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Posts Tagged ‘Concrete’

Sweet spiker swan song for “The Red Dragon”

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Teagan Calkins shares a moment with the parental units. (Julie Wheat photo)

“I always loved volleyball, even before it was offered to me as a sport.”

Teagan Calkins, the lone senior on this year’s Coupeville High School varsity spiker crew, offered her family, coaches, and teammates some heartfelt words Thursday night before her final home match.

Then, backed by giddy fans waving large photos of her head attached to sticks, “The Red Dragon” did what she does best.

Go out and thump on people.

Delivering 13 kills, including a couple which peeled the paint off the gym floor, Calkins sparked her young teammates to a 25-23, 25-14, 25-13 victory over visiting Concrete, keeping Coupeville’s playoff hopes alive.

With the win, the Wolves — rebuilding after graduation gutted the roster from a squad which finished 4th at state last season — get to 2-7 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 4-8-1 overall.

CHS closes conference play with a trip to Orcas Island Oct. 28, and would currently nab the fourth, and final, berth from the NWL to the 2B district tourney.

Perhaps experiencing some Senior Night hangover, the Wolves started slowly Thursday, falling behind 5-0, and not getting back even until 21-21.

From there, Coupeville claimed its first lead at 22-21, fell back behind at 23-22, then closed with three straight points thanks to some big-time hitting.

Haylee Armstrong floated in from the left side to nail a tip winner, before Calkins erupted for back-to-back floor burner spikes to make sure Concrete knew what pain was still to come.

Even down 20-12 at one point in the opening frame, the Wolves remained in a good mood, with Armstrong kicking off a game of duck-duck-goose during a stoppage in play.

Of course, having Adeline Maynes torch Concrete from the service line, ringing up seven straight points as CHS charged back into contention, didn’t hurt, either.

Adeline Maynes is ready to fill up the stat sheet. (Marquette Cunningham photo)

Once the first set was in hand, the Wolves began to really roll.

Two Concrete players ran into each other while trying to return the first serve from Tenley Stuurmans in set #2, and it went downhill fast from there for the Lions.

Armstrong, Stuurmans, and Calkins took turns whacking winners, often times ripping off a random arm or leg from a rival in the process, and CHS romped out to a 15-4 lead.

The Wolves stretched the advantage to as many as 13 points, and a set which began with two Lions colliding ended with a Concrete server airmailing a ball that nicked Coupeville coach Scout Smith as she stood at the end of the bench.

The final set was closer — for a hot moment at least — but strong service runs from Armstrong and Maynes, and a whole bunch of mighty mashin’ from Calkins kept the Wolves in front from start to finish.

Near the end, Ari Cunningham unleashed a knee-buckling kill off a note-perfect set from Stuurmans, while Dakota Strong and Lexis Drake chipped in with quality support.

Wherever you turn, “The Red Dragon” is watching you. (Julie Wheat photo)

The final words needed to be written by Calkins, though, and she once again answered the call.

The rock-steady young woman who combines three-sport talent with classroom excellence started her prep career playing side-by-side with players older than herself.

Now, she’s the sage veteran, never too high, never too low, always there to pick up her teammates, to sign an autograph with only a slight roll of her eyes, to be consistent and reliable in the same way her coach was back in her own playing days.

Have a young son or daughter who wants to be an athlete, wants to be remembered one day as a Cow Town legend?

Tell them these words: “Be like Teagan.” Can’t go wrong that way.

 

Thursday stats:

Haylee Armstrong — 9 kills, 8 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace
Teagan Calkins — 13 kills, 9 digs
Ari Cunningham —2 kills, 1 dig
Lexis Drake — 2 digs, 1 ace
Adeline Maynes — 14 digs, 1 assist, 5 aces
Dakota Strong — 1 dig
Tenley Stuurmans — 2 kills, 3 digs, 25 assists, 1 ace

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Cassandra Powers and Co. crack Concrete

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on October 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Cassandra Powers (10) launched seven service aces in a wild win. (Marquette Cunningham photo)

Concrete had no answer for Cassandra Powers.

The Coupeville High School freshman came up huge in crunch time Thursday, ripping off a run of eight straight points on her serve in the deciding set, sparking the Wolf JV volleyball squad to a come-from-behind three-set victory.

