before young Mr. Dixon went nuclear on the place.

Knocking down 20 of his game-high 28 after halftime, Elijah Dixon’s younger brother helped the Falcons break a 16-16 tie and run away with a 52-32 win.

Seemingly hitting every shot he put up, Levi Dixon netted 14 baskets while accounting for more than half of his team’s points.

Back in the lineup after missing several games with illness, Coupeville 8th grader Jayden McManus went off for a team-best 14 points, while four other Wolves scored.

Mahkai Myles and Davin Houston tallied six apiece, with Chayse Van Velkinburgh rattling the rim for four and Carson Grove adding a bucket.

Sage Arends, Joshua Stockdale, and Nic Laska rounded out Coupeville’s roster on the afternoon.

 

Level 2:

Another game, another Falcon sniper named Levi.

This time around it was Levi Batchelor, whose older siblings Brent and Morgan have starred for many a Falcon squad, and he banked in six points to help South Whidbey pull away for a 36-8 win.

The game was just 2-0 in favor of South Whidbey at the first break, but 11-4, 12-2, and 11-2 runs across the final three quarters sealed the deal for the Falcons.

Liam Lawson sank a pair of jumpers to lead Coupeville with four points, while Roger Merino-Martinez and Charles Hart each added a bucket.

Hunter Atteberry, Cyrus Sparacio, Dylan Robinett, Jacob Barajas, Brantley Campbell, Khanor Jump, and Nathan Niewald all saw floor time for the young ‘n scrappy Wolves.

 

Level 3:

No Levi’s this time, just Drew Staats puttin’ up stats.

The South Whidbey 8th grader torched the nets for 16, as the Falcons rallied late to pull out a 26-21 nailbiter.

Coupeville led 5-4 after one quarter, struggled a bit in the second, then used a 13-6 tear in the third to carry a 19-18 lead into the final frame.

While the Wolves weren’t able to nab the victory, they did spread their offense between four players, with Merino-Martinez throwing down 11 of his team-high 12 points in the third quarter.

Campbell (4), Sparacio (3), and Kenneth Jacobsen (2) also scored in the finale, with Zach Blitch, Jacob Meador, and Dillin Kastner bringing defensive heat.

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Blood ‘n buckets on the prairie

Posted in Boys Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on December 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

CMS 8th grader Davin Houston played strongly Monday against Sultan. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Blood was shed and buckets were scored — though not always on the correct basket.

The next-to-last set of games for Coupeville Middle School boys’ basketball this season played out to their own funky rhythm Monday afternoon.

How things went down:

 

Level 1:

It was carnage on the hardwood.

Coupeville opened without leading scorer and rebounder Jayden McManus, who is battling illness.

Then, the Wolves took two more nasty hits, as inside enforcer Riley Lawless went down with a “severely sprained ankle” and point guard Chayse Van Velkinburgh got his lip split open by a wayward elbow.

While the remaining Wolves fought aggressively all game, they fell behind early to visiting Sultan and were never able to recover, losing 48-19.

The Turks set the tone of the game in the first quarter, sprinting out to a 21-5 lead while KO’ing Lawless and Van Velkinburgh.

From there Sultan pushed its advantage to 36-11 at the half, though Coupeville held up well during a low-scoring second half.

Wolf coach Jon Roberts praised the play of Davin Houston and Mahkai Myles, who carried the scoring load with eight and six points, respectively.

“Mahkai probably had his best game shooting,” Roberts said.

Lawless knocked down three points before he was knocked out, while Nic Laska banked in a bucket to round out Coupeville’s offensive attack.

Carson Grove, Sage Arends, and Joshua Stockdale also saw floor time for the Wolves.

 

Team 2:

The opening act in the Roger Merino-Martinez Experience, as the Wolf gunner rattled home all of Coupeville’s points in a 49-9 loss.

The speed demon scored every which way, rippling the net on a three-ball and also hitting both of his free throw attempts.

“Roger the Rocket scored on several steals or nice runners up the left side,” Roberts said.

“He surely missed enough buckets to have had another 12 points. We will work on those pesky layups tomorrow.”

Nathan Niewald, Cyrus Sparacio, Charles Hart, Dylan Robinett, Jacob Barajas, Brantley Campbell, and Kenneth Jacobsen rounded out a Wolf roster which is young and inexperienced, but feisty and hard-working.

 

Level 3:

Roger the Rocket kept the nets flipping, going off for another 15 points while coming off the bench in a 54-24 loss.

Coupeville rewarded a group of players who “have been giving max effort” with starts, sending Zach Blitch, Kenneth Jacobsen, Khanor Jump, Hunter Atteberry, and Johnathan Jacobsen out for the opening tip.

The Wolves continued to tinker with their lineup, mixing and matching and seeing what worked best.

“We messed with a tall lineup with a fast guard,” Roberts said. “We went with an all 4-foot-5 and under speed crew, and various other lineups to see if we could fluster Sultan.

“We had a good run in the third quarter,” he added. “All players saw the court and participated in one fashion or another.”

Trailing 36-13 at the half, the Wolves controlled the game in frame three, outscoring the Turks 11-8 with a little unexpected help.

