Jake Mitten refuels. (Olivia Kelley photo)
They’re getting hot at the right time.
Riding a late-season hot streak, the Coupeville 6th grade boys’ SWISH basketball squad nipped Ferndale 37-33 Saturday to seize control of their own playoff destiny.
With one game left in the regular season — Saturday, Feb. 28 against Burlington-Edison — the Wolves sit at 4-3.
Win their finale and they get a playoff opener against Friday Harbor, a team currently on a four-game losing skid.
Facing off with a tough Ferndale team, Coupeville fought valiantly through a game that saw seven lead changes.
The final switch came when the Wolves went on a 6-0 tear to go in front 20-17. After that, they never relinquished the lead again.
Jake Mitten was a beast, dropping 17 points, snatching 12 rebounds, making off with two steals and rejecting a pair of shots, despite being tied to the bench for a third of the game with foul trouble.
Matthew Kelley (11 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals), Sage Downes (six points, four steals), Daniel Olson (three points, three assists and two steals) filled up the stat sheet in support.
While they didn’t score, Dakota Eck, Alex Jimenez and Erik Webster “were animals on defense and controlled the paint down low,” said coach Pat Kelley.
Logan Downes, playing against guys three grades older than he is, “was instrumental in the final two minutes of press defense, preventing Ferndale from scoring or controlling the ball.”
Michael Laska and Raimee Anderson chipped in with stellar ‘d,’ helping to lead the attack on the ball at mid court, forcing several turnovers.
With one game to play, nine of the ten players on the roster have scored, led by Kelley (65 points), Sage Downes (63), Mitten (48), and Olson (44).
The Wolves have combined for 238 points (34 a game) and 175 rebounds.
Kelley has 78 rebounds and 27 steals, followed by Mitten (64, 18), Sage Downes (29, 27) and Olson (24, 14).
Coupeville Sports 