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Posts Tagged ‘Darrington’

Play until the last cow comes home

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , on April 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville sophomore hurler Landon Roberts, seen with dad/coach Jon and big sis Lindsey, piled up six strikeouts on the mound Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Jon Roberts)

Darkness makes soccer players of us all.

The Coupeville High School JV baseball team rallied late to force a tie with visiting Darrington Tuesday, but then the light fled from the prairie.

Deciding not to play by candlelight, the Wolves and Loggers made peace with a 7-7 stalemate and went their separate ways, knowing they’re scheduled to meet again later this season.

After a pair of rough losses to 3A Oak Harbor, getting the chance to go toe-to-toe, and pitch for pitch, with a school whose student body is much closer to its own, was a bonus for Coupeville.

“A good outing, even if it was a tie!” said Wolf JV coach Jon Roberts. “I was impressed by the young Wolves to play through the adversity of facing five pitchers by Darrington.

“We are learning the game play by play in preparation of fielding new players at the varsity level next year.”

Coupeville countered Darrington’s parade of pitchers with a four-pack of their own hurlers.

Landon Roberts whiffed six of the eight hitters he faced, while Aiden O’Neill, Myca Clarkson (first appearance on the bump), and Johnny Porter combined to pile up another eight strikeouts.

The Wolves built a 2-0 lead, pushed it out to 4-1 through three innings of work, then faced a bit of a Logger comeback.

Darrington pushed three runs across in both the fourth and fifth innings to snatch the advantage at 7-5, before the CHS young guns countered.

Coupeville plated a runner in the bottom of the fifth to slice the deficit back to one, then (barely) beat the darkness to push across the tying run in the sixth.

Slamming the door on the Loggers, Porter retired the final five Darrington hitters in the game, four on strikeouts.

Coupeville’s offense was a mix of patience — 13 walks — and big hits, with Porter, Roberts, Marcelo Gebhard, Aidyn McDermott, and 8th grader Jack Farrell delivering base knocks for the Wolves.

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Young, talented, and addicted to winning

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on April 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville 8th grader Haylee Armstrong made big plays in both the varsity and JV high school softball games Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Michelle Armstrong)

“It was a beautiful day for softball.”

Playing the nightcap in a twin bill Tuesday, the Coupeville High School JV softball team made an impressive debut for coach Katrina McGranahan.

With three 8th graders in the lineup, and another two girls who had never played the sport before this year, the Wolves still knocked off visiting Darrington 8-5.

The game was a three-inning affair, with Coupeville closing out the game in the top of the third behind relief ace Haylee Armstrong, who ended things with a dramatic, bases-loaded strikeout.

Flinging nasty heat, the Wolf 8th grader, who earlier launched a line drive triple in Coupeville’s varsity win, heralded the bright future of CHS softball.

Armstrong and fellow 8th grader Capri Anter combined to stifle the Darrington hitters, while classmate Melanie Wolfe made it three middle schoolers dominating on the diamond before even attending classes on the high school side of campus.

While the Wolf varsity played its 10th game of the season, this was the first chance Coupeville had to play a JV foe.

“We were excited,” McGranahan said. “Many of the players on this team are young both in age and in softball experience, and they all did spectacular.”

Darrington struck for three runs in the top of the first, but Coupeville responded immediately, and with a cold fury.

The Wolves plated five runners in the bottom of the inning, and the only thing which kept the number that low was the five-runs-per-frame rule used in JV games.

All eight hitters to register an at-bat reached base, with freshman Teagan Calkins delivering the biggest blow.

Playing shortstop after working behind the plate in the varsity game, the fab frosh conked a two-run double, while sophomores Mia Farris, Chloe Marzocca, and Jada Heaton all ripped singles.

Armstrong, Anter, and newcomers Bailey Thule and Layla Heo collected walks, while Wolfe had her at-bat end prematurely when a wild pitch brought in Coupeville’s fifth run.

Darrington got two runs in the top of the second to briefly knot things back up at 5-5, but Farris and Heaton snuffed out any hopes of a Logger rally with alert catches on liners.

The Wolves scored what would prove to be the winning run in the bottom of the second, as Armstrong walked, stole second, and whipped around the basepaths to score on a beautifully crafted bunt single by Farris.

