Hall of Fame | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Hall of Fame’

Put in work, reap the benefits

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, Logan Martin, track and field on June 29, 2022| 1 Comment »

Logan Martin strikes a pose. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Hard work never scared Logan Martin.

Few Coupeville athletes put in as much time and effort as the Class of 2022 grad did.

Following in the footsteps of older brother Dalton, lil’ Logan became big Logan, achieving his own athletic and academic success, and he did so thanks to outworking everyone.

As a little kid, he and Mollie Bailey would seize every chance they had to shoot during down time at high school hoops games.

Before tipoff, at halftime, after games, the duo would be out there, putting up shots, shagging rebounds, and building their skill set.

Rumble, young man, rumble. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

That drive and commitment carried over to high school for Logan, especially when he began to pursue excellence as a track and field thrower.

No matter the weather conditions, the time of day, or the state of the world, he’d be out there with dad Bob, honing his discus and shotput skills.

Logan would whirl, the implement would explode free from his hand, arcing high into the heavens, and then he’d nod, say a word or two to pops, and get right back at it.

“Fly far away, my lil’ discus!” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

So, it didn’t come as much of a surprise to see him soar the way he did, even in the Age of Coronavirus.

The pandemic stole away Logan’s entire sophomore season and eliminated any postseason opportunities as a junior.

But, like his fellow Wolf athletes, he endured and prospered.

Logan won 22 times in his high school career, tacking on a combined 13 victories as a senior after going undefeated in both discus (5-0) and shot put (4-0) during his shortened junior campaign.

He never stopped working, and with the annual trek to Cheney restored this spring, he capped his senior season by claiming 2nd place in both of his events at the WIAA championships.

Not content to stop there, Logan added a third runner-up finish — all to Jeremiah Nubbe, a once-in-a-lifetime chucker from Rainier — at the non-WIAA state hammer throw meet.

Medals and plaques in hand, memories carved out, hard work paid off, the road continues with Logan slated to throw for Central Washington University next year.

Signing on the dotted line to be a college athlete. (Eileen Stone photo)

While his track performance marked a personal high, spring was the cherry on an amazing senior campaign for the youngest of Abbie Martin’s two sons.

The Wolf boys basketball team, anchored by a group of seniors who grew up together on the hardwood, reached heights not seen in decades.

The program’s first league title since 2002.

Its first district crown since 1970, with the clincher coming against perennial power La Conner.

And, finally, the first trip to the state tourney since 1988, with Coupeville the only unbeaten team in the 2B field at 16-0.

Celebrating hardwood success with Dominic Coffman. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Through it all Logan was a “glue” guy for a Wolf squad which bought in to coach Brad Sherman’s team-first concept.

Everyone wants to be The Dude, hitting the game-winning shot, and Logan could score inside and outside, putting back offensive boards or pulling up to splash a three-ball.

But on a team where six to seven guys could pace the squad in scoring on any night, he accepted his role, and made the Wolves better for it.

Logan was the guy who fought for every loose ball, ripped rebounds free even while being pummeled, set his teammates up for success — and cheered their achievements — and never backed down on defense.

From day one to the final moments of his prep hoops career, he worked — relentlessly and with pride in what he was doing.

And that carried over to other sports Logan picked up along the way, whether it was wielding a tennis racket or protecting the goal on the soccer pitch.

Different sport, same work ethic. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Through six years of school sports — middle and high school — he grew in height, in strength, in maturity.

Logan has been, in everything I’ve witnessed and heard, a good guy, and he showed great resiliency in challenging times.

Today we give him some payback, welcoming the rock-solid Mr. Martin to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, where he joins his brother.

After this, you’ll be able to find him hanging out at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.

How’d he punch his entry ticket to that hallowed digital destination, you ask?

He worked for it, every day, and he earned it, on every play.

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A class act, start to finish

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, Izzy Wells, Softball on June 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Izzy Wells? A lovely human being, and a pretty darn good athlete, too. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

She was the serene superstar.