Merino-Martinez tickled the twine for nine of his 15 points in the quarter, while Sultan’s #34 scored on the wrong basket, putting a rebound back up and in while probably wondering why none of the Wolves were trying to stop him.

Among guys actually wearing CMS uniforms, Sparacio rattled the rim for four points, while Campbell netted a three-ball.

 

One more rumble:

The Wolves close their season Wednesday with a rematch against South Whidbey, this time playing in Coupeville.

Tipoff is 3:15 PM.

After that, the CMS girls are next up, kicking off their season in January.

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Once more unto the bus

Posted in Boys Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on December 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Wyatt Fitch-Marron scored six points Wednesday. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

No more road trips.

Wednesday’s trek to Everett to face Northshore Christian Academy was the final time this season the Coupeville Middle School boys’ basketball squad will bounce across the backroads of America.

After this the Wolves cap the 2022 season with a pair of home rumbles, welcoming Sultan to The Rock Monday, Dec. 12, before hosting South Whidbey two days later.

Those games will put a bow on a season of learning and improvement, as CMS coaches Craig Anderson, Jon Roberts, and Jaylen Nitta continue to finetune the collective skillsets of their assembled players.

How the final off-Island excursion went:

 

Level 1:

Northshore played a “staggering press” and drove the Wolf ballhandlers bonkers in a lopsided 45-8 win.

The hosts went up 34-0 at the half, as Coupeville struggled to adapt while missing leading scorer Jayden McManus, who was out sick.

“Missing Jayden again is a true bummer,” Roberts said. “He is a KEY competitor on our team.

“His inside presence on defense keeps the other team off. On offense his inside game opens up our outside game. Alas that didn’t happen.”

Roberts was pleased, however, with how his team responded in the second half.

Instead of hanging their heads and accepting the loss, the Wolves manned up and fought Northshore virtually even across the third and fourth quarters.

“What I did see was a team after halftime that used the anger of being nearly beat to pulp to find a lower gear and the result was far better defensive play,” Roberts said.

“Steal attempts, riding players hard to the bucket and picking up fouls. Getting rebounds and going HARD back to the bucket.

“Coaches emphasized grit, toughness in practice on Tuesday. We saw some of this today.”

Riley Lawless paced CMS with four points, while Davin Houston and Chayse Van Velkinburgh each popped for a bucket.

Carson Grove, Sage Arends, Mahkai Myles, Joshua Stockdale, and Nic Laska helped round out the Wolf roster.

 

Level 2:

Northshore is the only Cascade League school not to field three teams, so Coupeville combined players from its second and third squads in a 47-14 loss.

Wyatt Fitch-Marron had the hot hand for the Wolves, rattling the rims for a team-high six points, while Roger Merino-Martinez (4), Jacob Barajas (2), and Liam Lawson (2) also scored.

Lawson had the shot of the afternoon, as Katie Smith’s nephew knocked down a long jumper where he was mere inches away from getting credit for a three-ball.

Hunter Atteberry, Nathan Niewald, Brantley Campbell, Charles Hart, Zach Blitch, Dylan Robinett, Kenneth Jacobsen, and Khanor Jump also saw floor time for CMS.

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Long trip, wild day

Posted in Boys Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on December 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Liam Lawson and his CMS basketball teammates had an eventful trip to Granite Falls. (Kassie O’Neil photo)

Strange things happen on the road.

Monday’s trip to the wilds of Granite Falls offered a bit of everything for the Coupeville Middle School boys basketball teams.

Up to, and including, a freakin’ TIE, which should be illegal on the hardwood.

This isn’t soccer, and Cascade League rules makers need to pull their heads out of their collective tushes, but more on that later in this story.

How the day played out for the Wolves:

 

Level 1:

Coupeville scored big early, then lost its shooting touch and fell 37-34 in a thriller which came down to the final moments.

Jayden McManus was rock-solid for the Wolves, banging away for a game-high 16 points, with half of that coming during the opening quarter.

Speedy point guard Chayse Van Velkinburgh added seven for CMS, including rippling the net on a three-ball from the parking lot, while Riley Lawless (5), Davin Houston (4), and Dylan Robinett (2) also scored.

Joshua Stockdale, Mahkai Myles, and Carson Grove also saw floor time for the Wolves, with Myles making his season debut.

 

Level 2:

Things start to go wonky here.

Unable to overcome a withering press, Coupeville put up some points but couldn’t keep up with Granite in a 39-17 loss.

Who scored for the Wolves?

We’ll probably never know, as the scorebook remains a work of mystery, with no scoring totals recorded for the game.

Which means every player in the game can go home and tell their parents they shot the lights out, and mom and pops can only nod as they slowly back out of the room.

“Sure honey, whatever you say.”

Anyways, we do know Hunter Atteberry, Liam Lawson, Nathan Niewald, Roger Merino-Martinez, Cyrus Sparacio, Charles Hart, Robinett, Kenneth Jacobsen, Jacob Barajas, and Sage Arends were listed on the roster.

So, that’s a start.

 

Level 3:

“The shocker of the night!”

