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Wolf football enters a Golden age

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on March 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Cade Golden

A flashback to middle school days in Coupeville. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

One came back.

Back in 2016, Coupeville Middle School football coach Bob Martin had a roster full of talented players.

Then life stepped in, with at least six of those guys departing.

Two chose to attend high school in Oak Harbor, while four left Whidbey Island after family moves.

But now, in a pleasant plot twist, Cade Golden — the big-armed quarterback from that group — is returning to finish his prep career where it began.

After playing three seasons in Alabama, the last two for a school which won back-to-back 7A state titles, he will suit up as a senior for Coupeville High School when the pandemic-shortened season begins March 29.

The move back to The Rock reunites Golden with former CMS teammates such as Ben Smith, Sage Downes, and Dakota Eck.

“I’m extremely excited!!,” Golden said. “I can’t wait to see everyone and get to work.”

After his family returned to its Alabama roots, moving to be closer to relatives, the QB played at several schools, finishing his run there at Thompson High School in Alabaster.

Golden was the backup to Thompson QB Conner Harrell, who threw for 3,400+ yards and 40 touchdowns this season, against just three interceptions.

While he didn’t start for the state champs, Golden’s work ethic and talent (plus a 4.0 GPA) has attracted a fair amount of college heat.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, he has offers from schools such as LaGrange College, Clarke University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Norwich University, Birmingham-Southern, and Sewanee: University of the South.

He also has Preferred Walk-On offers from at least two NCAA D-1 schools, Florida State and Tennessee.

While Golden is excited for the return to Coupeville, the feeling is equaled by his former (and future) teammates.

“With how minimal this season is, it’s great to have him back there,” Ben Smith said. “Especially with how crucial this season goal is, and his work ethic for goals like that is what we need on this team right now.

“I’m happy to have him back and he’s gonna do great things here once again.”

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A final bow for the ‘Cats

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , , on March 11, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Matthew Kelley, who once upon a time ruled the Coupeville sports world, enjoys his Senior Night in Oak Harbor. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Jake Mitten, another Wolf turned ‘Cat, celebrates with his parents, grandma Carmen McFadyen, and lil’ sis Ava. Grandpa Jack would be proud.

We’re off to Oak Town.

Yes, yes, this blog is called Coupeville Sports, but Thursday was Senior Night for the Oak Harbor High School football squad, which includes two guys who grew up playing sports here in Cow Town.

So, as a tribute to Matthew Kelley and Jake Mitten, who gave me plenty to write about during their junior high days, we present an assortment of photos courtesy John Fisken.

The other six photos are a mix of Wildcat gridiron players and cheerleaders, chosen pretty much at random by me, the guy who can only ID the former Wolves.

But, pop over to the link below and you can find glossy pics for every senior who participated.

Plus, Fisken has left this gallery open, which means you can download photos for free.

So, win-win.

 

2021-03-11 FB and Cheer senior night – John’s Photos

 

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No Cowboys to lasso

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , , on January 22, 2021| Leave a Comment »

If games are played this school year, Coupeville and Chimacum will not meet on the gridiron as originally planned. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

One less rival.

If games are played this school year, Chimacum will not join Coupeville in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

Instead, the Cowboys plan to unite with next-door neighbor Port Townsend, and the two schools will remain in the 1A/2A Olympic League, perhaps playing as “East Jefferson County.”

That’s according to a report Friday by The Peninsula Daily News.

When the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association conducted reclassification counts, Chimacum, like Coupeville, dropped from 1A to 2B.

The two schools were approved to join fellow 2B schools La Conner and Friday Harbor in the NWL, a league which also includes 1B schools Orcas Island, Mount Vernon Christian, Darrington, and Concrete.

Port Townsend was to join the 1A Nisqually League

But then COVID-19 threw everything all higgedly-piggedly.

Washington state schools haven’t competed in nearly a year thanks to the pandemic, and both the Chimacum and Port Townsend school districts have seen reduced enrollments.

The WIAA is currently proposing a plan in which fall sports would be played first, followed by spring sports, before winter sports cap the 2020-2021 school year.

The athletic governing body is allowing leagues to break free of that plan, however, and the NWL has applied to play spring-fall-winter.

Port Townsend and Chimacum, which already unite to field cooperative teams for cross country, girls swim, tennis, and wrestling, will add football and volleyball to that list.

They had already planned to also unite for girls soccer, and have been trying to resurrect a combined softball program.

Even with two schools, “East Jefferson County” sits at just 437 students, according to Port Townsend Athletic Director Patrick Gaffney.

That number keeps the combined program under the 1A cutoff, and it would actually have less students than Klahowya, the only other 1A school left in the Olympic League.

That conference, where Coupeville played from 2014-2018, includes seven 2A schools, headlined by North Kitsap and Sequim.

Post-pandemic, there are many options available.

Port Townsend and Chimacum could further unite, combining programs for all sports.

They could stay as is, with both schools having their own programs for sports such as basketball, boys soccer, golf, and track.

Or they could totally split apart, likely bringing Chimacum back to the NWL.

Like everything else in the Age of Coronavirus, nobody knows nothing for sure right now.

“If the two schools want to provide a broad range of sports, this might be the direction we have to look at,” Gaffney was quoted in the Daily News.

“If we don’t go that direction and Chimacum is a 2B and PT is 1A, you may have to cut sports offerings, and I think both communities don’t want to see that.