Now, I don’t live inside the brain of Izzy Wells, so it’s possible there were fireworks going off in there every single game.

Her stomach might have been dive-bombed by butterflies, and non-stop cold sweats may have been the rule.

If so, she hides it really, really well.

Throughout her athletic career in Coupeville — from little league exploits to middle school success on to high school excellence, Izzy projected such utter calmness in everything she did.

When she was in the pitcher’s circle on the softball diamond, she could be up by 10 runs or down by five, and she had an uncanny knack to look peaceful, yet determined every time.

It’s a rare trait, one which Wells displayed both as a newbie and as a grizzled vet, and it makes for a highly successful pitcher.

“I’m gonna throw it … but you’re not gonna hit it.”

Now, the Izzinator could break off a nasty fastball which drilled a hole through a rival’s bat as it finished its journey into a waiting catcher’s mitt.

She could chuck BBs with the best of them.

But it was that calmness which flowed out of her, and around her, which centered her team and was — in my opinion at least — her greatest weapon.

Izzy never seemed to get too high or too low, with just a small smile peeking out in rare moments when her sheer awesomeness overwhelmed even her.

Even with a pandemic making the middle part of her high school days a royal pain, she had a run of success which matches up with any Wolf hurler who ever stepped into the circle.

As a freshman, she was the staff ace for a team which got stronger as the season went on, roaring from behind to smack big, bad Granite Falls en route to earning a ticket to the state tourney.

Izzy, chucking liquid heat on her home field, stared down the most-feared hitter in the league, senior slugger Samantha Vanderwel, with a crucial game on the line late in the regular season.

The first time Coupeville faced the homer-happy Tigers, it lost badly. The second time, the Wolves were nipped.

Meeting #3 ended with Izzy firing a laser, Vanderwel swinging with every ounce of her strength and hitting nothing but air, and Wolf catcher Sarah Wright screaming like a banshee in celebration.

In the circle, a slight dip of her head, a half-smile, and then Wells vanished under a dogpile of her teammates.

It was the turning point, as Coupeville roared from behind to tie for a league title, earn a #1 seed to districts — where it beat Granite again — then go on to state for a three-game run which included eliminating highly ranked Deer Park.

The pandemic robbed Izzy of her sophomore season, but she endured, leading CHS to a 12-0 mark in a cut-down junior campaign and a 16-3 record as a senior — when her catcher was often lil’ sis Savina.

Savina (left) and Izzy — how it started…

How it’s going.

Coupeville went a truly impressive 43-13 during Izzy’s time in uniform, with her morphing from a young gunslinger to an all-around weapon as her batting skills boomed in her final two seasons.

She could crank the ball deep into the prairie clouds or slap hits past diving infielders and was always one of the smarter base runners to play for the Wolves.

And yet, as talented on the softball field as she was — and that’s my enduring image of her, Izzy standing motionless in the circle, eyes narrowing ever so slightly behind her face mask as she mentally mapped out her next strikeout — she was successful in everything she did.

A volleyball spiker, a soccer ace, and Miss Dependable on the basketball court, dropping in buckets with her patented super-soft layup.

“Scuse me, pardon me, coming through to score another basket.”

Izzy rang up 204 points across four seasons of varsity ball, finishing as the #3 scorer during both her junior and senior campaigns.

She could give you some of everything on the hardwood, bringing defense, teamwork, and a strong hoops IQ to everything she did.

When I call Izzy a “glue” player, it’s a high compliment.

She helped hold things together, and, again, was always the face of calm in the heat of athletic battle, whether her team was romping to a win or fighting tooth and nail to stay alive.

Hanging out with fellow seniors (l to r) Violette Huegerich, Mckenna Somes, and Audrianna Shaw.

Through it all, the happiest I saw her was when someone close to her, from sister Savina to friends like Ja’Kenya Hoskins and Mckenna Somes, were successful in their endeavors.

Izzy rightfully earned honors of her own — up to and including being named league MVP in softball — but seeing her pride and joy in other’s accomplishments truly highlights her quiet leadership.

