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Posts Tagged ‘Emerald City League’

Scrappy Wolves refuse to back down

Posted in Boys Tennis, tagged , , , , on September 16, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville’s Koby Schreiber and doubles partner Thane Peterson put up a strong fight Monday while facing a tennis titan. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

No one said this was going to be easy.

Almost every match in the Emerald City League pits the Coupeville High School boys tennis squad against a powerhouse private school, and Monday’s rumble was a main event.

University Prep lives at the state tournament, when its players aren’t otherwise playing year-round, often with private coaches, on high-grade courts.

So when I tell you the Pumas bounced the Wolves 5-0 in a match played at the Tennis Center at Sand Point in Seattle, it shouldn’t come as too much of a shock.

Still, Ken Stange’s CHS squad didn’t roll over, with matches at first singles and third doubles especially competitive.

Drake Borden had an especially large target at the top of the order, as his opponent finished 3rd at state a season ago.

While the loss drops Coupeville to 0-3 in ECL play, the Wolves get two more chances this week, and will shortly see an increase in their eligible players.

CHS returns to Seattle Wednesday to face The Bush School, then hosts Overlake Friday afternoon.

The Wolves, who have had to forfeit #2 singles in each match so far, has been competing with seven players in a league where there are eight varsity slots per team.

But that changes Friday, when a pair of late-comers will finally have enough practices under their belt to earn the chance to swing a racket in a competitive match.

 

Complete Monday results:

1st Singles — Drake Borden lost to Tyler Wurzer 6-1, 6-4

2nd Singles — CHS forfeits

1st Doubles — James Wood/Mason Grove lost to Nicholas Arron/Axel Andrews 6-1, 6-1

2nd Doubles — Zach Ginnings/Andrew Aparicio lost to Mattias Keaunui/Mitchell Zell 6-0, 6-1

3rd Doubles — Thane Peterson/Koby Schreiber lost 6-2, 6-3

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Nipped at the net

Posted in Boys Tennis, tagged , , , , on September 14, 2019| Leave a Comment »

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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Falcons nip Wolves in tennis tussle

Posted in Boys Tennis, tagged , , , , , on September 11, 2019| Leave a Comment »

CHS sophomore Andrew Aparicio teamed with Zach Ginnings Wednesday to win at #2 doubles. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The Wolf net crew is (back, left to right) Ken Stange, Aparicio, Mason Grove, Koby Schreiber, Drake Borden. Front: Miles Davidson, James Wood, Thane Peterson, Zach Ginnings. Not seen: Logan Martin.

And we’re off.

The Coupeville High School boys tennis team launched the 2019 season Wednesday with a home rumble with South Whidbey, the first of three matches in three days.

While the weather cooperated on opening day, the tennis gods didn’t, however, allowing the Falcons to escape with a 4-1 win in Emerald City League play.

Barring weather shenanigans, the Wolves head to Friday Harbor Thursday, then host Eastside Prep the next afternoon.

At least in the early going, CHS will have to overcome a self-inflicted deficit in each match, as it doesn’t yet have eight fully-eligible players.

For now, that means the Wolves forfeit #2 singles, though that will change as soon as two newcomers — sophomores Miles Davidson and Logan Martin — rack up enough practices.

Coupeville’s seven active players came within a shot or two of splitting the four matches contested Wednesday against their next door neighbors.

Andrew Aparicio and Zach Ginnings controlled the net as they swept to a win at #2 doubles, while the top Wolf duo of Mason Grove and James Wood fell just short in a third-set tiebreaker.

 

Complete Wednesday results:

1st Singles — Drake Borden lost to Levi Buck 6-1, 6-4

2nd Singles — CHS forfeits

1st Doubles — James Wood/Mason Grove lost to Ranger Buck/Max Rodriguez 3-6, 6-4, 10-6

2nd Doubles — Zach Ginnings/Andrew Aparicio beat Ian Maddux/Ben Roughsedge 6-4, 6-3

3rd Doubles — Thane Peterson/Koby Schreiber lost to Emmett Layman/Jordan Wu 6-2, 6-2

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Small in numbers, big in heart

Posted in Boys Tennis, tagged , , , , , on September 3, 2019| Leave a Comment »

After a ton of off-season work, Drake Borden returns to anchor the Coupeville High School boys tennis squad at #1 singles. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Zach Ginnings is part of a solid core of returning Wolf players.

