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“Love this team! Love this town!!”

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , , on November 9, 2022| 1 Comment »

After busting big plays all season, Coupeville senior Dominic Coffman is the Offensive MVP of the Northwest 2B/1B League. (Renae Mulholland photo)

The Wolves ruled both sides of the ball.

Fresh off winning its first league title in 32 seasons, and just days before opening the state playoffs, the Coupeville High School football team dominated All-League selections.

Northwest 2B/1B League coaches selected CHS seniors Dominic Coffman (offense) and Scott Hilborn (defense) as conference MVPs, while Benett Richter was tabbed as Coach of the Year.

Coupeville finished the regular season 4-0 in NWL play, clinching the program’s first title since 1990, and 7-1 overall.

The Wolves open the 12-team 2B state tourney Saturday in Oak Harbor, when they host Onalaska in a loser-out game.

The winner advances to the state quarterfinals to face Okanogan.

Richter, in his first year as CHS head coach after several seasons as an assistant, offered thanks to everyone involved in the Wolf program.

“Coach of the year was made possible by the hard work of my dedicated and passionate staff and the unbelievable buy in and hard work of the kids who truly do the heavy lifting,” he said.

“Without these guys, I’m just another Joe Schmo with a whistle! Love this team! Love this town!!”

Josh Upchurch, a huge key to Coupeville’s impressive play on both sides of the line. (Brittany Kolbet photo)

 

Coupeville’s honorees:

 

OFFENSE:

 

MVP:

Dominic Coffman (RB)

 

First-Team:

Logan Downes (QB)
Scott Hilborn (RB)
Tim Ursu (WR)
Kai Wong (OL)
William Davidson (OL)
Zane Oldenstadt (OL)

 

Honorable Mention:

Daylon Houston (WR/K)

 

DEFENSE:

 

MVP:

Scott Hilborn (LB)

 

First Team:

Dominic Coffman (LB)
Tim Ursu (DB)
Logan Downes (DB)
Josh Upchurch (DL)
William Davidson (DL)

 

Honorable Mention:

Jonathan Valenzuela (LB)
Kevin Partida (LB)

Wolf juniors (left to right) William Davidson, Zane Oldenstadt, and Logan Downes all earned All-League honors. (Michelle Glass photo)

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Chasing records, one yard at a time

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on November 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Tim Ursu, making ’em miss. (Helen Strelow photo)

The only record that matters is the win/loss record.

Sure, that’s true, to a point.

But individual and team stat marks are important as well, particularly to bloggers who get strong page hit numbers when they write about said records.

So, compromise a bit, hardliners. Or don’t read this story.

Your choice.

Either way, as the Coupeville High School football team preps for its first state playoff game in 32 years, some of us are taking a moment to look at what records have fallen, or may fall, during this gridiron campaign.

So far, we have one change on the big board, with junior quarterback Logan Downes having broken a three-way tie for most touchdown passes in a single game.

Previously, Wolf QB’s Corey Cross (1971), Brad Sherman (2001), and Hunter Downes (2016) jointly held the record with four scoring heaves.

That changed, however, with Logan Downes putting the ball into his receiver’s hands, and watching five different Wolves hit paydirt during a 78-0 rout of a downtrodden La Conner squad.

Like it. Love it. Hate it.

It’s a record, and stands forever, or at least until another Wolf gunslinger comes along and peppers a defense for six TD’s.

Logan Downes limbers up his touchdown-tossing arm. (Brenn Sugatan photo)

Moving forward, Coupeville has between one and four games left to play this season, depending on how the postseason works out.

Saturday’s matchup with Onalaska, set to kickoff at 4 PM at Oak Harbor’s Wildcat Memorial Stadium, is guaranteed.

After that, the 12-team 2B football playoffs are single-elimination, so win and play on, lose and start thinking about basketball.

While it’s always possible a Wolf goes off and shatters single-game marks like Ian Barron’s 320-yard rushing effort from 1998, Gabe Eck’s 403-yard passing performance from 2015, or Scott McMartin’s 27-tackle night from 1981, here’s what seems likely to be in play.

