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Posts Tagged ‘Friday Harbor’

Don’t stop believin’ (and winnin’)!!

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged , , , , on April 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Valen Trujillo, back after resting a bum shoulder, won big Wednesday. (Amy Trujillo photo)

Valen Trujillo, back after resting a bum shoulder, won big Wednesday. (Amy Trujillo photo)

Once the wins started coming, they haven’t stopped.

Bouncing back after a tough bit of learning under duress, when it played several of the state’s top programs, the Coupeville High School girls’ tennis team has hit its stride in recent weeks.

Wednesday the Wolves laid down a 4-1 beat-down on host Friday Harbor, the team’s sixth straight victory.

Now 7-3 overall, 2-0 in Olympic League play, Coupeville hopes to double up on its league wins with a doubleheader at Klahowya today.

The two teams will finish off a suspended match from April 21 (the Wolves were rolling to a victory when rain hit), then play today’s regularly scheduled match.

Win both of those (and it would be a shocking upset if they didn’t) and the Wolves have all but clinched a league title.

All that remains ahead of them are two matches against Chimacum, a school they drilled 6-1 in their first meeting.

Coupeville plays those matches May 4 and 7, with a non-conference tilt at Sequim in between on May 5.

Complete results from Wednesday:

Varsity:

1st Singles — Jacki Ginnings lost to Ashton Timmons 3-6, 6-3, 10-4

“This match was eerily similar to one they played last week,” said Wolf coach Ken Stange. “Jacki played well, but Ashton was once again able to come back and pull out the win.

“Jacki will get back on track tomorrow, hopefully nailing down two wins.”

2nd Singles — Valen Trujillo beat Yasmin Sarah 6-4, 6-1

Returning after missing a week with a bum shoulder, the Wolf sophomore sensation netted Player of the Match honors.

“Valen’s back. She was a bit rusty in the first half of the opening set, but she started to find her form as she headed into the second.

“She put her foe away with relative ease.”

1st Doubles — Payton Aparicio/Sage Renninger beat Summer Fox/Morgan Timmons 6-3, 6-2

“The frosh duo is starting to find a groove. They’ve played enough tennis together by now that each one can anticipate the other’s next move.

“They’re also learning on the fly, in a #1 spot. They’ve learned quite a bit from their losses; it’s good for them to gain the wisdom that comes from putting an opponent down.”

2nd Doubles — McKenzie Bailey/Wynter Thorne beat Sophie Dillery/Hailey Loucks 6-3, 6-0

“The Friday Harbor girls ran into McFlurry, an experienced doubles combo.

“Wynter and McKenzie have played a lot of tennis together, and they put that experience to work, getting off the court in short order.”

3rd Doubles — Sydney Autio/Jazmine Franklin beat Isabel Gabriel/Halle Carrier 6-2, 6-0

“Having Sydney at #3 is almost unfair. What’s more, Jazmine was knocking the fuzz off the ball today.

“Their match was over in what seemed like the blink of an eye.”

JV:

Ana Luvera/Ivy Luvera beat Jillian/ Madeline 8-2

Micky LeVine/Mckenzie Meyer beat Mia McMillan/Nayleah Tucker-Belt 8-0

Bree Daigneault/Haleigh Deasy beat Mia Saccio/Mariah Daniher 4-0 (“We had to catch the ferry!”)

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Another day, another win!!

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged , , , , , on April 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Ana Luvera goes low for the volley. (John Fisken photos)

Ana Luvera goes low for the volley. (John Fisken photos)

McKenzie Bailey prepares to flick another winner.

McKenzie Bailey prepares to flick another winner.

Sydney Autio reaches up for an overhead, while doubles partner Micky LeVine lurks in the background.

   Sydney Autio reaches up for an overhead, while doubles partner Micky LeVine lurks in the background.

The best team in all the land.

After thrashing a depleted Friday Harbor squad Friday, the Coupeville High School girls’ tennis team has a 5 1/2 match winning streak, the longest streak for any Wolf program this spring.

The 4-2 non-conference victory over the Wolverines lifted Coupeville to 6-3 overall, 2-0 in Olympic League play.

Technically, the streak is as five, though Coupeville was far ahead of Klahowya in a match postponed by rain.

The tail end of that match will be wrapped up next week, before the third and final show-down between the two schools.

The Wolves are scheduled to play three and a half matches next week, hosting Chimacum Tuesday, going to Friday Harbor Wednesday, then playing a match and a half at Klahowya Thursday.