Just to make sure, Calkins provided a pair of insurance runs.

Turning around and hitting lefty to increase her danger, she smacked a two-run single into a gap, giving her four RBI’s in just two at-bats.

Darrington tried to make things interesting in the final inning, loading the bases thanks to a couple of walks and a rocket shot to third.

Anter almost pulled off an amazing snag on that wicked liner, which came in hot and ready to knock out some teeth.

The Wolves escaped unscathed, however, with Calkins, back behind the plate, grabbing a wild pitch as it bounced off the back stop and whirling to tag the incoming Logger runner, who instantly regretted her choices in life.

That set up Armstrong, striding around the pitcher’s circle, slapping the ball deep into her glove, then whipping the high, hard cheese past flailing hitters.

“I was really happy with Haylee’s pitching!” said McGranahan, who, once upon a time was Coupeville’s ace pitcher across four stellar seasons.

“I haven’t seen her pitch before and I was pleasantly surprised,” she added. “With a little more work she can be a great pitcher!”

McGranahan also praised the play of Thule and Heo, who are both new to the game.

“Layla is a foreign exchange student from South Korea and has never touched a softball before and she held her own in left field,” McGranahan said.

“She did what she was taught and stopped the balls going to her and got them into her cut person.

“I’m so proud of her and how far her softball skills and abilities have come.”

Thule, whose snapped photos have frequently appeared in the pages of Coupeville Sports this school year, is now front and center herself, and shows great growth.“Bailey played center field for us today and again is an individual who has never played the game of softball, but she got on base twice!” McGranahan said.

“She was able to work a walk for her first at bat which helps build her confidence at the plate, but the real confidence booster was when she hit a ball to right field!

“I don’t think I’ve heard our dugout cheer so loud before!”

 

Tuesday stats:

Capri Anter — One single, one walk
Haylee Armstrong — Two walks
Teagan Calkins — One single, one double
Mia Farris — Two singles
Jada Heaton — One single
Layla Heo — One walk
Chloe Marzocca — One single, one walk
Bailey Thule — One walk

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Wolves ready to make a move

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Carolyn Lhamon looks for a little help. (Helen Strelow photo)

It’s not totally a make-or-break week, but it’s close.

There’s still plenty of games left to play, but the days ahead are important to both Coupeville High School varsity basketball teams as they try and make a statement in conference play.

First up is a trip to La Conner Wednesday, followed by a second bus journey Friday to Mount Vernon Christian.

For the Wolves, that pits them against the current top two teams in the Northwest 2B/1B League standings.

While both contests are important, the La Conner matchups have an extra layer of intrigue, as Coupeville’s playoff seeding is driven by how they perform against the other two 2B schools — Friday Harbor and La Conner.

Two of three 2B teams advance to the bi-district tourney, where the boys will be joined by Auburn Adventist Academy and Northwest Christian from District 2.

The girl’s postseason rumble is a three-team event, with Auburn Adventist rounding out the field, with both tourneys hosted by Coupeville — whether the Wolves are playing or not.

There are two tickets to state for District 1/2 boys’ teams this season, and one for the girls.

As we look ahead to rivalry week, and beyond, where everyone currently sits in the standings:

 

Northwest League boys basketball:

School League Overall
MV Christian 3-0 10-5
La Conner 1-0 6-6
Orcas Island 2-1 10-6
Coupeville 1-1 8-5
Concrete 1-3 3-9
Friday Harbor 0-1 1-9
Darrington 0-2 3-8

 

Northwest League girls basketball:

School League Overall
MV Christian 3-0 13-2
La Conner 1-0 9-3
Orcas Island 2-1 4-8
Coupeville 1-1 5-6
Darrington 1-1 7-3
Friday Harbor 0-1 1-7
Concrete 0-4 1-10

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Everyone plays, (almost) everyone scores, everyone wins

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Hunter Bronec, fan favorite, hard at work. (Chloe Marzocca photo)

It started as a low rumble, then became a roar.

“I love you, Hunter!!” echoed off the walls of the Coupeville High School gym, as Wolf JV players hooted and hollered as swing player Hunter Bronec prepared to check into Friday night’s varsity hoops game.

