Coupeville Sports

Coupeville net ace James Wood teamed with Mason Grove to win at #1 doubles Friday afternoon. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

On the court, it was a tie.

Playing tough against a high-quality private school Friday, the Coupeville High School boys tennis squad split two of the four contested matches.

The difference in a 3-2 loss to visiting Eastside Prep was #2 singles, where the Wolves had to forfeit for a second-straight match while waiting for an eighth player to get enough practices in to be eligible.

While the loss drops Coupeville to 0-2 in Emerald City League play, there were positives to be found.

The Wolves picked up their wins at #1 and #2 doubles, with top duo James Wood and Mason Grove winning for the first time, while Zach Ginnings and Andrew Aparicio improved to 2-0 on the still-young season.

“Mason and James played a really good team, but our guys stayed calm,” said CHS coach Ken Stange. “They didn’t hit hard all the time. I was impressed with their outing.

“Zach and Andrew played a pretty good team as well,” he added. “They are relentless. Even when they’ve gotten down in a set, they bounce back. They have a good balance between them.”

While Coupeville dropped #3 doubles and #1 singles, both matches featured stellar shot-making.

“Koby (Schreiber) and Thane (Peterson) got closer today,” Stange said. “They kept fighting and nearly won the second set.

“Drake (Borden) ran into a ninth grader that knocks the fuzz off the ball,” he added. “Drake played well, but the EP kid is a seasoned tournament player.”

Complete Friday results:

1st Singles — Drake Borden lost to Amar Kumar 6-1, 6-2

2nd Singles — CHS forfeits

1st Doubles — James Wood/Mason Grove beat Steven Pei/Max Goetzman 6-2, 6-4

2nd Doubles — Zach Ginnings/Andrew Aparicio beat Chase Crain/Drew Goetzman 6-2, 6-3

3rd Doubles — Thane Peterson/Koby Schreiber lost to Zubin Oommen/Albert Chen 6-2, 6-4

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Coupeville High School tennis guru Ken Stange compares beards with Harris Sinclair. (Photos by Jackie Saia)

Wolf veterans (l to r) Jakobi Baumann, Jaschon Baumann, Tiger Johnson and Sinclair were honored Wednesday on Senior Night.

The ever-busy Baumann clan.

Tiger Johnson and the president of his fan club.

The core of a talented team which held its own against private school foes, while also winning the Emerald City League Sportsmanship Award.

They beat every expectation.

Tossed into the brutal Emerald City League, the toughest tennis conference in the state, the Coupeville High School boys proved small, rural, public schools can compete with ultra-ritzy private academies.

Capping the regular season Wednesday with a 4-1 rout of visiting Eastside Prep, the Wolves sent their seniors out on a high note and assured themselves of a winning record in league play.

Coupeville, which beat four of their seven conference foes, including sweeping two matches from arch-rival South Whidbey, finished 7-6 in league, 8-6 overall.

“We finished in fourth-place. Not too shabby,” said CHS coach Ken Stange. “We greatly exceeded my goals and expectations.

“Today was another example of our guys playing hard and gutting it out,” he added. “We had a little of everything. Easy wins, third-set tiebreakers, and a close loss.”

It was about more than just wins this season, as the Wolves also received the conference sportsmanship award.

“I’m very proud that the league coaches gave our boys the award,” Stange said. “It’s a testament to how hard the boys compete.

“Win or lose, my guys try very hard every time. They are classy and graceful. Many of the other coaches positively commented on it.”

With the regular season complete, Coupeville heads to Seattle Friday for the ECL tourney.

Jakobi Baumann and Drake Borden are slated to compete in singles, while the duos of Zach Ginnings/Jacob Burke and Tiger Johnson/Jaschon Baumann will vie in doubles.

Complete Wednesday results:

Varsity:

1st Singles — Jakobi Baumann beat Clayton Johnston 6-4, 3-6, 17-15

2nd Singles — Drake Borden beat Chase Crane 6-2, 6-1

1st Doubles — Zach Ginnings/Jacob Burke lost to Max Goetzman/Julian Meia 4-6, 6-1, 10-7

2nd Doubles — Mason Grove/James Wood beat Kaiea Ly-An Yong/Steven Pei 6-2, 6-1

3rd Doubles — Jaschon Baumann/Tiger Johnson beat Sahas Srini Hasan/Taras Pylypenko 6-0, 6-0

JV:

4th Doubles — Koby Schreiber/Andrew Aparicio lost 6-4

5th Doubles — Harris Sinclair/Thane Peterson lost 8-6

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