They then wrap up the regular season, and, hopefully, a league title, with matches at Sequim (May 5) and Chimacum (May 7).

Friday, it was all about putting the Wolverines away early.

All four wins were quick affairs, while the only two losses came in matches that stretched out over three sets.

Freshmen phenoms Payton Aparicio and Sage Renninger netted Player of the Match honors for a double-bagel win at first doubles.

“It’s difficult enough to win at that spot,” said CHS coach Ken Stange. “A blowout win always feels good.”

Complete results:

1st Singles — Jacki Ginnings lost to Ashton Timmons 2-6, 7-5, 10-8

2nd Singles — Wynter Thorne lost to Yasmin Sarah 7-6(9-7), 4-6, 10-8

3rd Singles — Ana Luvera beat Hailey Loucks 6-2, 6-4

1st Doubles — Payton Aparicio/Sage Renninger beat Sophie Dillery/Halle Carrier 6-0, 6-0

2nd Doubles — McKenzie Bailey/Jazmine Franklin beat ? 6-4, 6-2

3rd Doubles — Sydney Autio/Micky LeVine beat Nayaleah Tucker-Belt/Mia Saccio 6-0, 6-0

 

P.S. — To see more photos from this match (purchases help fund college scholarships for CHS senior student/athletes), pop over to:

http://www.olympicleague.com/index.php?act=view_gallery&gallery=8605&league=21&page=1&page_name=photo_store&school=24&sport=0

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Young guns sparkle in close loss!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , on April 19, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Clay Reilly (John Fisken photo)

Clay Reilly swings away Saturday. (John Fisken photo)

Some losses don’t sting as much as others.

While the Coupeville High School baseball squad was tripped up by one bad inning Saturday and fell 5-3 to visiting Friday Harbor, Wolf coach Willie Smith was fairly OK with the result.

“As losses go, this was one that really doesn’t affect us mentally and a lot of young kids got to step up and played very well for us,” said the seasoned hardball guru.

With a battle for first place in the 1A Olympic League looming Tuesday, when the Wolves (6-5 overall, 2-0 in league) travel to Klahowya (10-0, 1-0), Saturday’s non-conference tilt was more about staying (or getting) healthy and giving the young guns some playing time.

Senior hurler Aaron Curtin was lights-out, as he has been all season, shutting Friday Harbor down for the first four innings.

He struck out seven and surrendered just two hits, but then gave way to his relievers to stay primed for Klahowya.

With the change in pitchers, Coupeville’s fate veered in a new, walk-strewn direction.

Aaron Trumbull walked four of the seven batters he faced, including twice walking in runs, and his defense fell apart behind him, booting a pair of ground balls, allowing Friday Harbor to put together a five-run rally in the fifth.

That erased a solid start for the Wolves, who had jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Coupeville struck for two in the first, with Josh Bayne (single) and Curtin (fielders choice) coming around when a Friday Harbor outfielder misplayed Trumbull’s fly ball to left.

The Wolves tacked on another run in the third when Curtin got to trot home for free after a balk.

Several other offensive chances were snuffed out by solid Friday Harbor glove work.

Hunter Smith was robbed of a double when the center fielder made a diving catch of his line drive.

Later, Gabe Wynn, who had singled for his first varsity hit, was doubled up at first after Joey Lippo’s liner down the baseline at third was miraculously snagged.

With the freshmen fully in control of the lineup in the latter innings, Coupeville kept it close and showed the promise of a bright future.

Hunter Smith replaced Trumbull on the mound in the sixth and retired all six batters he faced, whiffing two.

He also teamed up with Lippo on a bang-bang play in the field that brought a smile to their coach’s face.

A hot grounder into the second base hole seemed on its way to the outfield, but Lippo ran it down, pivoted and made the throw to his pitcher, who was covering the bag at first with Trumbull having been pulled away by the grounder.

“Just like we practice!,” said Willie Smith.

Coupeville had one last shot at a rally in the bottom of the seventh. CJ Smith eked out a one-out walk and Curtin smoked a shot to deep right.

Unfortunately, his moon ball dropped right into a waiting outfielder’s glove to end the game.

While he would have gladly accepted a victory, Willie Smith was impressed with what he got from the young end of his bench.

“Some really great stuff from our young guys: Cameron Toomey-Stout started in left, Julian Welling at third, Joey played well in the field and swung it well, and Hunter debuted on the mound and gave us another strong pitching option.

“One bad inning does us in and is a good reminder that it only takes one inning in this game,” he added. “But I feel real confident and relaxed heading into the Klahowya game.”