In the classroom she was a talented scholar, finishing in the top 10 of all graduates from the CHS Class of 2022, and, in her spare time, she is helping raise what is arguably the town’s most-popular dog.

The Wells clan, featuring a scene-stealing pup.

Looking ahead, I can’t envision any world in which Miss Wells doesn’t go on to accomplish truly amazing things in her future.

Over the course of the 10-year run of this blog, Izzy has been one of my personal favorites, and I am very happy to induct her today into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

After this you’ll find her hanging out up at the top of the blog under the Legends tab, a designation she more than earned.

It’s for Izzy’s play on the diamond and the hardwood, the pitch and the court, for her work in the classroom or with a musical instrument in hand, and for the way she remains one of the highest-quality people to ever rep the red and black.

She was ever-more successful as she got older, but the middle of Lyle and Katy Wells three children has been a truly lovely human being every step of the way.

It was always easy to root for you, Izzy, and that will never change.

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Shine on, superstar!

Posted in Hall o' Fame, tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, Ja'Kenya Hoskins, track and field on June 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Ja’Kenya Hoskins (left) celebrates graduation with sister Ja’Tarya. (Photo courtesy Hoskins family)

Her impact goes far beyond mere stats.

Ja’Kenya Hoskins, like her siblings before her, is a naturally talented athlete, to be sure.

Even with the loss of competition inflicted by a worldwide pandemic, the youngest of the four Hoskins children had a sizable impact for Coupeville High School sports teams.

She made it to the state championships as a mere freshman — running a leg on a 4 x 200 relay unit which claimed 3rd place in Cheney — then came back around to qualify for three events as a senior.

Only a 9th grader and already one of the fastest runners in the state. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Entirely denied a sophomore season by Covid, then restricted by a cut-down junior campaign, Ja’Kenya roared back into the spotlight during her final go-round.

With the state meet back in place for the first time in three years, she earned a place at the starting line in the 200, 4 x 100, and 4 x 200, capping a memorable run in the red and black.

Across what essentially amounted to 2.5 seasons of competition, Ja’Kenya competed in six different events, from sprints to relays to flinging herself airborne in the long jump.

All while looking like she was having the time of her life every day, every meet, every practice.

But Ja’Kenya was far from a one-sport athlete, as she gleefully rumbled on the basketball court — both for school and non-school teams.

Ja’Kenya touches the ceiling. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Her long arms yanking down rebounds, she would spin, hit the gas pedal, and lead mad charges down the floor, crashing pell-mell through rivals on her way to the hoop.

When Ja’Kenya was on the fly, bodies would hit the floor — often her own — and through it all, she wore a huge smile, a trail of giggles coming from her as she surveyed the damage left in her wake.

The youngest Miss Hoskins is the giddiest one of the bunch, and her enjoyment of sports, and of life, has always been a huge part of her success.

But like I said — we can look at the stats, the times and distances, the points and rebounds, and it would give us just a partial view of what makes Ja’Kenya so special.

To fully appreciate her impact, to realize why she is so well-liked and why she will be fondly remembered long after she’s moved on to conquer new worlds, you have to marinate in her personality.

To pay tribute to how Ja’Kenya is one of the sunniest, kindest, smartest, strongest young women to ever grace Coupeville with her presence.

The first time I noticed her impact was when she was boppin’ through her middle school days.

Basketball season arrived, and with it, the Ja’Kenya Love Fest began.

Every time another school would arrive in the CMS gym, the screaming and whooping would begin, as, invariably, most of her “rivals” would throw their bags into the bleachers and sprint to the other side of the floor to madly hug Miss Hoskins.

Everyone knew Kenny, and everyone loved Kenny, and she loved them back.

She seemingly knew every name, remembered every face, and embraced her celebrity, dispensing love and joy and getting it right back.

Sure, a half hour later she might be in the thick of a fight for a rebound, her windmilling elbows slicing off the head of anyone in the vicinity.