The win lifts Tianna Carlson’s team to 6-2 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 8-3 overall.

But it didn’t come easy.

After Coupeville romped to a 25-15 win in set #1, the visiting Lions rallied to take the next frame 25-21, then snatched a 5-2 lead in set #3.

Shortly after that, however, Powers, firing off bombs and taking names, proved to be the difference as CHS pulled even, then pulled away, clinching things at 15-10.

Coupeville’s first three servers in the final set only combined to win a single point, but a kill from Willow Leedy-Bonifas and a couple of Concrete errors got the Wolves to within 6-5.

Powers opened her final run at the service stripe with a particularly nasty ace — one of seven she had in the match — and by the time she was done, CHS was back in front 13-6 and the mood in the gym had brightened considerably.

Concrete still fought off three match points before surrendering, but the damage had been done.

The Wolves had opened the match by falling behind 8-2, before closing the first set with a torrid 23-7 tear.

Kicking that run off?

Powers and Kennedy O’Neill, who each had solid service runs, and Chelsi Stevens, who scored off of a tricky lil’ flip.

Chelsi Stevens catches some air in an earlier match. (Julie Wheat photo)

Once they started to roll, the Wolf JV looked much sharper, with Isa Mc Fetridge and (surprise, surprise) Powers dominating on their serve.

The second set was all Coupeville, until it wasn’t.

The Wolves led from 2-1 all the way until 20-19, then hit a sudden dry spell at just the wrong time, allowing Concrete to steal the set.

O’Neill delivered an emphatic spike winner, with Olivia Martin converting a tip for a point, pushing the ball between defenders, but Coupeville would have to wait until the third set to deliver the knockout punch.

Good thing the Wolves were powered by Powers.

 

Thursday stats:

Willow Leedy-Bonifas — 2 kills, 5 digs, 7 assists, 1 ace
Olivia Martin — 1 dig, 1 assist
Isa Mc Fetridge — 1 kill, 5 digs
Kennedy O’Neill — 5 kills, 6 digs, 2 assists, 3 aces
Cassandra Powers — 1 dig, 7 aces
Chelsi Stevens — 1 kill, 6 digs
Sydney Van Dyke — 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 ace

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Hot bats, sweet wins

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , , on April 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Capri Anter (left) and Haylee Armstrong hit back-to-back home runs Tuesday as Coupeville scored 47 runs in a doubleheader sweep. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

Pay the woman.

Coupeville High School sophomore softball slugger Capri Anter was promised $100 (and new cleats!) by family members if she hit an out-of-the-park home run.

Boom.

Delivering on her pledge, Anter sent a ball into the upper stratosphere Tuesday, letting it crash down well beyond the fence in left and launching her teammates into a torrid celebration.

Then, before the rival Concrete pitcher could even catch her breath, Anter’s cousin, fellow sophomore sensation Haylee Armstrong, took the very next pitch, smacked it deep, and used her wheels to turn the blast into an inside-the-park home run.

Coming on the heels of earlier taters for Mia Farris (inside the park) and Madison McMillan (way, way outside the park), everything was flying off of Wolf bats.

I said everything.

It was that kind of day for the big, bad Wolves, who got to 8-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 11-1 overall after thrashing the visiting Lions 22-2 and 25-4 in a doubleheader sweep.

How things played out:

 

Game 1:

When did you know in your heart of hearts that this was going to be one long rout?

Probably from the first pitch by Wolf pitcher Adeline Maynes, a fastball which cracked into Teagan Calkins glove while Concrete’s leadoff hitter swung way too late.

The fab frosh whiffed all three hitters she faced in the top of the first, before allowing her defense to help out a bit and settling for nine K’s across five innings.

Coupeville’s offense was ferociously effective, scoring nine runs in the bottom of the opening frame, while giving away two of three outs by having runners leave early.

It was a steady rain of hits and walks — on a perfectly sunny day — punctuated by Farris crashing a three-run tater to deep right-center.

The Wolves tacked on five more runs in the second, before closing with four-run pops in the third and fourth.

Highlights included Chelsi Stevens getting an RBI the hardest way — being plunked by a wayward pitch with the bases loaded — and triples from Taylor Brotemarkle, McMillan, and Sydney Van Dyke.