 

Season-Individual:

 

Passing TD’s:

Joel Walstad (18) – 2014

Logan Downes (17) – 2022

 

Receiving TD’s:

Hunter Smith (11) – 2016

Tim Ursu (7) – 2022

 

Rushing TD’s:

Ian Barron (16) – 1998

Dominic Coffman (10) – 2022
Scott Hilborn (9) – 2022

 

Interceptions:

Steve Konek (7) – 1986
Dan Neider (7) – 1986
Hunter Smith (7) – 2015

Logan Downes (3) – 2022

 

Sacks:

Nick Streubel (10) – 2013

Scott Hilborn (6) – 2022

 

Season-Team:

 

Passing TD’s:

(20) – 2014

Joel Walstad (18)
Wiley Hesselgrave (1)
CJ Smith (1)

 

(18) – 2022

Logan Downes (17)
Chase Anderson (1)

 

Receiving TD’s:

(20) – 2014

Josh Bayne (10)
Wiley Hesselgrave (6)
Ryan Griggs (3)
CJ Smith (1)

 

(18) – 2022

Tim Ursu (7)
Daylon Houston (3)
Dominic Coffman (2)
Scott Hilborn (2)
Chase Anderson (1)
Hunter Bronec (1)
Henry Ohme (1)
Aiden O’Neill (1)

 

Rushing TD’s:

(26) – 2014

Josh Bayne (15)
Lathom Kelley (5)
Joel Walstad (4)
Wiley Hesselgrave (1)
Chance Kleinfelter (1)

 

(24) – 2022

Dominic Coffman (10)
Scott Hilborn (9)
Johnny Porter (3)
Logan Downes (1)
Tim Ursu (1)

 

Sacks:

(22) – 1996

Nick Sellgren (7)
Joey Biller (4)
Bill Marti (3)
Rich Morris (3)
Jason Sechrist (3)
Justin Thiesen (2)

 

(17) – 2022

Scott Hilborn (6)
Dominic Coffman (3)
Peyton Caveness (2)
Josh Upchurch (2)
Jonathan Valenzuela (2)
Coen Killian (1)
Mikey Robinett (1)

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Date, time set for playoff rumble

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on November 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville QB Logan Downes has thrown for 17 touchdowns this season. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Forget about Friday Night Lights.

The Coupeville High School football team will play its first state playoff game in 32 years in the daylight, on a different weekend day.

The Wolves (7-1) host Onalaska (5-5) in a loser-out game, with the action set to go down Saturday, Nov. 12 at Oak Harbor’s Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

Kickoff is 4:00 PM.

The date and time were likely selected to ease the travel burden on Onalaska, which is looking at a nearly 400-mile round trip.

Saturday’s tilt features a Coupeville program which last made it to the big dance in 1990 against a school which won state football titles in 1986 and 2019.

The Loggers won two playoff games last season before falling to eventual state champ Kalama in the semifinals.

Saturday’s winner heads to Eastern Washington the next week, with a quarterfinal matchup against Okanogan (10-0).

Ticket prices for the playoff opener, which are set by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, and not the schools involved:

 

Adults and high school/middle school students without ASB — $10
Senior Citizens (62+) — $7
High school/middle school students with ASB — $7
Elementary school students — $7
Children (4 and under) — FREE

 

Tickets can be purchased in person with cash or online at:

https://gofan.co/app/events/778110?schoolId=WA86277

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Are you ready to rumble?

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on November 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Kevin Partida and associates host Onalaska next weekend in the first round of the 2B state football playoffs. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The journey begins (almost) at home.

Making its first appearance in the state playoffs since 1990, the Coupeville High School football team was seeded #7 Sunday in a field of 12 teams chasing the 2B gridiron crown.

That means the Wolves host #10 Onalaska in a loser-out first round game.

The game will be played either Friday, Nov. 11 or Saturday, Nov. 12, with the date and kickoff time to be announced Monday.

And where will the royal rumble go down?

Barring a late plot twist, it will be at Oak Harbor’s Wildcat Memorial Stadium, which means just an 11.3-mile jaunt for the Wolves.

Onalaska’s players, meanwhile, get to enjoy a 195-mile trek. Or almost 400 miles round trip.

And why is Coupeville not hosting the game on its own home field?

Because, if I understand correctly, we’re being dinged for not having covered seating for road fans, which the 3,000-seat Wildcat Memorial Stadium offers.

CHS football managers extraordinaire Brenna Silveira (left) and Melanie Navarro — the rain never bothered them anyway. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

But hosting the game in Oak Harbor is a homecoming, of sorts, for first year Coupeville head coach Bennett Richter.

He was a sophomore on the 2006 Oak Harbor gridiron squad which won a 4A state title despite not being allowed to play postseason games at home because its World War II-vintage stadium was crumbling into dust.

I’m just saying, from my perch in the press box at the ol’ junk heap in the ’90s, I once watched a little girl bounce on the wooden bleachers, then vanish out of sight as a board broke.

Simmer down. She was only on the third row up.

She was unhappy (lord, was she unhappy), but she survived.

The stadium not so much, and by 2006, it had been condemned, before the giddiness of the state title convinced Oak Harbor to go build a brand new, swanky home roost.

