Liam Lawson and his CMS basketball teammates had an eventful trip to Granite Falls. (Kassie O’Neil photo)
Strange things happen on the road.
Monday’s trip to the wilds of Granite Falls offered a bit of everything for the Coupeville Middle School boys basketball teams.
Up to, and including, a freakin’ TIE, which should be illegal on the hardwood.
This isn’t soccer, and Cascade League rules makers need to pull their heads out of their collective tushes, but more on that later in this story.
How the day played out for the Wolves:
Level 1:
Coupeville scored big early, then lost its shooting touch and fell 37-34 in a thriller which came down to the final moments.
Jayden McManus was rock-solid for the Wolves, banging away for a game-high 16 points, with half of that coming during the opening quarter.
Speedy point guard Chayse Van Velkinburgh added seven for CMS, including rippling the net on a three-ball from the parking lot, while Riley Lawless (5), Davin Houston (4), and Dylan Robinett (2) also scored.
Joshua Stockdale, Mahkai Myles, and Carson Grove also saw floor time for the Wolves, with Myles making his season debut.
Level 2:
Things start to go wonky here.
Unable to overcome a withering press, Coupeville put up some points but couldn’t keep up with Granite in a 39-17 loss.
Who scored for the Wolves?
We’ll probably never know, as the scorebook remains a work of mystery, with no scoring totals recorded for the game.
Which means every player in the game can go home and tell their parents they shot the lights out, and mom and pops can only nod as they slowly back out of the room.
“Sure honey, whatever you say.”
Anyways, we do know Hunter Atteberry, Liam Lawson, Nathan Niewald, Roger Merino-Martinez, Cyrus Sparacio, Charles Hart, Robinett, Kenneth Jacobsen, Jacob Barajas, and Sage Arends were listed on the roster.
So, that’s a start.
Level 3:
“The shocker of the night!”
CMS coach Jon Roberts had to sit down and collect his thoughts after Roger Merino-Martinez, in his second game of the season, decided to morph into Damian Lillard.
Raining down shots from every part of the gym, the Wolf 7th grader scorched the nets for 21 points in a 27-27 tie.
“Whether he was stealing the ball and making a layup or taking a confident 12-footer, Roger was the man!” Roberts said.
“Plus, Cyrus did a good job of feeding him and creating shots himself.”
Sparacio chipped in with four points, while Kenneth Jacobsen knocked down a bucket.
Zach Blitch, Jacob Meadors, Johnathan Jacobsen, Barajas, and Khanor Jump also saw floor time for the Wolves, who, against all conventional wisdom, never got to play overtime.
That’s because Cascade League rules allow extra periods only for Level 1 basketball games and say any ties in Level 2 and 3 games should be decided with a rousing moment of rock, paper, scissors.
Seriously. I’m not making that part up.
No, seriously…
Somewhere, retired NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo is shaking his finger at the camera, saying “No, no, no!!!” the way he used to do after blocking a shot and ripping his foe’s very soul from their chest.
Coupeville Sports 