Actually, in Brotemarkle’s case, it was multiple triples, as the fleet-footed shortstop swung a sizzlin’ bat and tore around the basepaths like a woman unleashed.

Taylor Brotemarkle prepares to destroy pitchers, one swing at a time. (Bailey Thule photo)

 

Game 2:

The lineups were juggled, some between-games snacks were nibbled, and then, déjà vu, the Wolves feasted on Lions pitching.

Playing as the road team in the finale, CHS got triples from Armstrong, Danica Strong, and Farris en route to opening up a quick 8-0 lead, and the rout was on.

With Maynes sitting out game #2, Armstrong got the call in the pitcher’s circle, and threw raw heat, picking up 12 strikeouts in her five innings of work.

Concrete did put together a pair of mini rallies, plating two runners each in the third and fourth, but Coupeville’s bats knew no mercy.

The Wolves were up 17-0 before the Lions got on the board, and an eight-run top of the fifth was the cherry on top.

Madison McMillan goes deep. Again. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

McMillan’s monster mash, a mammoth shot which soared over the fence in left, set the stage, while Strong, Stevens, and Brotemarkle went off for back-to-back-to-back RBI extra-base hits at one point.

And Anter, after walloping her roundtripper?

She actually came back around to hit again in the same inning, as the Wolves worked their way relentlessly through the lineup.

When she did, Anter capped things with a perfectly placed RBI single right back up the middle, pushing Coupeville’s 47th, and final, run of the day across the plate.

 

What’s up next:

The Wolves, whose only loss was a one-run affair with 3A Oak Harbor, get a big test at home Saturday against a traditional powerhouse in their own 2B classification.

Forks enters at just 5-6, riding a four-game losing streak, but the Spartans have plenty of state tourney glory in their recent past (and Ron Bagby’s niece on the roster).

Game times for the non-conference doubleheader are 2:00 and 4:00 PM.

 

Tuesday stats:

Capri Anter — Three singles, one home run
Haylee Armstrong — One triple, one home run, three walks
Taylor Brotemarkle — Two singles, two triples, three walks
Teagan Calkins — One single, one double, one triple, one walk
Emma Cushman — One walk
Mia Farris — Three singles, one triple, one home run
Jada Heaton — Two singles, two walks
Ava Lucero — Two singles, three walks
Olivia Martin — One walk
Adeline Maynes — Two walks
Madison McMillan — Three singles, two triples, one home run, one walk
Allie Powers — One walk
Chelsi Stevens — One single, one double
Danica Strong — One single, two doubles, one triple
Sydney Van Dyke — Two doubles, one triple, two walks

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Hardball heroes riding a hot streak

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , on April 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Leo Rodriguez hauls in a pop fly. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

It’s been like two seasons in one.

A rebuilding Coupeville High School baseball squad struggled in the early going but has found its groove of late.

Sweeping a home doubleheader against Concrete Tuesday, winning 12-1 and 9-1 over the visiting Lions, the Wolves have now won five of their last six.

CHS sits at 5-3 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 5-7 overall, with another home twin bill on the schedule for Saturday afternoon.

That tilt will be against non-conference foe Forks, with games set for 2:00 and 4:00 PM.

Steve Hilborn’s hardball squad had trouble finding a consistent offensive spark while losing its first six games.

Now, the Wolves are living large on the basepaths, racking up 22 hits and 13 walks against Concrete.

How the day played out:

 

Game 1:

Freshman Carson Grove was dealing on the mound, whiffing eight and surrendering just two hits across five innings of work.

Looking to give their young gun some room to rumble, the Wolves pushed runs across in all four innings in which they hit, before the game was mercy-ruled after Concrete went down in the top of the fifth.

Coupeville netted three runs in the bottom half of the first, with Camden Glover launching what would be a blistering performance at the plate.

The junior slugger drilled a two-run single to center field to get things going, then came around to score on a passed ball.

From there, the Wolves added four tallies in the second, two in the third, and three more in the fourth.

Glover, Riley Lawless, and Trent Thule each delivered RBI singles, before CHS mixed things up by garnering three straight runs on RBI groundouts.

With its runners operating with precision, Coupeville forced Concrete to take the sure out at first each time, with Grove, Jesus Madrigal, and Landon Roberts bringing their teammates around to score.

While the offense was poppin’ and the pitching was on point, the defense was superb as well.