CMS coach Jon Roberts had to sit down and collect his thoughts after Roger Merino-Martinez, in his second game of the season, decided to morph into Damian Lillard.

Raining down shots from every part of the gym, the Wolf 7th grader scorched the nets for 21 points in a 27-27 tie.

“Whether he was stealing the ball and making a layup or taking a confident 12-footer, Roger was the man!” Roberts said.

“Plus, Cyrus did a good job of feeding him and creating shots himself.”

Sparacio chipped in with four points, while Kenneth Jacobsen knocked down a bucket.

Zach Blitch, Jacob Meadors, Johnathan Jacobsen, Barajas, and Khanor Jump also saw floor time for the Wolves, who, against all conventional wisdom, never got to play overtime.

That’s because Cascade League rules allow extra periods only for Level 1 basketball games and say any ties in Level 2 and 3 games should be decided with a rousing moment of rock, paper, scissors.

Seriously. I’m not making that part up.

No, seriously…

Somewhere, retired NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo is shaking his finger at the camera, saying “No, no, no!!!” the way he used to do after blocking a shot and ripping his foe’s very soul from their chest.

 

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Scrappy Wolves clash with private school power

Posted in Boys Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on December 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Riley Lawless powers through the paint. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

No fear.

King’s has supreme name value in the basketball world, but the Coupeville Middle School boys didn’t back down at all Thursday afternoon.

While the Wolves lost all three games on their home court, they hung tough in two of the bouts, and had flashes of strong play in the other.

How the day played out:

 

Level 1:

Coupeville fought King’s virtually even in the second half, but a couple of first-half breakdowns ultimately doomed the Wolves in a 48-29 loss.

CMS came out with a nice intensity, jumping to a 5-2 lead after a three-point play the hard way from Jayden McManus and a basket in the paint off the fingertips of Riley Lawless.

The Knights responded by employing a full-court press, and flustered the Wolves a bit, however.

With most of its buckets coming on plays in which it was out and running, converting turnovers into breakaways, King’s closed the first quarter on a 13-2 run.

Coupeville responded with a three-ball from Carson Grove to open the second frame, cutting its deficit back to 15-10.

Then, the baskets dried up for a bit, as the Wolves failed to hit another field goal over the final six minutes-plus of the half.

A pair of free throws in the waning moments — one each from Nic Laska and Lawless — broke the cold spell, but CMS found itself down 28-12 at the break.

King’s stretched its lead to 35-14 midway through the third quarter, before the Wolves responded with an 11-0 surge of their own.

Chayse Van Velkinburgh hit a sweet runner in the paint, lobbing the ball high up and over a defender’s outstretched arms, then McManus knocked down three straight buckets to end the third quarter.

One came on a smooth move in the paint, another off of a steal, and the third on an offensive rebound put back up and in under extreme pressure.

Toss in a three-ball from Van Velkinburgh to open the final frame, and things were getting considerably more interesting for Wolf fans.

It wasn’t to be, though, as the Knights proved to be strong closers, capping things with a 13-4 rally which included a trio of three-balls and a couple of put-backs off of rebounds.

While King’s played platoon ball — subbing in a fresh five players at a time — Coupeville got by with just seven warriors, with its starters playing most of the minutes.

McManus, back on the floor after missing a game with illness, paced the Wolves with 13 points, while Lawless (7), Van Velkinburgh (5), Grove (3), and Laska (1) also scored.

Joshua Stockdale gave CMS a burst of energy off the bench, with Davin Houston hitting the boards with savage intensity.

 

Level 2:

The roughest game of the day for the Wolves, as they absorbed a 46-8 loss.

King’s threw down the first 28 points of the contest, before Nathan Niewald broke free for an end-to-end run which resulted in a crowd-pleasing layup.

Coupeville’s remaining points came courtesy of three-balls from sharpshooters Roger Merino-Martinez and Liam Lawson.

Making his season debut, Merino-Martinez was a fireball on both ends of the floor, also picking up a blocked shot on a play in which he chased down a rival shooter who thought he was free to rumble.

Spoiler: he was not.

Dylan Robinett, Hunter Atteberry, Cyrus Sparacio, Jacob Barajas, Kenneth Jacobsen, and Charles Hart rounded out the rotation for the Wolves, who fought hard and remained scrappy until the final buzzer.

 

Level 3:

Take away the first quarter, and this was a brawl.

The visitors used a 10-1 surge in the opening frame, then hung on for a 31-15 victory in a game that got more competitive the further it went.

Coupeville put together its best seven-minute stretch in the third quarter, with Sparacio and Merino-Martinez splashing three-balls on back-to-back trips down the floor.

The Wolves spread out their offense between four players, with Merino-Martinez rattling the rims for five points, while Johnathan Jacobsen (4), Barajas (3), and Sparacio (3) flipped the net.

Khanor Jump, Zach Blitch, Atteberry, Dillin Kastner, Kenneth Jacobsen, and Jacob Meadors also saw floor time for Coupeville, which plays its next two games on the road.

CMS heads to Granite Falls Dec. 5, then visits Northshore Christian Dec. 7.

Zach Blitch keeps a watchful eye on his man in a recent game.

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