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Posts Tagged ‘freshman’

“I love being part of a team”

Posted in Basketball, soccer, tagged , , , , , on August 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Lauren Marrs basks in the glow of helping her basketball team win a SWISH championship. (Emili Marrs photo)

Lauren Marrs is the type of player every coach appreciates.

She can control a game by herself, seems to have little fear on the hardwood or pitch, and is already quite-polished for an athlete headed into her freshman year of high school.

But as talented as Marrs has been while playing with middle school and select squads, it is the way she embraces being part of something bigger which truly sets her apart.

She can be a star, if that’s what you need, but she can also be part of an ensemble, if that’s what you require.

All while displaying the same passion and positive attitude, regardless of her role.

For Marrs, that just comes naturally.

“I enjoy everything about being an athlete,” she said. “I love being a part of a team.

“I just want to keep working hard and learning,” Marrs added. “I want to keep improving in all areas of the sports I play.”

In her middle school days, the younger sister of former Wolf standout Jaden Marrs played sports year-round, with volleyball, basketball (school and SWISH), and select soccer on her resume.

As she makes the jump to Coupeville High School, Lauren plans to fine-tune her focus, putting an emphasis on basketball, where she’s a deadly shooter and fluid ballhandler, and soccer, which is her burning passion.

“My favorite sport is soccer,” Marrs said. “I have been playing for 10 years, select for the last six.”

On the pitch, she’s a lock-down enforcer in net, playing goaltender for the SW Reign the past three seasons.

“I love the position I play and I would like to continue on playing it throughout high school and college,” Marrs said.

She plans to play both sports all four years of high school, and pledges, “I want us to work hard and win.”

Off the field, Marrs enjoys her health and PE classes, is a big fan of The Goonies and the Indiana Jones movies, and finds numerous ways to stay busy.

“I like to spend my time playing and watching sports,” she said. “I also like to swim, hike, play b-ball, go to the beach, and spend time with my friends and my family.”

Whether she’s knifing big, bad King’s on the hardwood, nailing a three-ball from somewhere out in the parking lot as mom Emili high-fives everyone within a five-mile radius, or pulling off a sweet shutout on the soccer pitch, Lauren keep things simple.

“I look up to my parents and listen to and respect what my coaches say.”

Sounds like a star to me.

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Rising star has bright future

Posted in Basketball, Cross Country, tagged , , , , on August 11, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim played on the first-ever Coupeville Middle School boys soccer team. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Simpson-Pilgrim goes strong to the hoop. (Morgan White photo)

​Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim is ready to mix things up a bit.

As he heads into his freshman year at Coupeville High School, the promising young student/athlete plans to stay with one longtime favorite sport, while trying another for the first time.

Simpson-Pilgrim, following in the footsteps of older brother Jacobi, who graduated this spring, is already a veteran on the basketball court.

“Basketball is my favorite because it’s fun, and I have stuck with it throughout my whole life,” Simpson-Pilgrim said.

​”I think my strengths are stamina and my physical strength,” he added. “I’d like to work on rebounding.”

While he was a member of the first-ever Coupeville Middle School boys soccer squad this past fall, Simpson-Pilgrim has his sights set on a different sport for his high school days.

He plans to turn out for cross country, which has been bumped from September to March along with other fall sports, as the world deals with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Regardless of when he gets to compete, Simpson-Pilgrim plans to be ready to take full advantage of his opportunities.

“I always have something to focus on getting better at and have something to do.” he said. “My goal is to make varsity (in my sports) before my junior year.”

A big fan of his math and PE classes, Simpson-Pilgrim enjoys playing games, listening to music, and hanging out with friends when he’s not pursuing his athletic dreams.

While he strives for success, the young Wolf is quick to give credit to those who are helping him on his journey.

“The people that have the biggest impact on me are my previous (basketball) coach, Greg White, who has been my coach since 2nd grade, and my mom, because she is always a part of my team and helping plan stuff.”

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“I want to be the best player I can be”

Posted in Boys Basketball, Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , , on August 3, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Nick Guay is set to make the leap from middle school sports to high school stardom. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Guay leads the charge on the soccer pitch.

Nick Guay is in it for the long haul.

As he prepares for his freshman year at Coupeville High School, the multi-sport athlete is committed to putting in the time and effort needed to continue his growth as an athlete and student.

“There is nothing you can’t stop working on,” Guay said. “(I want) to continue to be the best player I can be.”

During his middle school days, he suited up for Wolf football, soccer, and basketball teams, and he plans to keep playing the latter two sports during his time at CHS.

Guay tabs basketball as his favorite sport, is fond of the movie Harry and the Hendersons, and shows impeccable musical taste for someone of his age, opting for classic rock from AC/DC and Led Zeppelin.

When he’s not practicing or playing in a game, he excels in his favorite classes — math and PE — and tries to spend as much time outside as possible.

“I love the outdoors and building things,” Guay said.

As he’s come up through the ranks, he’s made a name for himself as a hard worker and a hustler, an athlete willing to do whatever his team needs.

Guay hails his various coaches, and parents Dylan and Dina, for their guidance, and he enters high school with strong, team-orientated goals.