A fourth-quarter appearance by the lanky young gun, who hit the floor like a ball of fire unleashed, was the perfect cap to a night on which everything went right for CHS.

Putting 13 players into action, with 10 of them scoring, Wolf coach Brad Sherman crafted a perfectly calibrated team win, shepherding his squad to a 64-25 dismantling of visiting Darrington.

The victory, Coupeville’s fifth in its last six games, lifts it to 1-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-5 overall.

With another game roaring up fast — a road trip Saturday to face non-conference foe Neah Bay — being able to spread out minutes and keep his top guys fresh was exactly Sherman’s hope.

And, like the A-Team before him, the prairie hardwood sage does love it when a plan comes together.

Coupeville jumped on the Loggers quickly, with Logan Downes going off for seven points in about seven seconds.

A layup, off of a dish from Jonathan Valenzuela, a three-ball from the right side, and then a steal and breakaway bucket and the Wolves and their scoring ace were ready to punch the pedal through the metal.

Toss in back-to-back buckets from Valenzuela, with William Davidson and Downes zipping perfect set-up passes to the silky-smooth senior, and Darrington had few answers.

Dominic Coffman, rampaging from one end of the floor to the other and enjoying his best offensive performance of the season, capped the first quarter with another steal and swooping layup.

Powered by 11 points off the fingertips of Downes, the Wolves had a 19-6 lead heading into the first break, and it felt like much more.

Darrington couldn’t generate much offense, and definitely couldn’t slow down Coupeville, which got points from six different players in the second quarter en route to building a 38-14 halftime lead.

The Wolves attacked from all angles, with Alex Murdy and Downes droppin’ three-balls, while Ryan Blouin, Cole White, and Coffman converted steals into points.

Dominic Coffman will devour your soul. (Chloe Marzocca photo)

Fab frosh Chase Anderson turned an offensive rebound into a bucket, snagging an air ball and putting it back up and in a millisecond before a shot clock violation, while White got fancy.

Streaking down court after picking the pocket of a Logger ballhandler, he was headed for a layup, only to find his path blocked at the very last second.

Stopping on a dime, White stepped back and drained a short jumper over the arms of a defender, the ball splashing home as dad Greg nodded in approval from the Wolf bench.

“Just the way I did it back in the day,” was what his expression seemed to say.

To which Sherman arched one eyebrow in the direction of his assistant coach, then went back about his business.

Job #1 was getting quality floor time for everyone on the roster, and he nailed it.

With the Wolf starters sitting out most of the second half, Coffman and Nick Guay picked up the scoring slack, the former jamming the ball down the throats of the defenders, the latter showing off a series of slick inside moves.

When the ball went back outside, Blouin made the Loggers pay, knocking down a pair of second-half treys to help push the lead out to 40.

Before the running clock kicked into play, Murdy also delivered a crowd-pleasing defensive gem.

Darrington had the ball on the break, with a Logger careening into the paint in hopes of netting a rare bucket.

Instead Murdy emphatically stuffed the shot, rising up to rip the ball away while delivering a death stare which made his feelings recognizable to everyone in the gym, from the first row to the top of the bleachers.

“Don’t try that again, son. Just don’t.”

Playing his fewest minutes of the season, Downes paced the Wolves with a game-high 16 points, enough to help him achieve a personal milestone.

With his first quarter three-ball, the junior, who entered play Friday averaging a hair under 25 points a night, became the 50th Wolf boy to score 500 career points for a program launched in 1917.

Downes, who heads to Neah Bay with 512 points and counting, passes Jason Bagby (499) and David Lortz (502), moving from #51 to #49 on the all-time list.

He got plenty of support Friday, with Coffman ringing up a season-high 10 points, while Guay banked in nine and Blouin rippled the nets for eight.

Anderson (6), Murdy (5), White (4), Valenzuela (4), Jermiah Copeland (1), and Zane Oldenstadt (1) also scored for the Wolves, with Bronec, Davidson, and Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim seeing floor time.

Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim and Co. have won five of their last six. (Bailey Thule photo)

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You shall not score!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

With another win in hand, Ryanne Knoblich and friends are off to face Neah Bay. (Helene Strelow photo)

Unleash the piranhas.

Attacking like a pack of flesh-devouring killers, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball players put on a defensive clinic over the final three quarters Friday night.