Wolf catcher Jayden Little nailed a runner trying to score, pegging the ball to Grove, who applied the tag to the umpire’s liking on one wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am play.

Riley Lawless awaits the throw.

 

Game 2:

While Coupeville steadily pulled away in the opener, the Wolves spent much of the nightcap with a lot less breathing room.

CHS did plate three runners in the top of the first — they were the “road” team for game #2 — with Glover picking up the fifth of his six RBIs on the day.

But from there, the teams played scoreless ball all the way until Concrete scraped out a run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 3-1.

That would be as close as the Lions would get, however, as Wolf hurlers Coop Cooper and Glover combined to strike out 19 batters while throwing a no-hitter.

Coupeville tossed three runs on the board in the sixth to stretch the margin out to 6-1, before adding three more in the seventh to set the final score.

Little and Cooper delivered the big hits during the late run, both cracking run-scoring doubles, while Glover’s bat continued to blaze like it had been crafted by the devil himself.

 

Where the Wolves sit:

With the sweep, Coupeville (5-3) stays just two games back of first-place Mount Vernon (7-1) in the NWL standings, with four conference games left.

The Wolves close the season May 6 and 8 with games against those Hurricanes.

Camden Glover delivered an explosive performance Tuesday afternoon.

 

Tuesday stats:

Coop Cooper — Two singles, two doubles, one walk
Camden Glover — Six singles, one walk
Carson Grove — One single, two walks
Riley Lawless — Two singles, three walks
Jayden Little — One single, one double, two walks
Jesus Madrigal — One walk
Landon Roberts — Four singles, one triple
Trent Thule — One single, three walks
Chris Zenz — One single

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“I continue to be impressed with this team”

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on January 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Haylee Armstrong, dropping daggers and taking names. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They’re deceptive.

Off the court, Adeline Maynes and Haylee Armstrong come across as very kind young women, the sort of people you’d leave your baby or puppy with and feel like the tykes would come home happier than when they left.

But hand the Wolf duo a basketball, fling open the door to the gymnasium, and woe to anyone foolish enough to wander into their path.

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” are possibly the last words you’ll hear before the destruction hits like a hurricane, leaving twisted bodies and psyches in their wake.

Or something like that.

Suffice it to say that Maynes and Armstrong — which sort of sounds like a powerhouse law firm — are the linchpins of the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team.

And once again the dazzling duo went off Tuesday night, this time wreaking havoc on visiting Concrete.

Combining to rattle the rims for 35 points, Coupeville’s twin terrors outscored the Lions by themselves, spurring Scout Smith’s squad to a resounding 62-30 win.

The victory lifts the Wolf JV to 3-2 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 4-5 overall, heading into a road trip Friday to the wilds of Orcas Island.

While Maynes and Armstrong were the tip of the spear, it was a strong team-wide effort all night, with much of Coupeville’s success springing from its work on the defensive end of the floor.

“Our team played a great game, executed our system well, and fought hard,” Smith said. “This team continues to adapt and improve to develop as players and not remain stagnant in their play.”

Maynes “did an excellent job crashing the boards and getting putback points,” while Lexis Drake “did an excellent job defensively.

“She played an integral role in our press, sniping any long range passes the offense tried to make.”

Once they had control of the ball, Smith’s rampaging warriors kept the pressure on Concrete, immediately kicking into gear.

“We pushed the ball up the court, ran the floor well, and attacked the hoop offensively,” Smith said.

“We were tenacious and active on defense both on the ball and in help.”

Coupeville surged to a 13-6 lead after one quarter, then steadily added to the lead quarter after quarter.

Up 22-14 at the half, the Wolves went on a 23-10 romp in the third frame, with Maynes pouring in 11 points.

The fab frosh finished with a season-best 23 points, while Armstrong netted a trio of three-balls on her way to 12 in support.

Capri Anter (8), Ava Lucero (8), Drake (5), Sydney Van Dyke (4), and Marin Winger (2) also scored, with Amelia Crowder, Chelsi Stevens, and Jeann Nitta all seeing floor time in the win.

Smith, who is in her first season at the helm of the Wolf JV, is enjoying watching the growth of her young players.

“Overall, I continue to be impressed with this team and the effort and energy they bring to each game,” she said.

“They continue to pursue excellence day in and day out.”

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