“To be able to offer swimming and tennis and other sports that some small schools don’t provide is good for our athletes.”

Like all AD’s in a frustrating time, Gaffney and Chimacum’s Carrie Beebe will try to balance what’s best for all involved.

“At some point this year, we will have an idea of how it is going, any issues that arise or don’t arise, and I think those will be minimal,” Gaffney said in the Daily News article.

“We are all trying to do what’s best for kids, PT and Chimacum, and when you frame it that way, it’s hard to come up with an argument against doing this.”

 

For the complete Daily News article, pop over to:

PREP SPORTS: Jefferson County high school rivals set for merger | Peninsula Daily News

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Youth football plans for possible spring season

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on January 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Football action like this may rule the gridiron again soon. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Back to the gridiron. Maybe.

The Oak Harbor Football and Cheer League, which draws players from across Whidbey Island, plans to play a spring season.

If COVID-19 cooperates, that is, and Island County can get to Phase 2 in Governor Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan.

League President Eric Marshall announced a plan Monday in which football will play, but cheer will not.

“Unfortunately we will NOT be offering cheerleading this spring,” he said.

“Due to the short window for ordering uniforms, and the uncertainty of the season, we do not feel we can offer a quality cheer experience at this time.”

The current plan:

Jan. 18 — Registration opens, with a reduced cost of $100 per player due to “the shortened season and uncertainty of being able to play games.”

Feb. 15 — Registration closes, and league officials will determine if they have enough players to form teams. If not, full refunds will be issued.

Mar. 1 — First practice. No refunds after this point.

There will be three practices per week, at two hours each, with all practices closed to spectators.

Mar. 13 — Jamboree played.

Mar. 20 — First game — if Island County has advanced to Phase 2.

May 1 — Playoffs (semifinals).

May 8 — Super Saturday (championships)

“Our player’s safety always comes first,” Marshall said. “The league will be following ALL safe return to play guidelines and WIAA regulations, including facemasks, temperature checks, and social distancing.

“We hope you have all been staying safe and healthy during this past year,” he added. “We look forward to seeing you all again real soon.”

 

To register, pop over to:

www.ohfcl.org/home.php?layout=878060

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WIAA shuffles return to play schedule

Posted in coronavirus updates, Everything changes, tagged , , , , on January 6, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Traditional fall high school sports such as football may be the first to return to play. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Everything changes. Again.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Executive Board voted Wednesday to redo its planned 2020-2021 school athletic schedule, moving traditional fall sports back in front.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there have been no prep games in the state played in nearly 11 months, in any sport, and the plans to return to play have been constantly-changing.

Up until Wednesday night, winter sports such as basketball were set to possibly be the first ones back.

But, after new guidelines were set in place earlier this week by Governor Jay Inslee and the state Health Department, the WIAA opted to flip things.

Again.

“The change in guidelines allow all traditional fall sports to be played while we still do not have a clear pathway to the high-risk indoor activities of basketball, competitive cheer and dance, and wrestling,” said WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman.

“With that in mind, moving fall sports to Season 1 will hopefully provide the most opportunities to participate.”

The new plan is for fall sports to begin practices Feb. 1, with a shortened season ending March 20.

Season 2 (March 15-May 1) and Season 3 (April 26-June 12) remain on the schedule as before, though it’s unclear if traditional winter sports will follow, or whether spring sports will leapfrog them.

Some more clarification is expected after the WIAA Executive Board meets Jan. 19.

“We are hoping to receive more details that were not included in the Governor’s announcement on Tuesday, particularly surrounding indoor sports and activities,” Hoffman said.

“As we continue to gather more information and evaluate the new metrics, the board will be able to make better decisions about the remainder of the year.”

The move to flip fall sports back in front would seem to indicate the possible return of football, cross country, volleyball, boys tennis, and boys and girls soccer for Coupeville High School.

But, and this is a huge BUT, while the WIAA is providing a “uniform season schedule concluding in regional culminating events, it has granted each league or district around the state the ability to reschedule seasons to best fit their local communities.”

Any decision from the Athletic Directors of the Northwest 2B/1B League will likely have to come soon, but no time frame for a decision has been announced.

Part of that decision hinges on implementation of the new guidelines — Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery — which divides the state into eight regions.

Island County is now linked with Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan Counties (but not Snohomish, which includes Darrington, one of Coupeville’s league foes) in the North Region.

There will be two phases in the plan, with all regions beginning in Phase 1 next Monday, Jan. 11.

To move from Phase 1 to Phase 2, a region needs to meet four metrics:

**10-percent decline in COVID-19 case rates over the past two weeks.
**10-percent decrease in COVID-19 hospital admission over the past two weeks.
**ICU occupancy under 90 percent.
**Test positivity less than 10 percent.

If a region is in Phase 2, all outdoor sports, including “high-risk” ones such as football, can play games.

Indoor sports classified as “medium-risk,” such as volleyball, can also play, but “high-risk” indoor sports like basketball can not.

It is currently unknown what a region will have to do to reach an as-yet unknown Phase 3 under the new plan, which would allow “high-risk” indoor sports to play.

It’s also unknown if any fans will be allowed to attend games if fall sports really do start Feb. 1.

Which shouldn’t be a surprise.

In this Age of Coronavirus, just remember, with each 1% of clarification comes another 99% of “I have no freakin’ clue.”

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