But that was just part of the game, part of being a competitive hardcourt warrior, and just about every girl who got dropped by a Ja’Kenya elbow accepted their fate blissfully.

Her energy, and entertainment value, carried over to her later years, and I also saw a different side of her when she ran the clock during high school soccer games.

Yes, the fact she had the barest concept of what a video store was — proving once and for all time that my Videoville days are truly long gone, was a wee bit disturbing.

“But I’m sure I would have loved it!” she said, and if we ever build that time machine, Ja’Kenya would surely be one of the all-time great employees in a different timeline.

Once she stopped laughing over the idea people were watching movies on something called a VHS tape…

A star is born, waving to her future fan club. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It was in the press box where I came to fully appreciate how truly kind Ja’Kenya is, as she had something genuinely positive to say about everyone.

Well, except for maybe that one rival soccer player who riled her up when they hip-checked Wolf sparkplug Cael Wilson from behind, sending him sprawling.

“I will throw hands if you make me come down there!!!!,” she blurted before realizing her microphone was still in the on position and dissolving into a giggle fit.

Of course, if a riled-up Miss Hoskins had thrown open the press room door and sprinted for the field, telling her fists “Mic check! One! Two!” the reality is the rival player on the field would have probably looked up and yelled “Ja’Kenya!!!!! Remember me? From middle school?????”

You know it. I know it. We all know it.

Hard to truly be a bad-ass enforcer when everyone is your best friend.

Ja’Kenya is a positive force of nature, shooting good vibes out into the world, and all of us should try and be more like her.

In the long stretches between scoring plays (it’s soccer…) she talked about her job, how the pandemic changed school, her trip to Washington, DC with her sisters, Jai’Lysa and Ja’Tarya, even her thoughts on the universe.

Her stories are entertaining, her giggles epic, and her heart bigger than you can imagine.

Embracing challenges, reaching every goal, just being the best darn version of herself possible, Ja’Kenya is a rare gem.

This time, she’s the senior star. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

All of her siblings are talented, standouts in both athletic and academic worlds, and Coupeville is blessed the Hoskins family chose this cow town to be their home.

Today we induct Ja’Kenya into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, where she joins her sisters — older brother Will played during my video store days, so he’s the lone Hoskins I never covered in person.

After this, if you bounce up to the top of the blog and look under the Legends tab, you’ll find the trio hanging out and classing up the joint.

It’s not going to be the last time someone honors Ja’Kenya.

I have no doubt she will go on to light up the real world — the one beyond her prep sports days — wowing everyone she meets with her grace and kindness, her joy and wonder.

Miss Hoskins the 3rd has a rare talent of making everyone around her feel better, of bringing light and love into the lives of others, and I hope it is always reflected back to her.

You are a truly amazing young woman, Ja’Kenya, a bright, shining star and you deserve all the props.

Ja’Kenya and Izzy Wells, forever friends. (Katy Wells photo)

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They made the gym jump

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged Boys Basketball, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, Northwest League, state championships on June 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville celebrates its first boys basketball district title since 1970. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They found joy in despair and made the night rock once again.

Not that many years back, the Coupeville High School boys basketball program endured a winless season-plus.

The number of fans in the stands dwindled, excitement ebbed, and that was before a worldwide pandemic crushed the life out of just about everyone.

But the Wolves endured and they rebounded.

Brad Sherman, one of the best to ever make the nets flip in the CHS gym, accepted his prairie destiny and returned to build a program which honored those who came before while looking to craft a bright future.

Brad and Abbey Sherman and their future All-Conference hoops stars. (Deb Sherman photo)

As Sherman and his fellow Wolf coaches worked tirelessly, they drew on a core of players from the Class of 2022.

Three ball-happy sniper Hawthorne Wolfe was the first to reach the varsity, a starter from day one of his 9th grade season, and he was soon followed by Xavier Murdy, the glue.

Later, Logan Martin and Grady Rickner would join, with Miles Davidson contributing while battling through extensive injuries.