Limiting visiting Darrington to just nine points over the final 24 minutes of action, the Wolves romped to a 36-17 win, capturing their first conference victory of the 2022-2023 season.

Now 1-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 5-5 overall, Megan Richter’s team has a fast turnaround, heading off to Neah Bay Saturday for a non-conference rumble with the Red Devils.

Coupeville will bounce across the backroads of America still flush with the success of a well-executed dismantling of Darrington.

The Loggers actually claimed the early lead, bolting out to a 5-2 advantage, then slipping back ahead 7-5 after Wolf senior Maddie Georges knotted things up with a long three-ball.

But from that moment on, the game changed.

The Wolves began to press much more aggressively, creating turnovers and frustrating the Darrington ballhandlers, who got flustered and chippy once the heat was turned up.

Georges, backcourt mate Alita Blouin and the ever-rampaging duo of Katie Marti and Lyla Stuurmans keyed the defensive effort, while Mia Farris ripped down 11 rebounds in a ferocious performance.

Having one of their best free throw shooting nights of the seasons, the Wolves rippled the nets behind the deadeye shooting of Blouin, closing the first quarter with a 12-8 lead.

The second quarter was a bit of an odd affair, as it felt as if Coupeville was ahead by 20, though it went to the break leading just 20-14.

The Wolves dominated play on both ends of the floor but had a number of shots spin out of the basket, limiting their ability to pull away from the Loggers.

Blouin knocked down a pair of runners, while Stuurmans and Gwen Gustafson both converted buckets off of sweet set-up passes from Georges, who time and again made the smart choice when she had the ball on her fingertips.

Gustafson also came up big in the intangibles department, drawing an offensive foul on an out-of-control Logger, before bouncing back up off the floor with a grin on her face.

And yet Darrington refused to go away, scoring the first bucket in the second half to get within 20-16 and stir hopes of a comeback.

The Loggers, who also now sit at 1-1 in league action, entered play Friday boasting a 7-2 record, and a large part of their success seems to come from their sheer willpower.

Darrington might not be the most talented team in the NWL, but to a woman, they play hard, they play physical, and they don’t back down. Give them credit.

But also pass a lot of credit to the Wolves, who sealed the deal by closing the game on a 16-1 surge over the game’s final 14 minutes.

Buckets from Blouin and Ryanne Knoblich, plus a Stuurmans free throw, pushed Coupeville’s lead back out to 25-16 heading into the final quarter, and the Wolves were brutally efficient in that frame.

Georges and Blouin delivered knockout punches thanks to three-balls which dropped from the sky, barely moving the net as they hit paydirt, while the CHS defense was unrelenting.

Lyla Stuurmans clamps down on defense. (Bailey Thule photo)

Late in the game, swing players Jada Heaton and Madison McMillan provided the final highlights.

First, Heaton slipped a free throw through the twines, then was cheated out of another successful shot by a ref, who, missing his seeing-eye dog, claimed the Wolf sophomore entered the lane too soon.

Whether the second conversion counted or not, both free throws were small works of art, as Heaton has maybe the smoothest free throw shot on the team.

The game’s final roar came for McMillan, who was crashing around, yanking down rebounds and chasing down loose balls.

Georges collected a rebound with mere seconds to play, then fired a bomb nearly the length of the court.

The ball dropped neatly into the hands of her young teammate, who was motoring to the other end of the floor in an attempt to beat the madly ticking clock.

Slapping home a layup right before the game-ending buzzer shrieked, McMillan notched her first varsity points, making her the 240th Wolf girl to score for a program launched in 1974.

Blouin, who paced the Wolves with a game-high 12, also hit a personal milestone, cracking the 100-point club and doing it in just 12 games.

She scored 11 in two games as a junior, then missed the rest of the season after breaking her ankle during pregame introductions.

Back healthy and back on the floor, Blouin has tallied 99 points in the first 10 games of her senior campaign, and now sits with 110 career points and counting.

Georges popped for eight Friday to support her running mate, while Gustafson (6), Knoblich (4), Stuurmans (3), McMillan (2), and Heaton (1) rounded out the attack.

Farris, Marti, and Skylar Parker also played, while injured starter Carolyn Lhamon made her presence felt while rooting for her teammates from the bench.

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