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Close! So, so close!!

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on April 19, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Jasmine Melena (John Fisken photo)

Jasmine Melena, seen here earlier this season, made her fielding debut Saturday. (John Fisken photo)

One more out. My kingdom for one more out.

Using a late rally Saturday, the Coupeville High School softball squad came dangerously close to pulling off a second straight walk-off win, but ran out of chances at the very end.

Scoring four in the bottom of the seventh, the Wolves pushed visiting Friday Harbor to the limit, before falling 7-6.

The non-conference loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Coupeville and dropped it to 3-5 on the season.

Coming off of an emotional 22-21 win in their previous game, the Wolves came out a bit slower at the plate this time, scratching out single runs in the first and second inning.

Hailey Hammer smacked an RBI single that brought in Katrina McGranahan, while Tiffany Briscoe put up a sac fly that plated Monica Vidoni.

CHS coach Deanna Rafferty would have liked to have seen a consistent offensive attack, but was still pleased with part of what she witnessed.

“My biggest frustration in this game was we didn’t amp our intensity until the seventh inning,” she said. “We could have and should have won, but, as always, all the girls made a little bit of an improvement and I’m incredibly proud of them.”

The visitors won the game with a five-run third inning that was helped along a bit by the umps.

While they did catch a Friday Harbor runner not tagging home, wiping out a run, the umps missed a call on a run-down play.

McKayla Bailey, Hammer and Jae LeVine teamed up to nab a runner, with LeVine going airborne to slap the tag on the girl’s calf, but the call went against Coupeville, allowing a crucial run to score.

Bailey replaced McGranahan in the pitcher’s circle in the fourth and limited Friday Harbor to just one run, while the game also saw the first appearance of Jasmine Melena, who handled her first fielding chance skillfully.

“She did great!,” Rafferty said.

The Wolves, who sit atop the Olympic League standings at 2-0, will put that status on the line Tuesday, when they travel to Klahowya.

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“We are beginning to figure some things out!!”

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , , on December 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Desmond Bell

  Desmond Bell scored nine Wednesday, including a three-pointer that sparked a Wolf rally. (John Fisken photo)

“I’m liking the energy we are getting from the bench. Guys are excited to play and it shows.”

While his squad lost Wednesday in a game that was scheduled at the last second, Coupeville High School JV boys’ basketball coach Dustin Van Velkinburgh can see the positives.

“We are beginning to figure some things out,” he said. “Just need to find our stride earlier in games. At points this season, when we click and play well together, as we are capable of, we have been scary.”

The Wolves cut a 21-point deficit to six at one point against visiting Friday Harbor, but also had stretches that were less pleasant.

A slow start and a bad finish combined to send CHS to a 61-39 loss.

The game was a late pick-up for the young Wolves (now 1-5), who had an opening on their schedule since an earlier varsity opponent, Darrington, didn’t have a second team.

Friday Harbor’s two girls’ teams were already scheduled to come to Whidbey, so the Wolverine JV boys hitched a ride with them.

With little time to plan for the game, Coupeville came out cold.

One of the team’s leading scorers, DeAndre Mitchell, got in early foul trouble and spent much of the first half attached to the bench.

In his place, the Wolves got a big boost from freshman Hunter Downes, who “came in and gave us great energy off the bench.”

With Downes on the floor, Coupeville cut a 9-1 deficit to 13-8 by the end of the first quarter.

Hunter Smith nailed a running floater a tick before the buzzer to send his squad into the opening break on a positive note.

Unfortunately, things soured quickly as the Wolves went on a tear of missed layups, repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot after getting solid looks at the basket.

Things worsened as CHS came out of the halftime break with little spark, letting Friday Harbor stretch out its lead past the 20-point barrier.

After a Van Velkinburgh timeout, the Wolves finally seemed to wake up.

Desmond Bell stroked a three-point bomb from the corner to kick things off and Coupeville immediately stole the in-bounds pass on the next play, scoring another quick bucket.

The Wolves cut their deficit back to six, but Friday Harbor survived, nailing a trey to blunt the run.

Down by 10 with 90 seconds to play, Coupeville cleared its bench and the visitors closed the game on a 12-0 run.

Smith paced the Wolves with 14 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists, while Bell racked up nine points, four boards and two steals.

When he was able to stay on the court, DeAndre Mitchell was effective, pumping in eight points and snatching seven boards.

Dante Mitchell (five points, six boards), Brian Shank (one point, six boards) and Downes (two points, three boards and “countless floor burns”) all chipped in, as well.

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