Two were missing, with Bennett Boyles battling valiantly against brain cancer in middle school, and Caleb Meyer having moved to the big city before his freshman campaign.

But Bennett, even after his premature passing, remains with his friends in spirit, with Wolfe writing his name on his sneakers, and the team saving a chair on the bench for their youthful companion.

Then, as the world struggled to rise from the pandemic, with masks still required, and frequent Covid tests making it a struggle to keep a roster whole, the last touchstone of my Videoville days returned.

He’s taller now, stronger now, with a lot more of the curly locks he rocked even as a lil’ kid, but Caleb Meyer’s smile still lights up the gym, and his reentry into Wolf Nation was like a lock clicking into place.

Suddenly the Wolves who ran together in middle school were back together, and, backed by a strong group of underclassmen, they were ready to rock the world.

It began with the ultimate smack upside the head, with Coupeville, a 2B school, drop-kicking 3A Oak Harbor — the Wolves proving they wouldn’t crack under pressure, wouldn’t back down against their big-city neighbors, showing a new age had arrived.

Meyer, repeatedly hit in the arms and body by feisty Wildcat defenders as he brought the ball up court, just smiled and never flinched, the ball zinging into the waiting hands of teammates.

Caleb Meyer brings the heat. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Things ended with CHS students storming the court while Wolfe flexed and popped his uniform.

Revenge for an overtime loss to OHHS as a freshman when refs swallowed their whistles as he was brutally thrashed on the final play in regulation?

Possibly, or maybe just an acknowledgment that things were going to be different this time around.

And man, were they ever.

Covid hung over everything — with Sherman often forced to juggle his lineup hours before tipoff as players were sidelined — and it didn’t matter.

Every night a different Wolf seemed to go off, and the hot hand was always fed.

Look, it’s high school ball and, down deep, every player wants to be the guy racking up points, but the 2021-2022 CHS squad did a better job than most at sharing the load — and looking happy about doing it.

They made the pass to the open guy.

They scrambled for every rebound and loose ball.

They sacrificed personal glory for the good of the whole.

A butt hit the floor and four other Wolves ran to pick up the fifth guy.

They were one of the most cohesive teams I’ve seen in my time writing about prep sports, and it paid off.

Win after win, whether it be a rout, or the occasional stunning come-from-behind victory, carried them to a promised land not seen by the boys hoops program in decades.

Team, above all else. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The first league title since 2002, when Sherman himself was still dropping three-balls from the parking lot.

The first district title since 1970, thanks to a win over eternal bogeyman La Conner on Coupeville’s home court in a gym as loud as any I have personally witnessed.

The first trip to the state championships since 1988, back when then head coach Ron Bagby was still rockin’ the ‘stache and the short shorts.

Coupeville was 16-0 when the big dance began — the only unbeaten team left in 2B — and, while the Wolves fell to established powers Kalama and Lake Roosevelt, they pushed both teams hard.

They won praise from rival coaches, media types, and state tourney broadcasters, for their defense, for their hustle, and for the way they meshed.

“Get yourself a hype man like Hawthorne Wolfe!” screamed one giddy play-by-play man, after Hawk danced in celebration when sophomore Logan Downes splashed home a long-range bomb.

It was a theme which continued as the Maraudin’ Murdy boys — Xavier and Alex — relentlessly harassed rival ballhandlers, and Meyer grabbed Rickner and Martin in bearhugs after big plays.

Xavier Murdy cuts down a memory. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Heading into the state tourney, it was obvious few outsiders had any respect for CHS basketball.

If they even knew where Whidbey Island was, they certainly had never seen the Wolf boys play at a high level in a really long time, and we were an afterthought, even at 16-0.

That changed, and now, when Coupeville next steps on a big stage, the conversation will start from a different place.

This is how you build a program, and this team, which overcame deep personal loss and troubling times, will live on as the guys who started the rebirth.

Their accomplishments will sit proudly on the Wall of Fame in the CHS gym, and, after this, they will also be a part of the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

Pop up to the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, and you’ll find them sitting side-by-side with some of the most-successful teams in school history.

