Logan Downes, the CHS boys’ basketball all-time scoring champ. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
He did it his way.
Being the youngest of three boys in his family, Logan Downes had the trail blazed for him by older siblings Hunter and Sage, but then he went out and told his own story.
As he prepares to exit Coupeville High School, Angie and Ralph’s baby boy holds almost every major offensive record both as a football quarterback and a basketball scorer.
On the gridiron, Logan flicked passes to the left, to the right, short, and long, and had a rare knack for delivering six points for the Wolves.
When he first pulled on a CHS football uniform, the school’s single-game touchdown passing record was four, jointly held by Corey Cross, Brad Sherman, and big brother Hunter.
Now it’s five, with Logan twice achieving the mark in lopsided wins over La Conner.
The first came at home, the second on the road, with the latter performance being achieved in just a single half of play, as the signal caller sliced ‘n diced the Braves defense in spectacular fashion.
Add single-season (20) and career (40) marks, and Logan owns all three TD passing records in program history, setting a goal for all those who follow in his footsteps.
Of course, he wasn’t a one-way player, often playing defense and picking off passes — when Coupeville coaches let him see both sides of the field.
While Logan had a knack for setting personal records, he is one of those athletes who has always seemed to care most about team success, however.
Leading Coupeville to a league title and a trip to the state playoffs as a junior — things which no Wolf QB had done since Jason McFadyen in 1990 — cements his status as one of the best to ever throw the ball.
Logan’s fan club president and the woman who brought him into this world. (Photo courtesy Angie Downes)
But as rock-solid as he was on the football field, it was on the basketball court where Logan found a true transcendence.
A four-year varsity player who made his debut as a freshman during a pandemic-shortened season, he was a key part of two league title winning teams, squads which went on to win district titles on Coupeville’s home court before making runs at the state tourney.
In the 100+ year history of CHS boys’ hoops, the Wolves have won three district titles, the first coming in 1970 and now two in three years with Logan and the Class of 2024 leading the way.
Oh, and he shattered the program’s most-vaunted record, pouring in 1,305 points to eclipse Jeff Stone and Mike Bagby, who both racked up 1,137 during their stellar careers.
Logan popped for 52 during that short freshman year, before slapping home 172 as a sophomore, putting him #3 on a senior-dominated squad which went 16-0 in the regular season.
His final two years were a master class in putting the ball in the hoop, as he rampaged for 554 and 527 points as a junior and senior, respectively.
That is the second and third-best single-season performances in school history, boy or girl, trailing only Stone’s Whidbey Island record 644 in 1969-1970.
Logan scored 30+ points in a game 11 times during his career, topping out with a pair of 40-point performances against Orcas Island and Auburn Adventist Academy as a junior.
Again, though, while he obviously wanted the records, and worked his tail off to achieve success, his happiest on-court moments seemed to come when he and his teammates won their titles.
There were nine seniors on this year’s basketball team, and the group had played together since they were young boys.
They all brought something to the team, and if Logan’s job was to be the lance of the spear, he also embraced other aspects of the game, such as rebounding and setting his friends up for buckets with precision passes.
He was a quiet leader, not prone to screaming in public, or tearing his jersey in half — he wasn’t a La Conner bench player, after all.
But he led, both in action and words, and in the way he treated his teammates and the little kids who filled up the bleachers game after game.
Logan is escorted to the bus by his security detail. “No autographs! I said NO AUTOGRAPHS!!” (Angie Downes photo)
After games, Logan, who never once in four years asked to look at the books or inquired as to how many points he had scored, could often be seen hanging out with the next generation of players.
He thrilled them with his three-balls fired up from the parking lot, and his slashes to the bucket.
But it’s the times he let them dribble around him for a bucket post-game, or walked to the bus while talking to them which has the biggest impact.
Like Xavier Murdy and Hawthorne Wolfe before him, Logan’s interactions off the court with Coupeville’s elementary school hoops addicts are what carries him from being a really good player to being a legend.
There’s little doubt he will be the CHS Male Athlete of the Year when awards are announced in a few weeks. Any other result, and Brad Sherman’s sons lead the riot.
But I’m jumping in first, as today we make official something which has also been a foregone conclusion for a long time.
Logan Downes already has all the records, or most of them at least, and he has the mandate of the people, and now he has residence in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.
After this, you’ll find him up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.
Exactly where he belongs.
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