“(I want to) build a strong and positive team,” he said. “(I want to have) hard work, a positive attitude, and chemistry with other players.”

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Oldenstadt a star on the rise

Posted in Baseball, Boys Basketball, Football, tagged , , , , , on August 3, 2020| 1 Comment »

Zane Oldenstadt rumbles down low in the paint. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Oldenstadt and William Davidson pause for a photo op during track season. (Morgan White photo)

Zane Oldenstadt listens to his mom, and that may pay off as the world deals with a pandemic.

As Coupeville students prepare for a new school year, without knowing for sure how it will play out in the age of coronavirus, incoming freshmen have high hopes in an unsettled world.

For Oldenstadt, who plans to be a three-sport athlete at CHS, it’s a perfect time to reflect on words of wisdom from mom Michelle Glass.

“My mom’s had a huge impact in showing me how the only way things get done is through perseverance and work,” Oldenstadt said.

Whether his high school days start off in a classroom or at home in front of a computer, the outgoing 9th grader-to-be wants to make an impact in everything he does.

Oldenstadt is “very interested in marine biology, and I plan to go to college for it,” while in the arena he hopes to play football, basketball, and baseball, in whatever order the WIAA and CHS allow him to.

Being a three-sport athlete is something which comes naturally, as he played soccer and basketball, then wrapped up the school year competing in track and field during his middle school days.

He also played little league baseball.

While he enjoyed all of his sports, Oldenstadt felt most at home on the hardwood.

“Basketball, I have fun getting out there and battling on the court,” he said. “It’s a sport I never tire of, and I’m always ready to go and give it my all.”

As he makes the transition from CMS to CHS, Oldenstadt already has the height and strength to set him apart from other athletes his own age.

But he also realizes he needs to add other components to his game if he wants to be successful at a higher level.

“I think my athleticism at my size really stands out,” Oldenstadt said. “But I’d still like to work on overall quickness.

“My goal in high school sports is to better myself and the teams I play on through hard work and commitment.”

When he’s not playing sports, Oldenstadt enjoys listening to music.

In an uncertain world, though, athletic activity is key to his happiness.

“Sports helps me cope with stress or anything else that’s bothering me,” he said. “It’s nice just to go and focus all your energy on trying to win something.”

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Young in age, wise in wisdom

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on September 9, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Just a freshman, Kai Wong is already a two-way starter on the line for the Coupeville High School football squad. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Football is just a small part of Kai Wong’s vibrant life.

While the Coupeville High School freshman has made an immediate impact for the Wolves, starting on the line in the season opener against Port Townsend, he’s a big-picture guy who doesn’t limit himself to life on the gridiron.

“Honestly, I’m interested in a little bit of everything in life,” Wong said. “Everything has a sort of beauty to it that I can’t lay a finger on, but can’t get enough of.”

When not on the field, he enjoys playing video games and hanging out with friends and family.

And while he enjoys his home town, having moved to Coupeville during the latter half of his eighth grade year, Wong is looking forward to seeing what’s out beyond the horizon.

“One thing I’d absolutely love to do, however, would be to visit another country,” he said. “I’m fascinated by the wonders of the world that I haven’t experienced for myself yet.”

Wong, whose mom Becky would love to see him give baseball a try in the spring, approaches football with a very Zen attitude.

“I’m not actually that interested in sports, I simply play it because it’s all I know, and it’s a good way to get my energy out,” he said.

“Now, just because I’m not interested in sports, does not mean I wouldn’t love watching a beautiful play in any of them, even better if I did one.”

Wong came up through junior football programs, and having made the jump to high school, he’s beginning to develop an appreciation for all it offers.

“Football is the sport I know the most about, and I’ve grown up with it in my life,” he said.

“To be honest, I never really realize how much I enjoy being an athlete until I’m asked it,” Wong added. “It’s a good way of spending your energy, keeping you in shape and your body active.

“Not to mention, when you’re in a group with others, it’s nice to know that the hardships you go through can help your teammates.”

One of 10 freshmen on the Wolf varsity roster, Wong has already jumped to the forefront, emerging as a dependable two-way player for CHS coach Marcus Carr.

While he’s having early success, the young lineman hasn’t let it go to his head.

“If I had to flatter myself and list my strengths as an athlete, I’d have to say that really the only thing going for me is my mindset to get better,” Wong said. “With this kind of mindset, I know that whatever I’m doing to get better will allow me to support others in some way.”

He wants to work on “my physical conditioning in general, especially my stamina,” with the intent of putting together a solid prep career for himself.

“As goals for high school and football, I wish to leave a legacy that I can be proud of,” Wong said. “And make sure my schoolmates have one under their belt too, thanks to me.”

Helping drive him forward, as a football player, student and young man with a bright future, is the support of those around him.

His coaches and friends have a decided impact on his life, but those closest to him remain his primary inspiration.

“My family. Without a doubt, my family,” he said. “They’re the best I could ever ask for, and they’re one of the greatest reasons I always push forward through life and its hardships.

“I doubt I could have gone nearly as far as I have already without them in my life.”

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