Sort of the “House Bennett Built,” if you will.

What do you mean former Wildcat (and Wazzu) QB Marshall Lobbestael, he of the heavenly passes which sparked the title run, would like to have a word with me??

Anyways…

Back in 2022, the winner of the Coupeville vs. Onalaska tilt advances to the state quarterfinals to face second-seeded Okanogan, one of two undefeated teams in the field.

You can find the bracket here:

https://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=3666

And while you’re waiting for next weekend (or working for the weekend, if you want Loverboy’s approval), here’s how Coupeville and Onalaska stack up.

 

Records:

Coupeville (7-1)
Onalaska (5-5)

 

Leagues:

Coupeville — Northwest 2B/1B League
Onalaska — Central 2B League

 

Mascots:

Coupeville — Wolves
Onalaska — Loggers

 

Head Coaches:

Coupeville — Bennett Richter (1st year)
Onalaska — Mazen Saade (14th year)

 

Results:

Coupeville:

Beat Klahowya (41-21)
Lost to South Whidbey (44-28)
Beat Sultan (30-13)
Beat La Conner (46-0)
Beat Friday Harbor (35-3)
Beat Bellingham (48-6)
Cascade (Leavenworth) CANCELLED by smoke
Beat La Conner (78-0)
Beat Friday Harbor (43-14)

 

Onalaska:

Beat Oroville (30-0)
Lost to Napavine (68-0)
Lost to Goldendale (20-0)
Lost to Tenino (40-6)
Lost to Toledo (38-12)
Beat Kalama (48-30)
Beat Stevenson (44-14)
Lost to Adna (7-6)
Beat Wahkiakum (50-28)
Beat Morton White-Pass (26-8)

 

Last trip to state:

Coupeville — 1990
Onalaska — 2021

 

Total trips to state:

Coupeville (4) — (0-4)
Onalaska (18) — (14-16) — Two state titles (1986 and 2019)

 

Plus, we have a rock.

And they have a rock.

Time to rock ‘n roll.

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To respect or not to respect?

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on November 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Mikey Robinett is here to crush fools and take names. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Evans Rankings rules, the rest of you drool.

Matt Evans, the seer of Washington state high school football, and his trusty computer, Newman, are the one outlet truly buying in to Coupeville’s gridiron giants being a state tourney threat.

As the Wolves await Sunday’s reveal of who, where, and when they will play in the 12-team royal rumble, a scan of various pollsters and rankers finds a fair amount of disrespect for a 7-1 CHS squad.

Now to be fair, when you’ve just won your first league title, and punched your first ticket to state, in 32 years, it’s easy to see why.

Out of sight means out of mind, and it’s easy for many to just plug in the same old names “cause they were there before.”

It happened to Coupeville boys’ basketball earlier in 2022, when a 16-0 record didn’t always earn the Wolves a full amount of respect.

After CHS hoops made its first state tourney trip since 1988 and played prime-time teams Kalama and Lake Roosevelt tough, however, several rival coaches had nice things to say about the Wolves.

Now they know who we are.

The same thing can happen for football, especially if the Wolves make some noise in the state tourney.

For now, Evans Rankings has Coupeville at #7 among 2B schools (I bow to my computer overlords), while the Associated Press and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association both plunk the Wolves at #10.

SB Live leaves CHS out of its Top 10 but does have it third in its “next teams up.”

So, the Wolves, having punched a ticket to the 12-team state tourney, have already outplayed what is essentially a #13 ranking…

And Ryland Spencer, noted hamburger fiend and prep football savant?

He leaves Coupeville completely out of his Top 10 on Cascadia Preps, which proves Cow Town needs to produce a good enough burger to lure the man, the myth, the meat-eatin’ machine, to Whidbey to watch a game in the future.

Get on it, chefs!

In the end, of course, none of these pollsters or rankers, whether they be man or computer, matter as much as the guys who step on the field reppin’ the red and black.

Win, and they have to give you respect, whether they want to or not.

 

Associated Press 2B poll for Nov. 2:

1. Napavine – (9-0) – 90 poll points
2. Okanogan – (9-0) – 80
3. Lind/Ritzville/Sprague – (7-1) – 70
4. Toledo – (7-1) – 65
5. River View – (8-1) – 45
6. Chewelah (Jenkins) – (6-2) – 41
7. Columbia (Burbank) – (7-2) – 29
8. Pe Ell/Willapa Valley – (6-3) – 24
9. Raymond – (7-2) – 20
10-tie. Coupeville – (7-1) – 9
10-tie. Liberty (Spangle) – (6-2) – 9

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