He’s never been in this position before.

Longtime Coupeville High School boys tennis guru Ken Stange has built a successful program, one which has boasted deep rosters and plenty of success.

But this season he’s facing the prospect of trying to achieve the latter without having the former.

Eight days out from their first match, the Wolves have just seven players.

While they’re all returnees, that’s not even enough netters to fill a full varsity lineup.

Coupeville needs eight men, with their league matches consisting of two singles players and three doubles teams.

With school starting Tuesday, there’s hope of at least one freshman showing up, and Stange and Co. continue to chase down every lead which might lead to a CHS boy with a pulse.

But, even if they get any late-comers, the Wolves will have to forfeit a match in each of their hard-court rumbles until the newbie(s) get 10 practices under their belt.

While he doesn’t have much depth, Stange does have a solid core of players, led by Drake Borden, who inherits the #1 singles slot from the graduated Jakobi Baumann.

“Our strength is having seven returning players with experience,” Stange said. “Another strength is Drake, who played all off-season and is primed for a solid season.”

Backing Borden are Mason Grove, James Wood, Zach Ginnings, Andrew Aparicio, Thane Peterson, and Koby Schreiber.

Of the returning players, two – Borden and Ginnings – played in the postseason last year.

Regardless of how many players he ends up with, Stange enters the season with the same mind-set he’s employed for the past decade-and-a-half.

“I expect us to compete hard and win some more individual matches,” he said. “I hope our team is able to win a few, too.”

While all of Coupeville’s other sports teams compete in the North Sound Conference, tennis joins up with South Whidbey to take on the private school powerhouses who camp out in the ultra-exclusive Emerald City League.

It’s a conference led by perennial state title contenders University Prep and Seattle Academy, and no match is an easy match.

But the Wolves made a nice statement for public schools everywhere last year, finishing in the top half of the eight teams in the ECL.

It might not have a deep roster in year two, but Coupeville has no intention of backing down quietly.

“We finished fourth in the league last year,” Stange said. “Finishing that well again would mean we had a strong season.”

Coupeville opens Sept. 11 at home against South Whidbey.

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CHS tennis needs players … stat!

Posted in Boys Tennis, tagged , , , , on September 1, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville High School boys tennis coach Ken Stange needs more company. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

At this rate, bus rides may get a little lonely.

A week into practice for a new season, Coupeville High School boys tennis coach Ken Stange has the smallest roster of his 16-year tenure.

Seven athletes to be exact – five seniors, one junior, and one sophomore – which is troublesome when the Wolves need eight to field a full varsity team.

Coupeville’s netters are set to compete in the Emerald City Conference for a second year, but may have trouble filling out the required matches in league play.

The ECL plays a varsity format of two singles contests and three doubles bouts.

As it stands now, the Wolves would have to forfeit a slot each match, most likely at #2 singles.

Starting down 1-0 every match would make life tougher in an already highly-charged league.

The ECL is considered the best 1A boys tennis league in Washington, with private schools heavyweights like University Prep and Seattle Academy accounting for the majority of state champs in recent years.

Still, the Wolves held their own last year, claiming fourth-place in the eight-team league.

While all of Coupeville’s other sports teams are part of the North Sound Conference, only two of six schools in that league have boys tennis programs.

The other is South Whidbey, and the next-door neighbors both hooked up with the ECL, which is otherwise comprised of Seattle-area private schools.

With school opening Tuesday and Coupeville’s first match set for Sept. 11, Stange is still hopeful at least one more tennis player will surface.

So, put the word out to any CHS male in grades 9-12.

If they have prior experience, great.

If not, Stange, a noted net guru, is ready and willing to teach the game.

When asked what he was looking for in a player at the moment, the CHS coach kept it simple.

“A pulse.”

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