Davin Houston (right) and Coupeville Middle School basketball kicked off a new season Thursday at Langley. (Alia Houston photo)
The shoes are squeaking on the hardwood once more.
Basketball is back in action, with the Coupeville Middle School boys’ hoops stars first to take the floor in a competitive game.
Facing off with next-door neighbor South Whidbey down in Langley Thursday, the Wolves held their own, coming within a bucket or two of winning two of three.
While the Cougars ultimately swept all three games, it was a strong start for a CMS program featuring a considerable chunk of players who are fairly new to the sport.
The Wolves put 12 players into the scoring column on opening day.
Coupeville returns home for its next three games, hosting Lakewood (Nov. 22), Sultan (Nov. 29), and King’s (Dec. 1) as the eight-game schedule begins to unfold.
How Thursday went down:
Level 1:
The day’s most-competitive rumble, as South Whidbey surged, Coupeville rallied, then the Cougars held off the Wolves at the end for a 35-31 win.
A 12-2 run by the hosts stung CMS, as it fell behind 21-9 at the half.
The second half was a different story, however, with Coupeville going on a 13-4 tear in the third quarter before getting all the way back to knot things up at 27-27 midway through the final frame.
South Whidbey closed the game strongly, getting key buckets down the stretch, but the scrappiness shown by the Wolves bodes well for the future.
Jayden McManus banged home 10 points to lead Coupeville, while Carson Grove sank a pair of three-balls en route to an eight-point performance.
Chayse Van Velkinburgh, the lone 6th grader on the varsity, chipped in with five, while Davin Houston (3), Riley Lawless (3), and Sage Arends (2) also scored.
Coupeville’s first unit also featured appearances by Dylan Robinett, Joshua Stockdale, and Nic Laska.
Chayse Van Velkinburgh fires off a free throw. (Dustin Van Velkinburgh photo)
Level 2:
A slow start doomed Coupeville, as an 18-1 deficit after one quarter of play morphed into a 39-5 loss.
CMS clamped down on defense after that, limiting its hosts to just four points in the second quarter.
Liam Lawson and Nathan Niewald paced the Wolves, each dropping in a bucket, while Robinett rippled the nets on a free throw.
Wyatt Fitch-Marron, Charles Hart, Hunter Atteberry, and Brantley Campbell also saw floor time for CMS.
Level 3:
Take away the second quarter and Coupeville wins this one.
The Wolves held South Whidbey to just four points in every other quarter, but an 8-0 deficit in frame #2 was the difference in a 20-16 loss.
Down 12-2 at the half, CMS rallied to win the second half to a tune of 14-8, with Cyrus Sparacio going off for all of his team-high eight points in the fourth quarter.
Jacob Barajas and Campbell knocked down four points apiece in support, while Johnathan Jacobsen, Zach Blitch, Jacob Meador, Khanor Jump, Kenneth Jacobsen, and Atteberry rounded out the roster.
Coupeville Sports 