But, most of all, the ’21-’22 varsity hoops team will live on in the memories of those who saw them play, those who were on the floor, and those who will follow them.

All the young boys and girls who crowded into the CHS gym game after game, the ones who whooped and hollered and high-fived Hawk and X and Co.?

They will take the next step, hit the next bucket, spread the story of Wolf basketball.

Honor the past, embrace the present, strive for the best in the future.

This is the way, the way they were taught by a team for the ages.

Inducted as a team:

The 2021-2022 CHS boys varsity basketball team:

Coaches:

Randy Bottorff
Arik Garthwaite
Brad Sherman
Hunter Smith
Greg White

Players:

Hunter Bronec
Dominic Coffman
Logan Downes
Nick Guay
Logan Martin
Caleb Meyer
Alex Murdy
Xavier Murdy
Zane Oldenstadt
Grady Rickner
Jonathan Valenzuela
Cole White
Hawthorne Wolfe

Managers:

Miles Davidson
David Somes

Team Mom:

Courtney Simpson-Pilgrim

In Memory:

Bennett Boyles

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Bitting a true “fountain of joy”

Posted in Cross Country, Hall o' Fame, Track, tagged CMS Wolves, cross country, Elizabeth Bitting, Hall of Fame, track and field on December 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Elizabeth Bitting, the newest inductee into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame. (Jackie Saia photo)

There are many different types of coaches.

The screamer. The silent leader. Captain gung-ho. The passive-aggressive prodder.

It goes on and on, but the rarest of the bunch may be the fountain of joy.

That’s a coach who really, truly loves their athletes, one who seeks out superstars and marginal role players alike, making each and every one feel important and treasured.

With no disrespect meant to other Coupeville coaches, past or present, one woman stands alone in best exemplifying those traits for Wolf Nation.

Whether working with middle school athletes, or high school competitors, whether guiding track teams or cross country squads, Elizabeth Bitting is our fountain of joy.

Having worked with her for several years now, I can attest to the level of her commitment, which is extraordinary.

Bitting has helped guide champions to their destiny, and exulted in her athlete’s achievement.

But she is also always there when the last runner crawls across the finish line — genuinely thrilled in a two-second improvement for that young girl or boy.

A stellar athlete in high school and college, Bitting continues to compete in running events, from 5K’s to endurance-level tests of the human soul.

She loves running, and it shows in her words and action.

Never more so than when she takes the lessons she’s learned while pounding away on backwoods trails, finds that 12-year-old kid who has never been an athlete, and lights a fire inside of them that they never expected to find.

When you look at Bitting during races, she is a tsunami of joy, and it touches her own athletes and rivals from other schools.

The running guru nimbly installs confidence and joy into each of her young athletes. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

And that explosion of joy soon filters across the faces of virtually all of her young charges.

Trace the line of photos during a Coupeville Middle School track or cross country season, and you see the growth.

Athletes who looked shy and anxious in the early going have a new confidence as the season plays out.

Half-smiles widen into huge grins, and the interplay between the young Wolves and their exuberant coach becomes a two-way street.

Cross country is often a lonely sport, with runners navigating trails and underbrush off on their own, but it is also a perfect launching pad.

You don’t have to learn intricate team plays, or find your spot in a five or 11-player lineup. You just have to put one foot in front of the other, then celebrate each “win” against your personal clock.

It’s a beautiful entry sport for girls and boys of all sizes, shapes, and athletic backgrounds (or lack thereof).

And how blessed then are the young Wolves, who find the coach awaiting them to be a hardy mix of sunshine and love — a woman who makes their time on the trails a truly positive experience?

Bitting is a joy to work with as a writer, as well.

She’s quick to send info, goes into great detail, and often shoots photos of her young stars which provide a behind-the-scenes look rarely captured by those clicking away from the outside.

Toss in the fact she birthed what we now know as Race the Reserve, and her positive impact on our schools and our community just continues to grow.